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Blasting Media Consumption Calculator

Work out blasting media consumption instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Blasting Media Consumption Calculator

Total media thrown is area times the consumption rate for the required surface profile, typically 20-40 kg/m² for a blast-clean to a near-white standard. In a recovery system only the fraction that breaks down has to be replaced, so fresh media is the total multiplied by one minus the recovery rate. Nozzle flow sets how long the job takes.

Formulas

Media thrown

kg = area m² x consumption rate kg/m²

Fresh media

kg fresh = total x (1 - recovery rate); hours = total / nozzle flow

Worked example

With the default values below, Blasting Media Consumption Calculator returns Fresh media required of 1,500.0. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Area to blastminimum 0.1 m²
200 m²
Media consumption rateminimum 0.1 kg/m²
25 kg/m²
Media recovery rateaccepts 0–95 %
70 %
Nozzle media flowminimum 1 kg/h
250 kg/h

Results

Fresh media required
1,500.0 kg
Total media thrown
5,000 kg
Blasting time
20.00 h
Fresh media in tonnes
1.500 t

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Media thrown
  3. 3Fresh media
  4. 4Fresh media required= 1,500.0 kg
  5. 5Total media thrown= 5,000 kg
  6. 6Blasting time= 20.00 h
  7. 7Fresh media in tonnes= 1.500 t

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Blasting Media Consumption figure worked out?

kg = area m² x consumption rate kg/m². Total media thrown is area times the consumption rate for the required surface profile, typically 20-40 kg/m² for a blast-clean to a near-white standard.

Why does expendable blasting cost so much more?

Without recovery every kilogram thrown is bought once and disposed of once. Recyclable steel grit lasts hundreds of cycles, which is why enclosed blast rooms use it despite the higher unit price.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 4 inputs: Area to blast, Media consumption rate, Media recovery rate, Nozzle media flow. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.

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