Difference between shot blasting and grit blasting

Difference between shot blasting and grit blasting

There are a few key differences between shot blasting and grit blasting. Shot blasting uses steel shot, while grit blasting uses an abrasive like sand or glass beads. Shot blasting is typically used for larger surfaces, while grit blasting is better for smaller surfaces or tight spaces. Grit blasting is also less likely to damage the surface being cleaned.

Shot blasting and grit blasting are both surface preparation methods that involve using abrasive materials to clean or roughen a surface. However, there are some key differences between the two processes as listed in the below table in details.

Difference between shot blasting and grit blasting

Shot Blasting	Grit Blasting
Uses Steel balls	Uses abrasive grits such as Alumina, silicon carbide
Suitable for hard materials	Suitable for soft surface and soft metals
Good for large surface area	For small surface areas
Not suitable for thin materials	suitable for thin materials.
Uses centrifugal wheel to push blasting media	Uses compressed air to blast abrasive media
Environmental friendly	risk of silicon dust when used with silicon carbide
Provides deep surface abrasion, best for painting applications	Gives little depth of abrasion, suitable for surface cleaning

Difference between shot blasting and grit blasting based: Abrasive Media

Shot blasting uses small metal shot, like BBs, to clean a surface. This method is typically used for metal surfaces that need to be cleaned of rust or paint.

Grit blasting uses larger, more abrasive materials like sand, alumina, silicon carbide, or glass beads to roughen a surface. This method is often used to prepare a surface for painting or coating.

Difference between shot blasting and grit blasting based: Surface roughness

Shot blasting is generally considered to be a less gentle process than grit blasting. This is because the small metal shots remove more material from the surface compared to abrasive particles in grit blasting.

As such, grit blasting is often the preferred method when cleaning delicate surfaces or surfaces that cannot be damaged.

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