Industries
Shipbuilding Industry
High-performance steel grit and steel shot for hull blasting and structural surface preparation — engineered to achieve Sa 2.5 and Sa 3 cleanliness standards and extend marine coating life in the world's most corrosive environments.
Industry Overview
Marine corrosion — why surface preparation is everything
The marine environment is among the most corrosive on earth. A vessel's hull is continuously exposed to seawater — a concentrated electrolyte — combined with mechanical abrasion from marine growth, cavitation, and impact at the waterline. Without proper surface preparation, even the highest-quality anti-corrosion coating systems will fail prematurely through adhesion loss and under-film corrosion.
Industry research consistently shows that surface preparation accounts for more than 80% of the variation in marine coating service life. Macloid Metalix supplies angular steel grit and spherical steel shot formulated for the high-throughput demands of shipyard blast rooms, where abrasive cycling rates are continuous and consistent surface preparation quality directly determines vessel maintenance schedules.
Surface Standard
Sa 2.5 / Sa 3
Anchor Profile
Rz 40–100 µm
Compliance
SSPC / NACE
Classification
ISO 8501-1
Recommended Products
Abrasives selected for marine applications
Steel Grit
Steel Shot
Steel Grit — Fine
Applications
Key uses in this industry
Hull External Blasting
The external hull requires Sa 2.5 preparation before anti-corrosive primers and anti-fouling systems. Angular steel grit creates the Rz 60–100 µm anchor profile demanded by high-build epoxy coating systems, maximising adhesion and long-term corrosion protection in permanently immersed and splash-zone conditions.
- ✓Achieves Sa 2.5 cleanliness per ISO 8501-1
- ✓Angular profile Rz 60–100 µm for epoxy coating systems
- ✓Faster mill scale removal vs spherical shot on corroded steel
- ✓Compatible with SSPC-SP 10 / NACE No. 2 specifications
Recommended media
Steel Grit G16 – G25
Ballast Tank Lining
Ballast tanks alternate between flooding with seawater and drying out — among the harshest environments on a vessel. Sa 3 preparation is frequently specified by IMO PSPC for internal epoxy tank linings, requiring complete removal of all mill scale and corrosion to reveal uniformly clean, bright steel.
- ✓Sa 3 / SSPC-SP 5 White Metal preparation achievable
- ✓IMO PSPC requirement for ballast tank coating systems
- ✓Maximises adhesion for glass-flake and high-build epoxy liners
- ✓Low residual chloride contamination — <5 µg/cm²
Recommended media
Steel Grit G10 – G18
Steel Plate Preparation
New-build plate lines and section lines use automated blast rooms with multiple blast wheels to prepare structural steel plates and profiles before shop-primer application. Steel shot is preferred for durability and low media breakdown in high-throughput automated systems with continuous recycling.
- ✓High throughput — compatible with automated blast rooms
- ✓Spherical shot for shop-primer lines and automated systems
- ✓Consistent Sa 2.5 with controlled anchor profile depth
- ✓High recycling life reduces media consumption costs
Recommended media
Steel Shot S460
Standards Reference
ISO 8501-1 cleanliness grades
Grade name
Light Blast Cleaning
Applications
Secondary steel, non-structural internal areas
Recommended abrasive
Steel Grit G25–G40
Grade name
Thorough Blast Cleaning
Applications
Secondary structure, internal voids, tanks below ballast waterline
Recommended abrasive
Steel Grit G18–G25
Grade name
Very Thorough Blast Cleaning
Applications
Hull external, waterline zones, ballast tanks, superstructure
Recommended abrasive
Steel Grit G10–G18 / Steel Shot S460
Grade name
Blast to Visually Clean Steel
Applications
Tank linings, high-performance coating systems, immersed zones
Recommended abrasive
Steel Grit G10–G14 (angular profile)
Ready to optimise your shipyard blasting operations?
Our technical team can recommend the correct steel grit or shot grade to achieve your target cleanliness and anchor profile — with bulk supply capability to support continuous shipyard production schedules.
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