Problast - The place for professional sandblasters


	How it works

Learning the basics is easy. There is no difficult information to absorb, no lengthy technology to decipher, no large books to read. You'll be etching straight away. It's a process that you can teach to any employee at any level. Sand blasting is a craft and if you're a professional in the new economy - it's a craft worth learning.

How the process works

How it works - summary

Produce your artwork and print it out on a good quality Laser Printer.
Lay the artwork onto your PhotoMask Resist and expose it to Ultra Violet light
Wash out the image using normal tap water and a trigger Jet Wash Out hose. The image is washed out and you end up with a sharp stencil resist
Let The resist dry
Lay the resist onto the product to be Sand Blasted and burnish it firmly onto the surface
Peel back the protective coating and your ready to etch
Etch the image in your Sand Blasting Machine
Remove the resist either by peeling it off or soaking it in water
Clean up the product and your done

The whole process is very quick and very simple to do

Computer System and Software

Your existing computer and graphics software will probably do. You need software such as Corel Darw, Illustrator, Casmate or any graphic program to produce your artwork.

Artwork

Artwork is produced using any graphics program. You need to produce clean good quality black and white images.You need a good quality Laser printer to print your artwork out onto UV stable Vellum paper or Laser film. . You can use and Ink Jet but the cost of Special Ink jet printing film and Ink makes it not a very good option. Laser Printers give the most economical result

ProBlast sell only good quality proven Laser Printers

Exposure the image and resist

Lay the artwork onto Photomask Resist using an Ultra Violet light source such as the Letralite exposure system pictured here.

PhotoMask Resist takes 20-30 seconds to expose.

The U.V. light hardens the resist through the vellum except for where your darkened artwork is. The exposed area will not dissolve in water but the area where the image blocks the resist from the light will wash away in water.

Wash out the resist Image

Our specially designed Trigger Jet wash out hose connects straight to tap water for the wash out process. PhotoMask resist washes out in normal water very quickly leaving a perfect replication of the original artwork. This process takes around 30 seconds depending on the size of the image being washed out.

	Dry the resist

	Blot off excess water and allow resist to dry completely. This can be done by air drying or by using a drying system such as our drying cabinet. A small fan forced heater also works well

Two types of Resist

ProBlast offer two types of PhotoMask Resist. The Original SR2000 PhotoMask Resist(tm) or the SR3000 self sticking resist. With SR2000 you need to apply adhesive to the resist. With SR3000(tm) there is no need to apply adhesive. The resist itself has an inherent tacky surface that will securely stick to the product you are etching

Applying Adhesive to SR2000

If you are using SR3000 PhotoMask Resist skip this section and go on to the next section.

SR2000 users apply adhesive by either brushing the adhesive on to the product to be etched in an even thin coat or use a smal spray gun (recomended) to spray the adhesive onto the resist back.

The adhesive needs a minute or so to go tacky.

SR3000 users

With SSR3000 there is no need to apply adhesive. It is made with an inherint tacky surface that appears after wash out. Once washed out and dried apply the SR3000 directly onto the surface to be etched.

Applying the Resist to the product

Lay the PhotoMask Resist onto the surface of the product to be etched and make sure that it is straight. If it is not straight you can peel the resist off and reposition it.

Burnish the resist onto the surface with a scraper to make sure that it is firmly attached.

Peel the clear protective cover sheet off the resist and you are ready to etch your product.

	Etching the product

	Etch the product in your Sand Blasting cabinet. By following our guidlines this process will very simply and fast to do and the results will be excellent.