In the late 1940s, Norman Ives Ashworth pioneered the surface treatment techniques that made the jet engine viable. The process he developed became the foundation of an entire industry. Nearly eight decades on, Vapormatt remains what it has always been: the company that sets the standard.
That is not a claim we need to make. It is a fact our customers demonstrate every time they stay with us for the life of their wet blasting machine.
Why heritage matters in precision engineering
Surface finishing is one of the few disciplines where experience genuinely can't be replaced. Every material behaves differently. Every application demands a different approach. A process that delivers consistent results on a titanium aerospace component will behave entirely differently on a carbide cutting tool. Getting it wrong means scrapped components, rework costs, and production delays that compound quickly at scale.
Most suppliers offer wet blasting (also known as vapor blasting, vapour blasting, or aqua blasting) as one capability within a broader portfolio. When problems arise, you may not get the expert support you need. That is not how we operate, and it is not how we are structured.
When Stewart Ashworth established Vapormatt in 1978, wet blasting was our sole focus. It still is. Over nearly five decades of singular commitment, we have built a depth of process knowledge that generalist competitors cannot replicate, because they have never had cause to develop it.
Learn more about the history of wet blasting
Specialist knowledge. Engineered into every machine.
Our engineers hold patents across process control, blast slurry conditioning, media filtration, and blast gun systems. These include several world firsts. They are not historical footnotes. They are the engineering foundations that make our wet blasting machines more precise, more consistent, and more controllable than anything else available.
World firsts
Vortex pumps
Capable of handling up to 50% abrasive concentration
Micro nozzles
Using 70% less air than industry standards
Low level sumps
Allowing large cabinets to be built without pits or platforms
Particle seperation
Using elutriation to separate broken media better than anything else
Learn more about our R&D and patents
Proof, not promises
Our wet blasting machines are trusted by leading manufacturers in aerospace, medical, carbide tooling, and advanced manufacturing, in more than 50 countries, across more than 20 industries, with over 2,000 machines sold worldwide.
The results are specific. One customer improved machine availability from 50% to 98% after moving to Vapormatt technology. A leading aerospace manufacturer reduced a cleaning cycle by 93%, from three hours to 20 minutes. AgustaWestland has operated Vapormatt equipment for over 30 years. Others hold consistent edge hones to within 2 microns across full production volumes. These are not best-case figures. They are what precision process control delivers as standard.
We are ISO 9001 certified and our engineering teams work regularly within the compliance requirements of aerospace and medical manufacturing environments.
Four generations. One commitment.
The third generation of the Ashworth family took leadership in 2003. The fourth generation are already in senior positions. This continuity shapes decisions in a way that quarterly targets never can.
Most of our customers stay with us for the life of their machine. That retention is the product of a culture that does not treat customers as transactions, and does not give up when problems arise. Our process consultants, design engineers, and service teams support every machine we build, from commissioning to end of life.
Buying a Vapormatt machine is not simply a capital expenditure decision. It is a partnership with the organisation that invented the process, and has spent eight decades proving it.
Our three pillars
Technical excellence
World-first innovations, extensive patent portfolio, and engineering advances that deliver precision finishing unmatched in the industry.
Commercial performance
Nearly five decades of trusted partnerships with leading manufacturers worldwide. Machines that deliver exceptional performance for decades, not just years.
Generational commitment
From Norman's pioneering work in the 1940s, through Stewart founding Vapormatt in 1978, to today's leadership preparing for tomorrow's innovations.
The bottom line
We brought wet blasting to the world. We hold the patents that define how precision wet blasting works. We have placed machines on six continents in the most demanding applications in aerospace, medical, and advanced manufacturing. And we have been doing it since before any of our current competitors existed.
If you are specifying surface finishing equipment for a critical application, the question is not whether Vapormatt has the experience. It is whether you can afford to choose a supplier who doesn't.
Learn more about Vapormatt
The history of wet blasting
From the 1940's to today, discover how the Ashworth family have been leading the way for over 80 years.
The team behind Vapormatt
Combing decades of experience, it is our people that make Vapormatt great.
Our global partners
Our worldwide presence is possible with many local sales and service partners.
FAQ's
What is wet blasting and who invented it?
Wet blasting - also known as vapor blasting, vapour blasting, and aqua blasting - is a precision surface finishing process used across aerospace, medical, carbide tooling, and advanced manufacturing. The process was invented in the late 1940s by Norman Ives Ashworth, whose surface treatment techniques made the jet engine viable and formed the foundation of the wet blasting industry. In 1978, Stewart Ashworth established Vapormatt as the world's first dedicated wet blasting machine company. Nearly six decades on, Vapormatt remains the global standard-setter in wet blasting technology.
Why choose a specialist wet blasting machine manufacturer over a generalist supplier?
Most surface finishing suppliers offer wet blasting as one capability within a broader portfolio. When problems arise with a generalist supplier, specialist support is rarely available. Vapormatt was founded with wet blasting as its sole focus, and that has never changed. Nearly five decades of singular commitment to wet blasting has produced a depth of process knowledge - and a patent portfolio covering process control, blast slurry conditioning, media filtration, and blast gun systems - that generalist competitors have never had cause to develop. Every material behaves differently, and every application demands a different approach. That expertise is engineered into every Vapormatt machine.
What world-first innovations has Vapormatt developed in wet blasting technology?
Vapormatt's engineers hold patents across several world-first wet blasting innovations. These include vortex pumps capable of handling up to 50% abrasive concentration, micro nozzles that use 70% less air than industry standards, low-level sumps that allow large cabinets to be built without pits or platforms, and elutriation-based particle separation that removes broken media more effectively than any other method. These aren't historical footnotes - they are the engineering foundations that make Vapormatt wet blasting machines more precise, more consistent, and more controllable than any other wet blasting equipment available.
What results have manufacturers achieved using Vapormatt wet blasting machines?
Vapormatt wet blasting machines deliver measurable, documented performance improvements in real production environments. One customer improved machine availability from 50% to 98% after switching to Vapormatt technology. A leading aerospace manufacturer reduced a cleaning cycle by 93%, cutting process time from three hours to 20 minutes. In precision edge honing applications, customers consistently hold tolerances within 2 microns across full production volumes. AgustaWestland has operated Vapormatt equipment for over 30 years. These are not best-case figures - they represent what precision process control delivers as standard.
Learn more about the results wet blasting delivers on our applications pages.
Which industries and applications are Vapormatt wet blasting machines used in?
Vapormatt wet blasting machines are trusted by leading manufacturers in aerospace, medical device manufacturing, carbide tooling, and advanced manufacturing. With over 2,000 machines sold worldwide, Vapormatt equipment operates across more than 20 industries in more than 50 countries on six continents. Applications range from aerospace component cleaning and surface preparation to medical device finishing and carbide cutting tool edge honing - environments where surface finishing quality directly affects component performance, regulatory compliance, and production efficiency.
Are Vapormatt wet blasting machines certified for aerospace and medical manufacturing?
Yes. Vapormatt is ISO 9001 certified, and its engineering teams work regularly within the compliance requirements of aerospace and medical manufacturing environments. Vapormatt wet blasting machines are used by leading aerospace and medical manufacturers worldwide, including AgustaWestland, which has operated Vapormatt equipment for over 30 years. Vapormatt's process knowledge, patent portfolio, and long-standing experience in safety-critical manufacturing make its machines the trusted choice where surface finishing quality, traceability, and process repeatability are essential.
Learn more about our wet blasting solutions for the aerospace industry
Learn more about our wet blasting solutions for the dental and medical industries
What after-sales support does Vapormatt provide for its wet blasting machines?
Vapormatt supports every wet blasting machine it builds from commissioning through to end of life. Process consultants, design engineers, and service teams are available throughout the operational life of every machine. Because wet blasting is Vapormatt's sole focus, customers have direct access to the deepest specialist knowledge base in the industry - not a generalist support team managing multiple product lines. Most Vapormatt customers stay with the company for the life of their machine, a retention rate that reflects a culture built on long-term partnership rather than transactional sales.
What is the history and ownership of Vapormatt?
Vapormatt was founded in 1978 by Stewart Ashworth, building on the wet blasting techniques pioneered by Norman Ives Ashworth in the late 1940s. The company has remained family-owned across generations: the third generation of the Ashworth family took leadership in 2003, and the fourth generation are already in senior positions. This generational continuity shapes long-term decision-making in a way that short-term commercial pressures cannot. Vapormatt has spent nearly eight decades proving the process it invented, and that commitment to wet blasting - and to the manufacturers who depend on it - remains unchanged.