What is Plastic Media Blasting?
A faster, cleaner, and safer alternative to sandblasting and chemical stripping trusted by the U.S. Military, commercial aviation, and industrial operations worldwide.
Plastic Media Blasting: A Smarter Approach to Coating Removal
Plastic media blasting (PMB) is a surface preparation process that uses engineered plastic abrasives to strip coatings, paint, and corrosion from a wide range of substrates. Unlike traditional sandblasting or chemical stripping methods, PMB removes coatings efficiently without damaging the underlying surface, generating hazardous waste, or requiring costly disposal procedures.
It is the coating removal method of choice for aerospace, military, automotive, marine, and electronics applications, and Solidstrip® Plastic Abrasive is the media that makes it work.
100
0
Plastic Media Blasting vs. Traditional Methods
Why Industries Are Moving Away From Sandblasting and Chemical Stripping
For decades, sandblasting with materials like sand, aluminum oxide, and steel grit was the standard approach to surface preparation. While effective on heavy steel structures, traditional sandblasting is far too aggressive for sensitive substrates like aluminum, fiberglass, plastic composites, and aerospace-grade materials. The sharp, hard particles cut into the surface, causing warping, pitting, and substrate damage that can compromise the integrity of the part.
Wet chemical strippers offered an alternative for sensitive surfaces, but brought their own serious drawbacks. Chemical stripping is slow, labor-intensive, and generates significant volumes of hazardous waste that require careful handling and costly disposal — an issue that has grown into an international environmental concern.
Plastic media blasting addresses both problems directly. PMB equipment operates at low pressures with controlled media flow, allowing coatings to be removed cleanly and efficiently without damaging the substrate beneath. Solidstrip® Plastic Abrasive is harder than the coatings being removed but softer than the substrate itself, which means surfaces can be stripped multiple times with no measurable impact on the base material.
Military and Industry Adoption
Trusted by the U.S. Military, Commercial Aviation, and Beyond
Plastic media blasting (PMB) is a surface preparation process that uses engineered plastic abrasives to strip coatings and paint from a wide range of substrates. Unlike traditional sandblasting or chemical stripping methods, PMB removes coatings efficiently without damaging the underlying surface, generating hazardous waste, or requiring costly disposal procedures.
It is the coating removal method of choice for aerospace, military, automotive, marine, and electronics applications, and Solidstrip® Plastic Abrasive is the media that makes it work.
How Solidstrip® Fits In
Solidstrip® Plastic Abrasive: The Media Behind the Process
Not all plastic blasting media is created equal. Solidstrip® Plastic Abrasive is an engineered, precision-manufactured media formulated to deliver consistent stripping performance across every application and every cycle. It is nontoxic, nonhazardous, and recyclable — recovered, air-washed, screened, and reused to significantly reduce waste generation compared to both sandblasting and chemical methods.
Solidstrip® offers a full range of plastic media types, each formulated for a specific range of applications and substrate sensitivities. From the aggressive stripping power of Melamine Type III to the surface-safe precision of Acrylic Type V, there is a Solidstrip® media engineered for the job.
Solidstrip®, Inc. was the first to patent the plastic media blasting process using Solidstrip® Plastic Abrasive, establishing an early foundation for a technology that has delivered proven performance for decades in some of the world’s most demanding environments.
