Soft blasting and sandblasting are often confused. Both project an abrasive with compressed air to clean or strip a surface. But they do not work with the same force or on the same surfaces, and they do not need quite the same compressor.
Sandblasting: deep stripping
Sandblasting projects a hard, often angular abrasive (corundum, grit, slag) with high energy. It removes mill scale, heavy rust and old coatings, and creates a roughness that helps paint adhere. It is used mainly on steel: structures, chassis, tanks, mechanical parts.
It is an aggressive process. On a soft surface, it digs in and leaves marks.
Soft blasting: stripping without damage
Soft blasting uses finer or softer abrasives (mineral powders, glass beads, bicarbonate, plant-based media depending on the machine), projected at a lower, adjustable pressure. It removes the layer to be stripped while preserving the surface underneath: wood, stone, brick, render, classic car bodies, aluminium, furniture.
It is the technique of joiners doing renovation work, façade contractors, vehicle restorers and graffiti removal companies.
Wet blasting
Wet blasting adds water to the air and abrasive mix. Dust is greatly reduced, which makes it useful on façades, indoors or in occupied areas. The compressor stays the same: it is the machine that adds the water.
What changes for the compressor
| Soft blasting | Sandblasting | |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure | Adjustable, low to medium depending on the surface | Higher |
| Air flow | Depending on the nozzle, from a few hundred to over 2,000 L/min | Often high, with large nozzles |
| Air quality | Dry air essential | Dry air essential |
| Location | Workshop or site | Often in a booth or workshop |
In both cases, the compressor is chosen on its real air flow at working pressure, with a margin for nozzle wear. Our flow and pressure converter helps you compare units. For continuous work, also think about the compressor's electricity cost: on a machine that runs all day, it quickly outweighs the purchase price.
Workshop or site?
- In the workshop, the K 150 combines compressor, receiver, refrigerated dryer and filtration. It delivers 2.2 m³/min at 8 bar, enough for most soft blasting machines.
- If the workshop already has its air treatment, the S 150 delivers the same flow as a standalone compressor.
- To move the compressor from one workstation to another, the M 220 is mounted on a twin tank and wheels. It delivers 2.0 m³/min at 12.5 bar and runs on 380 V three-phase. Add a dryer at the outlet for soft blasting.
Very high-flow industrial sandblasting, or several blasting stations at once, goes beyond this range. Those installations are studied as an industrial project, quoted case by case.
To go further, read which compressor for soft blasting and our trade page compressor for soft blasting.
For your trade: Compressor for soft blasting, Compressor for metalwork and fabrication shops, Compressor for body shops.