Frequently asked questions

A cleaning and stripping process that projects a fine abrasive, driven by compressed air at low or medium pressure. Pressure, abrasive and grit size are adjusted to the substrate, so you can clean soft stone just as well as strip steel back to bare metal.

The principle is the same (an abrasive propelled by air), but air blasting uses finer abrasives and pressures adjustable from 0.2 bar (3 psi). Fragile substrates can therefore be treated without marking them, which conventional sandblasting does not allow.

Water does not make the machine more powerful, but it greatly suppresses dust: this is decisive downtown, on occupied sites or near heritage buildings. Wood and metal are treated dry (wood swells, metal rusts). H₂O machines can work in both modes, so you can choose job by job.

Stone, brick, concrete, wood, metal, boat hulls, vehicles, furniture, sculptures, graffiti… What changes from one substrate to another is the abrasive, the grit size and the pressure. A test patch is always done before starting.

Yes. With garnet, air blasting removes old coatings, rust and mill scale and takes the metal back to bare steel, to a Sa 2.5 to Sa 3 cleanliness grade. It gives an anchor profile of 40 to 50 µm, the preparation IBIX recommends before flame spraying.

Yes. For stubborn tags, selective micro air blasting with a soft abrasive is used, then the surface is protected with a Biocare I-Protect. Subsequent tags can then be removed with Vegegraf or Detag, without reapplying the protection.

Yes, this is a historical use of IBIX. Soft abrasives are used (calcium carbonate on porous stone), at low pressure, often in wet mode, after a test patch. For valuable stone, I-Protect R is the appropriate protection.

It depends on the substrate, the thickness to remove and the result required. In an IBIX comparative test stripping paint to Sa 3, the IBIX 60 HI-PRO treated 6.6 m²/h (about 71 sq ft/h), compared with 2.4 m²/h (about 26 sq ft/h) for a conventional sandblaster, using the same quantity of garnet. The real figure is established during a demonstration, on your substrate. Calculating the actual output for your job (surface, substrate, nozzle, pressure, consumption) is reserved for professionals registered with the technical centre: register on the site and your access code will be emailed to you.

Dry, yes: the surroundings must be protected. In wet mode, dust is greatly reduced. Indoors, extraction sized to the volume of the room is essential; the IBIX Air No Dust 3000 extraction unit is in the catalogue.

Yes, on two conditions: an electric compressor (a combustion-engine compressor must never be used in an enclosed space because of carbon monoxide) and extraction suited to the volume of the room. A three-phase power supply is often required for powerful electric compressors.

For air blasting: dry (IBIX 3 Nano, IBIX 9 QC ASME, IBIX 25), dry and wet H₂O (IBIX Pro 3 Nano H₂O, IBIX Pro 9 H₂O, IBIX Pro 25 H₂O, IBIX Pro 40 H₂O, IBIX Hi-Pro 60 H₂O), Trilogy (IBIX 3 Nano, 9 and 28 Trilogy), the IBIX Start-Up package and the Air No Dust 3000 extraction unit. For flame spray: the IBIX INDUSTRIAL range (Pocket Flame Coater, Gladiator, Hercules, Spartacus, Atlantis). For IBIX Twin 25 Dry Ice cryogenic cleaning, please ask our IBIX agent about availability in Canada.

A 9 L machine (about 18 kg / 40 lb): delicate work, woodwork, sculptures, wheel rims, furniture. A 25 L machine (about 38 kg / 84 lb): façades, timber frames, cladding, hulls, graffiti, surface preparation before painting. The IBIX Hi-Pro 60 H₂O (60 L, about 70 kg / 154 lb): engineering structures, tanks, heavy structures. The right choice depends mainly on your compressor and your hours of use per year.

Because it covers most jobs: 25 litres, dry or wet, about 1,500 l/min (53 CFM) of air with the 5.5 mm nozzle. It remains transportable while being able to handle a façade. A video of the IBIX 25 HELIOS H₂O in wet mode is available on our Videos page.

They are versions of IBIX air blasting machines with additional options (dry, wet and Helix working modes, settings). A Trilogy is the same base machine with more possibilities. Our agent will tell you whether the option is worthwhile for your jobs.

The pot only determines how long you can work between refills. A small machine can be carried and goes anywhere; a large one can work a façade without interruption but requires a heavy compressor. An oversized machine that is rarely used is expensive; an undersized one wears out on continuous jobs.

Only the two smallest machines can be carried on the back. Beyond that, the machine stays on the ground and the hose length gives access from scaffolding or an aerial lift: it must be checked before the quote.

Machine prices are by quote, in Canadian dollars, before taxes and shipping: the configuration (machine, nozzle, compressor, options) changes the amount. You receive a written proposal before any order.

In this order: hardness (is the abrasive harder or softer than the substrate?), then grit size, then pressure. A hardness mistake marks the surface irreversibly: even a fine garnet grit will always scratch polished marble.

Crystaline Hard Rock garnet (20/40, 60 and 80 mesh), Enviro Garnet (20/40 and 80 mesh), 30/60 mesh garnet and 200 mesh garnet, Z5 calcium carbonate, Reblast crushed glass, sodium bicarbonate and walnut shell. Sold by the bag or by the pallet, shipped anywhere in Canada.

Prices in Canadian dollars, before taxes and shipping. 55 lb bag: Crystaline Hard Rock $39.90, Enviro Garnet 20/40 $31.90, Enviro Garnet 80 $35.50, 30/60 garnet $31.90; 200 mesh garnet $17.45 per 25 kg bag; Z5 calcium carbonate $1.84/kg. Pallet: $1,596 (Crystaline), $1,276 (Enviro Garnet 20/40 or 30/60 garnet), $1,420 (Enviro Garnet 80), $698 (200 mesh garnet), $1,840 (Z5 carbonate, 1,000 kg). Crushed glass, bicarbonate and walnut shell on request. Pallet delivery: $380 (Island of Montréal), $460 (Laval, South Shore), elsewhere on request.

No. Bicarbonate is a salt: in porous stone, it can swell as it dries and break the stone from the inside, sometimes weeks after the job. It is reserved for non-porous surfaces (polished marble, granite, glass, stainless steel, composites). On porous stone, calcium carbonate is used.

Grit size controls speed, not quality. A fine grit is not necessarily safer: on thick paint it removes nothing and tempts you to raise the pressure, which damages the substrate. The rule: the coarsest grit the substrate can tolerate, at the lowest pressure that produces an effect.

It depends on the nozzle, the pressure, the metering setting and the substrate. Calculating the actual output for your job (surface, substrate, nozzle, pressure, consumption) is reserved for professionals registered with the technical centre: register on the site and your access code will be emailed to you.

Garnet can be partly recycled if it is recovered clean and screened; soft abrasives (bicarbonate, carbonate) break on impact and cannot be reused. The actual recovery rate depends on the job.

Dry ice (solid CO₂) is projected and sublimates on contact with the surface: it turns back into gas, leaving no water or residue to remove. Sensitive equipment can thus be cleaned, often without dismantling or a prolonged production shutdown.

It combines three modes in a single machine: dry ice alone, dry ice + abrasive (garnet or bicarbonate) for resistant coatings and rust, or abrasive alone. The mode is changed from the gun, without stopping work. For availability and configuration in Canada, please contact our IBIX agent.

Plastics, rubber and composite moulds (including hot), engines and mechanical parts, production lines and conveyors, food processing (with bicarbonate), metal preparation before finishing. Each substrate is validated by a trial.

With the 30% margin: at least 4,600 l/min (about 162 CFM) for dry ice alone or occasional use, at least 6,500 l/min (about 230 CFM) for continuous hybrid use, with dry air and up to 9 bar (131 psi). A compressor of 2,500 l/min (88 CFM) or less is not enough.

It is a consumable to be ordered for each job from a dry ice supplier, because it sublimates during storage. Our IBIX agent can discuss it with you when reviewing your project.

Yes: 86 to 120 dB at 6 bar (87 psi) depending on the setting. Hearing protection is mandatory for the operator and anyone nearby.

A trial on your substrate remains the only reliable way to validate the result. Contact our IBIX agent to find out about trial or demonstration options for the Twin 25 in Canada.

A thermoplastic powder is melted by the gun’s flame and sprayed directly onto the structure, on site, with no oven, booth or fluidized bed. The coating sets in a few seconds and can be touched up or repaired immediately.

On metal (PHC-A or PHC Plus powders, no primer coat) and on concrete (Polyfusion, over a mandatory Polyres N epoxy primer). FSPE and PP10 powders are available for oil and gas.

IBIX reference thicknesses are 400 µm for PHC-A on metal (range 300 to 1,000 µm) and 600 µm for Polyfusion on concrete. Thickness is checked with a gauge during application.

On steel, air blasting to Sa 2.5 with an anchor profile of 40 to 50 µm, then preheating the metal (130 to 140 °C for PHC-A, 190 °C for PHC Plus). Coating quality depends first and foremost on preparation.

Yes, that is its main use. IBIX states more than 15 years in C5M corrosivity (ISO 12944-6) and Im3 immersion for the PHC Plus range, and offshore cyclic testing to ISO 20340. PHC Plus and Polyfusion Plus powders are approved for contact with drinking water (NSF/ANSI 61-G and 372).

Depending on the gun, from 40 m²/day to 400 m²/day with PHC-A at 400 µm, and from 40 to 300 m²/day with Polyfusion at 600 µm. These IBIX figures apply to flat surfaces, excluding preparation and preheating. Calculating the actual output for your job (surface, substrate, nozzle, pressure, consumption) is reserved for professionals registered with the technical centre: register on the site and your access code will be emailed to you.

Standard chart: RAL 7001, 7035, 7046, 7016, 1015, 6005, 9016, 5017, 3020. Other colours and effects (hammered, speckled) on request; PHC Plus in white RAL 9016 or black RAL 9005.

Propane (50 to 60% minimum) at 3 bar (44 psi) for the Gladiator, and dry compressed air of at least 1,200 l/min (42 CFM) with standard guns, 1,500 l/min (53 CFM) with the MAXI HI-TECH gun.

Yes, it is mandatory. The purchase includes two days of technical training at IBIX in Italy or online (one day for the Pocket Flame Coater).

Environmentally friendly products to protect, clean and sanitize surfaces: I-Protect water-repellent impregnations, Vegegraf and Detag anti-graffiti, Essenzio anti-moss, Desal desalination poultice, Solid consolidant and Fitex preservation. In Canada, they are supplied and invoiced by the authorized IBIX Biocare distributor for Canada; price on request.

I-Protect AS for general construction (concrete, pavers, natural stone; it resists freeze-thaw and de-icing salts), I-Protect R for historic and monumental heritage, I-Protect VS for routine building maintenance. All are colourless, breathable and VOC-free.

According to IBIX technical data sheets: 15 years vertical and 10 years horizontal for AS and R, 7 years vertical and 6 years horizontal for VS, under the application conditions set out in the technical data sheets.

For I-Protect AS: 4 to 6 m²/L on architectural concrete, 5 to 8 m²/L on paving, 2 to 5 m²/L on porous stone, 8 to 12 m²/L on low-porosity stone. Actual coverage depends on porosity; a small test area is recommended.

Clean substrate, cracks filled, moisture content of 12% or less at a depth of 1 cm. First treat moss with Essenzio and efflorescence with Desal. On a façade, apply from bottom to top, working wet on wet.

1. Remove the tag with Vegegraf or Detag (IBIX micro air blasting for stubborn tags). 2. Protect with an I-Protect suited to the substrate. 3. Maintain: new tags are removed with Vegegraf, without reapplying the protection.

It is a plant-based, pH-neutral remover that rinses off with water and can be used with the public present. It is best suited to smooth, non-porous surfaces and is safe on most materials, including metals. Leave on for 5 to 10 minutes, scrub lightly, rinse.

Through the online order form or quote request, by phone at +1 514 416 1061 (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), by WhatsApp at +33 6 13 60 57 59 or by email at david.lison@ibix-conservation.ca. Price, format, lead time and shipping are confirmed before any order. Shipped by DHL or FedEx anywhere in Canada.

An air blasting machine consumes air continuously: if the compressor cannot keep up, the jet weakens and output collapses. Consumption depends mainly on the nozzle diameter (it grows with the square of that diameter) and increases much faster than machine size. So you choose the air supply before the machine.

A compressor wears and loses flow, nozzles wear and consume more, and the rated flow is not always what is actually delivered. With a 30% margin, the machine holds its pressure all day. Example: a 25 L machine at 1,500 l/min (53 CFM) needs a compressor of about 1,950 l/min (69 CFM).

Moisture and oil in the air make the abrasive stick, clog the machine and nozzles and contaminate the surface, which can impair adhesion of the next coating. A dryer is essential for dry blasting, especially in Canadian winters, as well as for dry ice cleaning and flame spraying.

The Canadian catalogue features the IBIX IB 2000 AE rotary screw engine-driven compressor (Honda GX 690 engine, 1,900 l/min or about 67 CFM, 8 bar), which powers the entire flame spray range and suits 25 L machines depending on the nozzle; the single-phase IB E 2 Trolley; the IB2200 buffer tank; and the AMD 18, AMD 52 and AMD 75 dryers and the 1800 L electric dryer (115 V / 60 Hz). For the IBIX Hi-Pro 60 H₂O and high air demands, the configuration is sized by quote. Tell us which machine you use: we check the required flow before any order.

Electric for the workshop and indoors (often three-phase for powerful models); combustion engine (gasoline or diesel) for outdoor jobs with no power supply. A combustion-engine unit must never run in an enclosed space.

Yes, if it delivers the required flow with the 30% margin, dry air and the working pressure. Give us its make, model and flow rate: we will check before the job.

Compressors, dryers and buffer tanks are priced on request, like the machines: we size the complete configuration and provide a written quote in Canadian dollars.

The machines are designed and manufactured by IBIX in Italy. IBIX Conservation, authorized IBIX distributor in Canada, provides demonstrations, advice, order handling and follow-up. Machine prices are by quote. Once we receive your order form, we confirm availability and shipping (usually within 1 business day), then you receive an itemized invoice including taxes and shipping; the order ships as soon as payment is received, with a tracking number. Abrasives, accessories, Biocare and parts are ordered the same way.

Yes, by booking, Monday to Friday: air blasting or flame spray. The location and arrangements are confirmed with our IBIX agent; our offices do not receive visitors without an appointment. After the trial, we prepare a technical proposal.

IBIX machines carry a 12-month manufacturer’s warranty; its terms are provided with the quote.

Genuine IBIX parts only. Give the model and serial number of your machine for an exact order. Exploded views and parts ordering are in your client area; you can also use the order form or a quote request. Price on request.

Mainly nozzles, seals and hoses. Check nozzle wear every day: a worn nozzle consumes more air and reduces output.

Yes: hands-on start-up at delivery, then training for operators and site supervisors, on site or remotely (pressure and abrasive flow settings, abrasive choice, safety and PPE). IBIX professional certification is CA$1,250. For flame spray, two days of IBIX training are included with the purchase; an additional day is billed at CA$786 before taxes, plus travel expenses.

All of Canada, with DHL or FedEx shipping to every province and remote support. Phone (calls only): +1 514 416 1061, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; WhatsApp: +33 6 13 60 57 59; email: david.lison@ibix-conservation.ca. Address: 204 rue du Saint-Sacrement, suite 300, Montréal, Quebec, by appointment only.

A free area reserved for professionals: six sheets on choosing equipment, abrasive and nozzle (air consumption of 2 to 12 mm nozzles from 1 to 8 bar, in bar and psi), about thirty reference settings by substrate, training, maintenance and parts. The access code is emailed after registration and verification of your business (NEQ, BN or equivalent).

At a minimum: suitable respiratory protection, eye and face protection, hearing protection, gloves and full-coverage clothing. Air-fed protective helmets with filtration are available in our accessories.

Yes, always, whatever the abrasive: blasting puts dust from the substrate into the air (old paint, mortar, rust). It is the non-negotiable rule of IBIX training.

Do not treat it yourself. Substrates containing lead or asbestos must be handled by certified contractors under the regulations applicable in your province. Have an assessment done before any blasting on an older building.

Two stones with the same name, or two woods of different ages, can react differently. Start in an inconspicuous corner, at the lowest pressure that produces an effect, then increase gradually. Never back off after too high a pressure: the damage is done.

Spent abrasive mixed with substrate residue is collected and disposed of according to the nature of what was removed (old paint is not inert waste) and the regulations of your province and municipality. In wet mode, plan for water recovery.

Usually a 25 L H₂O machine, in wet mode downtown or on occupied sites to limit dust. On porous stone, a soft abrasive such as calcium carbonate (never bicarbonate), at the lowest pressure that produces an effect, after a test patch. Once clean, the façade can be protected with an I-Protect.

Soft abrasive, low pressure, often in wet mode, and a mandatory test patch: two stones with the same name can react differently. Against salts and efflorescence, the Desal poultice; to protect without changing the appearance, I-Protect R, formulated for heritage.

Three steps: remove the tag with Vegegraf or Detag (IBIX micro air blasting for stubborn cases), protect the surface with an I-Protect suited to the substrate, then remove new tags with Vegegraf without reapplying the protection.

Wood is treated dry, because water makes it swell. For woodwork and fine pieces, a 9 L machine; for timber frames, a 25 L machine. Soft abrasive and low pressure, set on a test patch so as not to dig into the wood grain.

Dry, with garnet: air blasting removes paint, rust and mill scale to Sa 2.5 to Sa 3. A 25 L machine for frames and cladding, the IBIX Hi-Pro 60 H₂O for large structures, tanks and heavy steelwork. The metal is then protected quickly, for example by flame spraying.

A 25 L H₂O machine is used for stripping hulls; IBIX also has bicarbonate applications for marine maintenance on sensitive surfaces. The choice of abrasive depends on what is being removed and the hull material: it is validated with a test patch.

For small parts and delicate work (rims, gates, furniture, sculptures), a compact, portable 9 L machine, or a 3 Nano for fine restoration. To clean engines or mechanical parts without residue, the Twin 25 with dry ice (availability in Canada to be confirmed with our agent).

This is the typical use of the Twin 25 Dry Ice with dry ice: plastics, rubber and composite moulds are cleaned without residue or water, including hot, and often without a prolonged production shutdown. The result is validated by a trial on your moulds; contact our IBIX agent.

The Twin 25 Dry Ice, with dry ice or in hybrid mode with bicarbonate, to remove dirt, scale and contaminants from lines and conveyors. The ice sublimates, leaving no water or hard abrasive residue. Each piece of equipment is validated by a trial; contact our IBIX agent.

Air blasting to Sa 2.5 with a 40 to 50 µm profile, then flame spraying of PHC-A or PHC Plus (no primer coat). IBIX states more than 15 years in C5M corrosivity for PHC Plus. The coating can be repaired on site.

Flame spraying of Polyfusion (600 µm reference thickness) over Polyres N epoxy primer, mandatory on concrete. Polyfusion AM is available in an antimicrobial version, in white RAL 9016. The coating sets in a few seconds and can be returned to service quickly.

Electric compressor mandatory (no combustion engine in an enclosed space), extraction sized to the volume of the room, and preferably wet mode for dust. For cleaning with no water or abrasive to remove, the Twin 25 with dry ice is also an option to discuss with our agent.

The IBIX Hi-Pro 60 H₂O: 60 litres, 12 mm nozzle, dry or with low-pressure water misting for urban settings. It requires a large compressor (about 8,000 l/min, or 283 CFM): the configuration is sized with us.

I-Protect R is applied like AS, with the same coverage depending on the substrate; a preliminary test on an inconspicuous area is advised on old stone. For I-Protect VS, coverage is not published on our data sheets: our IBIX agent, David Lison, will confirm it for your substrate.

Desal is a poultice that draws out the soluble salts responsible for efflorescence (10 kg pail, left on for 48 to 72 h). Solid is a consolidant for deteriorated substrates. Fitex protects against microbiological attack, as a preventive treatment after cleaning; it is a concentrated product. Application is specified according to the substrate: technical data sheets on request.

Yes, with the IBIX Mobile Lab: an analysis service organized on your site, on request, with before-and-after treatment checks (Protect Test Lab). The laboratory can also be purchased for your own team, training included. Price by quote.

The IBIX INDUSTRIAL range has six machines: Pocket Flame Coater (backpack unit), Gladiator Omnicoater PRO (versatile portable unit), Hercules (concrete and steel), Gladiator Spartacus Oil & Gas, semi-automatic Spartacus and Atlantis (flame and electrostatic flocking). Most come in standard or MAXI versions. Price on request.

It is a backpack unit supplied with the Detail Gun (straight jet, concrete and metals): for touch-ups, small areas and hard-to-reach spots. It requires propane at 2.2 bar (32 psi) and 300 l/min (about 11 CFM) of dry air, i.e. a small compressor such as the IB 2. One day of training included.

It is the range’s versatile portable machine, for metal and concrete alike: a single operator, large wheels, about 55 kg (121 lb) empty, 9 m (30 ft) hoses, with an optional 6 m (20 ft) extension. Standard version with the wide-jet Centurion gun, or MAXI for large surfaces.

The Hercules is designed specifically for concrete and steel: large pneumatic wheels, controls on the machine and pneumatic powder regulation, whereas the Gladiator has mechanical regulation. Same gas and air requirements as the Gladiator.

It is the Gladiator version dedicated to oil and gas: pipelines, tanks, fittings and industrial installations, with FSPE (black RAL 9005) and PP10 (white RAL 9016) powders. It comes in standard or MAXI versions.

For large jobs and repetitive production: fixed controls on the machine, large wheels, 9 m plus 6 m (30 + 20 ft) hoses, semi-automatic guns (auto-ignition on the MAXI version). The Atlantis adds a second mode, electrostatic flocking on a fluidized bed. Both require propane at a constant 3–4 bar (44–58 psi), 1,500 l/min (53 CFM) of air and a 220 V single-phase power supply.

The MAXI version uses the MAXI HI-TECH gun, with a 25 to 30 cm jet, to cover large surfaces faster; it requires 1,500 l/min (53 CFM) of air instead of 1,200 l/min (42 CFM). The standard version, with the wide-jet Centurion gun (over 10 cm), suits most jobs.

Three sizes (small, medium, large), in straight jet or wide Centurion jet, interchangeable on the machine. There are concrete versions (straight handle) and metal versions (handle and trigger), manual or semi-automatic. The choice depends on the surface and the shape of the parts; price on request.

PHC-A for metal in general use (300 to 1,000 µm, preheating 130–140 °C); PHC Plus for very aggressive environments and drinking water (preheating 190 °C); Polyfusion for concrete (500 to 1,000 µm, over Polyres N primer), Polyfusion AM in an antimicrobial version; FSPE and PP10 for oil and gas. Powders in 20 kg cartons, price on request.

Uses documented by IBIX: anti-osmotic barrier (buildings, bridges, offshore, marine), dielectric insulation of buried parts, chemical resistance (tanks, containers, fittings), abrasion resistance (process water and mineral waste pipes), and anti-slip coatings.

IBIX has developed the ecoFINISH system: aquaBRIGHT for concrete or plaster pools, polyFIBRO for fibreglass, applied with a pool version of the Gladiator. For availability in Canada, colours, coverage and price, ask our IBIX agent about your pool.

The IBIX IB 2000 AE rotary screw engine-driven compressor (1,900 l/min, or about 67 CFM) powers the entire range, standard and MAXI guns. For the Pocket Flame Coater, the IB 2 electric compressor (300 l/min, about 11 CFM) is sufficient. The air must be dry.

Detailed calculations (actual output in m²/h or m²/day, abrasive or powder consumption, nozzle choice, pressure by substrate, compressor sizing) are reserved for professionals registered with the IBIX Conservation technical centre. Register on the site: your access code will be emailed to you, and our IBIX agent, David Lison, can also work through the calculation with you.