Shot Blasting
The workhorse of surface preparation — abrasive media is accelerated to high velocity and hurled against the workpiece to strip scale, rust, sand and coatings while creating a clean, profiled surface ready for the next process.
The Process
Load parts
Components are loaded into tumblast belts, spinner-hanger hooks, or conveyor rollers depending on geometry and batch size.
Blast with steel shot or grit
High-speed wheel or air nozzle accelerates media to 60–85 m/s, directing a concentrated stream that shatters and dislodges scale, rust, and sand.
Clean and separate
Spent media returns through a closed loop: the air-wash separator removes fines and debris; serviceable media recycles back to the wheel.
Inspect
Visual and instrument checks confirm cleanliness grade (Sa 1–Sa 3) and anchor profile depth before the part moves to coating or machining.
Key benefits
Scale removal
Mill scale, rust, and foundry sand stripped in a single pass without dimensional change.
Surface roughening
Anchor profile created simultaneously, eliminating a separate prep step before coating.
Cost-effective
Steel abrasive recycles 300+ times; running cost per square metre is a fraction of expendable media.
Fast throughput
Wheel blast lines process plate and structural sections at rates exceeding 4 m²/min.
No acid waste
Dry mechanical process — no effluent, no neutralisation, no hydrogen embrittlement risk.
Consistent quality
Automated equipment delivers repeatable Sa grade and profile shift after shift.
Recommended abrasives
Steel Shot S-330
SAE J444 · S330
General-purpose tumblast cleaning of castings and forgings. Spherical media delivers a uniform dimpled finish at Sa 2.5 without aggressive profiling.
View specs →Steel Shot S-460
SAE J444 · S460
Heavy structural steel and large castings. Larger mass increases kinetic energy per impact, cutting through thick scale faster while maintaining good media life.
View specs →Steel Grit G25 / G40
SAE J444 · G25 / G40
When an aggressive anchor profile (50–100 µm) is needed for heavy-duty coatings. Angular particles cut and etch rather than peen, achieving Sa 3 reliably.
View specs →Get an application-specific recommendation
Tell us your machine, parts and throughput and we will recommend the media and operating mix to cut cycle time and cost per part.