When our teams visit customers on site, we quite often receive questions on how to store their GMA Garnet™ abrasives in the best possible way.

Before we talk about the proper handling and storage of your garnet products, it is important to note that exposing your garnet supplies to moisture should be avoided as much as possible. 

Wet abrasives get compacted and harden in the hopper. When you then feed it to the cutting head, it may stick to the feed hoses or comes out in lumps and risk clogging the feed regulator.

That’s why our 25kg (55lbs) paper and 1,000kg (2200lbs) and 2,000kg (4400lbs) polypropylene bulk bag/big bag packaging come with plastic inner liners.

Useful tips on garnet storage 

First and foremost, train your employees on the proper handling of garnet abrasive sand best work practices.

Managing your abrasives well not only maximises your resources but also ensures a trouble-free and interrupted cutting operation.

• Store GMA Garnet™ abrasives indoors and in a dry place. Abrasives stored in polypropylene bags must be kept out of direct sunlight to avoid UV degradation.
• Keep the packaging tightly closed and in a well-ventilated place without large temperature swings to prevent condensation.
• Place paper and bulk bags on pallets and not directly on the floor. Be aware of opened bags near the waterjet cutting machine as it can be exposed to water splashes from the machine.
• Identify a safe and low-traffic storage location in your warehouse to avoid potential damages to the bags.

Another point to note: We recommend that you check the goods received for any damages on the packaging that may have occurred during the delivery.

How about the shelf life? 

GMA Garnet™ abrasive is a natural mineral and do not contain any chemical additives. Therefore, there are no expiration dates on our products. 

Pre-screening your abrasive before use

Fibres or contaminants could be introduced into the abrasive when you open the paper bags. Therefore, we recommend that you screen your garnet to sieve out these particles before feeding it into your waterjet machine. 

Quality Assured

GMA takes pride in the fact that our product is undisputedly the highest quality natural abrasive and cutting medium available in the world today. The entire production process from mining to processing and administration is certified under various international quality standards, including:

• ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management Systems)
• ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management Systems)
• AS/NZS 45001:2018 (Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems)
• In compliance with ISO 11126-10:2017 for free silica content.

By Kjeld Lauritzen, GMA Europe