The rising price of tungsten carbide is putting significant pressure on many industries, from cutting tool manufacturers to component suppliers. What was once considered a manageable input cost has now become a strategic concern.

One area often overlooked is the potential for reclamation. By recovering and reprocessing worn carbide parts, businesses can:

• Reduce reliance on fluctuating raw material markets
• Lower overall material costs
• Extend the life cycle of valuable resources

Back in the 1940s, the Fairey Barracuda was a true workhorse of the skies. These British carrier-borne bombers flew daring missions against the German battleship Tirpitz, supported the invasion of Italy, and patrolled across the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific.

And yet, not a single complete Barracuda made it through to the present day.

Until now.

Keeping your wet blasting equipment running smoothly often comes down to one thing: reliable spare parts. At Vapormatt, we understand the importance of minimising downtime, reducing costs, and ensuring consistent performance. That’s why we’ve built our spares service around three key benefits:

• Proven quality: Every part is engineered and tested to meet the high standards expected in demanding production environments.

• Faster availability: With a wide stock holding, we help customers get what they need quickly, so production isn’t held up.

Think about your favourite cup of coffee.
It’s not just water and beans – it’s the balance: the right grind, the right pressure, the right consistency.

• Too much water? Weak.
• Too much pressure? Bitter.
• Inconsistency? Forgettable.

Wet blasting works on the same principle.

With wet blasting, the right mix of water, abrasive media, and controlled pressure transforms components with precision:

• Surfaces are cleaned without damage
• Finishes are consistent, time after time
• Performance is improved beneath the surface, not just on it

When we think about medical implants, most people focus on the material. But the surface finish, and especially the degree of roughness, plays just as big a role in how well an implant performs once inside the body.

Why surface roughness is important

• Bone and tissue bonding: The right level of micro-roughness helps cells attach securely. Too smooth and integration is poor; too rough and you risk bacterial growth or localised stress.

In the field of medical instruments and devices, finishing isn’t just about appearance - it’s about safety, reliability, and compliance.

Manual finishing often introduces variation. By contrast, automated wet blasting ensures:

• Consistency & quality - Uniform surface textures and edge rounding across every batch

• Deburring & smoothing - Removal of machining marks and sharp edges that could compromise performance

In professional wheel restoration, the surface preparation stage directly determines the quality and durability of the final finish. Wet blasting has proven to be the most effective method for preparing alloy wheels due to its controlled, repeatable process. Here’s how it can be applied step by step:

Initial inspection

• Assess the wheel for structural damage, corrosion depth and coating type. This determines the right abrasive media and operating parameters.

Pre-cleaning (when required)

In implant dentistry, surface technology is one of the most decisive factors for long-term success. Osseointegration - the process where the jawbone fuses directly with the surface of a dental implant to create a stable foundation for replacement teeth - depends not only on surgical technique and patient biology, but critically on how the implant surface is prepared.

Surface treatment of overhead power cables involves a lot more than just cleaning. It has a direct influence on thermal performance, corrosion resistance and service life.

Two common approaches are acid pickling and wet blasting. Both remove oxides and deposits, but the results are very different.

Why wet blasting is the better option:

✅ Higher emissivity

• Wet blasting creates a textured, matte aluminium surface.

• Typical emisivity values: 0.6 to 0.8 for wet blasted surfaces compared with 0.2 to 0.3 for pickled surfaces.

We've developed a custom design of the Leopard Cub wet blasting machine, created specifically for processing long composite structures such as tubes.

In aerospace, automotive, marine and energy sectors, composites require precise and consistent preparation before bonding, coating or finishing. The Leopard Cub ensures that every millimetre of a component receives uniform, high-quality treatment.

Key benefits of wet blasting for composite tubes:

• Uniform and repeatable finishes, delivering reliable bond strength and coating adhesion