What is shot blasting?

When we speak of industrial cleaning, we inevitably discuss shot blasting. Shot blasting refers to the shooting of abrasive material using centrifugal or mechanical force; this is in contrast to sandblasting, which uses a different pressurised system. This blog will discuss how shot blasting works and what shot blasting is typically used for.

How Shot Blasting Works

As mentioned, shot blasting is an industrial cleaning technique for surfaces like steel and concrete. Shot blasting uses a centrifugal accelerant to shoot abrasive material at solid surfaces. Shot blasting is a highly aggressive technique to remove impurities from surfaces. Typically shot blasting is used for large and challenging preparation projects. Shot blasting is sometimes used to change the coarseness or smoothness of an area before coating begins.

Shot Blasting Media

When discussing shot blasting, the term Media is commonly used. In an abrasive cleaning context, "media" is the abrasive material shot onto the surface. Media's characteristics include the media size, hardness of the media, shape of the media, and mineral composition. Variations between these factors affect the finished surface profile, i.e. certain abrasive types are more suitable for different surface areas.

What is Shot Blasting Used For

Shot blasting is used for a variety of cleaning requirements. It is often used to help remove paint corrosion from steelwork and concrete. Some of the typical surfaces that shot-blasting will be used on include copper, aluminium, stainless steel, masonry, brickwork and stonework. It's essential to remember that different Media should be used for these unique surfaces as an incorrect abrasive could cause severe damage.

Now that you have a better understanding of shot blasting, we highly recommend contacting us with your next industrial cleaning project. Shot blasting is a professional and potentially hazardous cleaning technique, and, therefore, it should only ever be carried out by highly trained and experienced professionals like our team here at Campbell machinery.