How Does Shot Blasting Work?

Shot blasting, also known as abrasive blasting, is a highly useful process which is used across various industries to both clean products and strip them of their paint. It involves using a mixture of compressed air and abrasive media to remove grime, rust, paint, and any other tough materials that stick to hard surfaces.

Understanding the abrasive blasting process and the different ways that a shot blasting machine can be used means that you will achieve the right results without damaging the product underneath. Here is everything you need to know about the shot blasting process and how it works.

What is Shot Blasting?

The shot blasting process involves using compressed air to fire abrasive media onto a surface at high velocity. This ‘media’ is often referred to as shot. There are different kinds of abrasive media, like stainless steel shot and iron grit, and which one you use depends on the results that you want to achieve. For example, grit blasting (which is what is usually used as a replacement for sandblasting) evens out rough surfaces and removes debris.

Abrasive blast cleaning uses a shot blasting machine, or sometimes a sand blasting machine. A shot blasting machine and a sand blasting machine both have different uses, despite sounding similar. They come in a manner of different forms, sometimes looking like a jet wash or power drill. Sometimes they look like lawnmowers, though this type of shot blasting machine is used to clean roads and paving, not buildings or steel.

Another type of shot blasting equipment is the abrasive blast cabinet. This is a special room that is lined to ensure a safe environment and can be fitted with a recovery system to recycle the grit. This shot blasting machine pulls media into the gun which is then fired at a high velocity by the compressed air in the machine.

What is Shot Blasting Used For?

The abrasive blasting process is mainly used for one of two reasons: to clean hard surfaces or to strip them of paint. An example of cleaning is patios and paving stones. These can fall victim to moss and can become worn down over time. Not only will the shot blasting process remove this moss and any other stains, but it can also even out the rough surface. If the right shot blasting is used with the right abrasive media, like grit, then it can even sand away any surface cracks in the surface.

An example of using a shot blasting machine to remove paint is in the automobile industry. Here the shot blasting process is used to repaint cars. Shot blasting is also useful for remodelling old cars or bringing classical ones back to life. The shot blasting machine removes the old paint using abrasive material fired from a blasting gun. This doesn’t just strip the old paint, but it also blasts away rust that has gathered on the surface.

From cleaning the hulls of ships to restoring old buildings, the shot blasting process has a mixture of uses which makes it valuable to a mixture of different industries.

Your Shot Blasting Solution

At NSP Coatings, we take care of all your steel shot blasting needs. Rather than spending money on a shot blasting machine, a canister of compressed air and a large quantity of abrasive media, you can simply outsource the process to us at a cost-effective rate. We have a large 8 metre purpose-built blasting room with a recovery system to recycle the shot and we have 3 large purpose-built containers dedicated to grit blasting.

Our professional team use the right shot blasting machine to leave your steel looking as good as new. Whether you need us to sand away cracks or use abrasive blasting to remove rust and grime, we will deal with everything on your behalf.

Discover more about our process here or contact our team directly for a free quote by clicking here.