The Total Cost of Blasting
Understanding the True Cost of Shot Blasting Operations
Shot blasting is a core process for cleaning, descaling, or strengthening metal surfaces. While abrasive purchase price is often the focus in procurement decisions, it represents only a small fraction of total operating costs. Evaluating the total cost of blasting (TCB) requires considering all factors affecting the blasting process.
Cost Distribution
Example operating costs for a four-wheel surface preparation machine* are approximately:
- Labour: 45%
- Machine depreciation: 24%
- Energy: 14%
- Maintenance: 11% (including spare parts)
- Abrasive: 6%
Abrasive cost is minor compared with labour, energy, and equipment depreciation. However, abrasive performance directly affects these larger cost areas.
Impact of Abrasive Performance
High-quality abrasives can improve efficiency and reduce total cost by:
- Increasing output per hour or shift
- Reducing energy consumption per tonne processed
- Reducing abrasive consumption
- Minimising dust and waste disposal
- Improving surface quality, reducing rework
Even small performance improvements can have a significant effect on total operating costs.
Limitations of Price-Based Selection
Purchasing based solely on price per tonne assumes all abrasives perform equally, which is not the case. Using lower-quality abrasives usually increases:
- Dust generation and extraction load
- Wear on machine components
- Maintenance requirements
- Operator workload
- Blasting time per workpiece
- Coating adhesion issues
These hidden costs often outweigh savings from a lower purchase price.
Ervin Abrasive Performance
Decades of testing show that Ervin abrasives deliver consistent, reliable performance in both wheel and air blasting systems. Benefits include higher productivity, reduced abrasive consumption, and lower maintenance downtime. This allows operations to either maintain output while reducing cost or increase output without raising overall expenditure.
The Ervin Total Cost of Blasting (TCB) App
The TCB App enables data-driven assessment of blasting operations by combining:
- Ervin performance testing data
- Operational knowledge of machines
- Cost data for energy, labour, and maintenance
By inputting site-specific parameters, the app predicts potential savings from optimised abrasive selection, supporting informed decision-making. Our sales and technical teams are fully trained to use the app at customer premises delivering a real-time projection of the savings that could be achieved.
Summary
Abrasive performance, not price alone, determines the total cost of shot blasting. By considering labour, energy, maintenance, and equipment wear alongside abrasive characteristics, manufacturers can identify significant cost-saving opportunities. Tools like the TCB App provide a clear, quantitative method to optimise blasting efficiency and total cost.
*data provided by a German blasting machine manufacturer from a German blasting operation
