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Industry Trends and Innovations

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Shaping the Future of Abrasive Blasting

The abrasive blasting industry is changing quickly, driven by new priorities around recycling, dust control, and automation. Contractors are increasingly focused on solutions that not only deliver high performance but also support sustainability, worker safety, and long-term cost efficiency.

Garnet Returns as Standard Practice

Contractors are increasingly seeking comprehensive recycling solutions for used abrasive. GMA supports this shift by providing programs that facilitate the responsible return and reprocessing of spent garnet, ensuring its sustainable and compliant disposal.

This shift toward recycling isn’t just environmentally responsible — it reduces waste-handling costs and helps contractors meet growing regulatory and customer requirements.

Dust Control and Visibility on the Job

A key shift in the abrasive blasting industry is the increasing emphasis on maintaining cleaner, more controlled work environments. Project specifications and contractor requirements now place greater focus on minimizing airborne particulate to support productivity, safety, and overall site efficiency. Abrasives that break down during use can restrict visibility and increase cleanup and containment requirements, adding time and cost to a project.

Non-friable abrasives such as GMA Garnet™ help address these evolving expectations. With significantly lower breakdown rates, they contribute to cleaner blasting conditions, reduced containment needs, and faster readiness for coating application. This supports more efficient project delivery and helps asset owners reduce downtime.

Innovation in Abrasives and Equipment

While blasting itself is a well-established process, innovation lies in how abrasives perform and how they integrate with advancing equipment:

Engineered abrasives like GMA Garnet™ achieve faster cleaning with lower consumption.
Automation and robotics are being introduced to speed up repetitive tasks while ensuring consistency.
Nozzle technology continues to evolve — something as simple as nozzle length can improve performance by 20–30%.

The key is synchronization: abrasive, equipment, and operator working in harmony. Without this alignment, even the best abrasive cannot deliver its full potential.

“Our abrasives are an innovation for the market. It’s not the blasting technology itself that’s new — it’s how our abrasives work. When you combine high-performing products with the right equipment and skilled operators, that’s where the real efficiency gains come from.”
Pete Mitchell
VP of New Market Development and Technical Management, GMA Americas

Looking Ahead

As recycling, dust control, and automation become industry standards, contractors that adopt innovative practices early will gain a competitive edge. With advanced abrasives, smarter equipment, and integrated recycling programs, the future of abrasive blasting is not just faster and more efficient — it’s safer, cleaner, and more sustainable.

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