There are no substitutes for shot blasting, and there is no more effective way to aggressively clean industrial and hard surfaces. The history of shot blasting dates to the beginning of the blasting industry, starting with sandblasting.
There is also some confusion regarding the terms shot blasting and sandblasting. That is also a good place to begin and to look at the differences between the two. Read on to discover the differences between these methods and how to choose the best one for your needs.
What Is Shot Blasting?
Shot blasting is one of the most common and effective methods for cleaning surfaces, but what is shot blasting? Shot blasting is a technique that uses centrifugal force to propel agents, such as steel shot, to effectively resurface an object.
The shot blasting process works by loading the shot media (e.g., cut wire, nut shells, etc.) into a hopper/feeder that loads the blast wheel. Rust, epoxies, and virtually everything else are removed in this refinishing method.
The Shot Blasting vs Sand Blasting Question
What about the sandblasting method? Sandblasting, while also used to clean and resurface, is different in its application and technique from shot blasting.
Sandblasting differs initially in that it uses a compressed air system to blast or resurface areas. Secondly, as the name implies, sandblasting uses sand and sand-like materials to address the area being resurfaced.
Which method is better to use, shot blasting vs sand blasting, will depend on your application needs. While sandblasting is effective, it also presents more health risks and doesn’t offer the resurfacing depth of shot blasting methods.
For more fragile or less durable objects or surface areas, sandblasting would offer less chance of damage. Shot blasting is generally preferred when the surface area is durable, like concrete or steel.
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