Abrasive Blasting, Shot Peening & Surface Prep worked example

Dust Collector Loading at 69% collector uptime: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop collector uptime to 69%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate captured dust load from dust generated per blast cycle, cycle count, collector uptime, and capture efficiency.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Dust generated per blast cycle: 18 lb / cycle (held at the documented default)
  • Blast cycles: 24 cycles (held at the documented default)
  • Collector uptime: 69 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 96)
  • Capture efficiency: 92 % (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Gross dust load = dust generated per cycle × blast cycles.
  • Captured dust load works out to 274 lb dust at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Gross dust generated works out to 432 lb dust at these inputs.
  • Uptime-related bypass works out to 134 lb dust at these inputs.
  • Uncaptured dust estimate works out to 23.85 lb dust at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where collector uptime sits at 96% and the headline result is 382 lb dust, this scenario comes in 28.12% below the baseline at 274 lb dust.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to collector uptime, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. Per-cycle dust generation varies with abrasive type, substrate, and coating thickness; a single average can understate load on heavily coated or rusty work.

Results at a glance

  • Captured dust load: 274 lb dust (headline result)
  • Gross dust generated: 432 lb dust
  • Uptime-related bypass: 134 lb dust
  • Uncaptured dust estimate: 23.85 lb dust

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Dust Collector Loading calculator, set collector uptime to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.