What is the difference between shot blasting and sand blasting?

WHAT IS SANDBLASTING?

Regardless of the abrasive media, the term “sand blasting” refers to the process of propelling that abrasive media with compressed air. This cleaning and preparation procedure takes compressed air as a power source and directs a high-pressure stream of abrasive media toward the given surface. That surface could be auto parts being cleaned of dirt, grease, and oil. It could be rusty chains in a shipyard being reconditioned. Or the surface could be old filing cabinets being prepped for powder coating.

Sand blasting is a proven pre-finishing technique that’s been around for over a hundred years. Sandblasting equipment has evolved from uncontained, free-spraying streams of sand creating noxious dust clouds to highly sophisticated contained enclosures with precise abrasive stream control. Sandblasting’s media also changed from sand to more user-friendly materials.

WHAT IS SHOT BLASTING?

The term “shot blasting” refers to the process of propellant abrasive media material with centrifugal or mechanical force. Shotblasting has an entirely different compressed system than sandblasting. This abrasive treatment method uses a device similar to a spinning wheel to centrifugally accelerate shot-like material and blast it against a surface.

Shot blasting is a much more rampant abrasive technique than sandblasting. It’s usually used for larger and more difficult preparation objects that need a strong application force and a denser media material to clean and prepare a surface. Shotblasting also requires strict containment as the force of blasted shot could cause collateral damage if the process isn’t confined.

EQUIPMENT USED IN SANDBLASTING

Sandblasting uses high-pressure compressed air to propel blasting media on the project. This reliable technique suits a wide range of surfaces and a selection of treatments including a variety of abrasive media. Sandblasting equipment removes contaminants such as stripping rust, grease and old paint to provide surface adhesion for new coatings. Sandblasting systems include these components:

• Air blast rooms: These are clean rooms that are environmentally controlled with abrasion media recovery for highly-productive and efficient operations.
• Air blast tumble equipment: This equipment consists of mill driven tumble blast machines that use oscillating nozzles and cyclone separators inside a rubber-lined chamber.
• Portable blasting stations: Mobile air blast systems have pressure pots in various sizes for increased productivity in portable configurations.
• Blast cabinets, suction and pressure: This stationary sandblasting equipment also ranges in size. It uses a siphon feed system and a balancing pressure regulator to ensure equilibrium inside the blast cabinet.
• Bulk blasting systems: These are large sandblasting units available in stationary models or truck-mounted for total portability.
• Blast and recovery systems: More sophisticated sandblasting equipment have systems that blast and vacuum simultaneously and avoid any open air contamination.
• Cryogenic deflashing systems: Very cold temperatures allow certain surfaces like rubber, diecast, plastic, magnesium and zinc to be deflashed with precision.
• Wet blast equipment: Occasionally, sandblasting equipment uses water to eliminate friction heat and prepare surfaces by scrubbing instead of abrasion caused by dry blasting.

EQUIPMENT USED IN SHOT BLASTING

Shotblasting uses wheel blast equipment to put abrasive media on surfaces being treated for final finishing. This equipment uses a specially designed and closely controlled wheel to generate efferent force and blast abrasives like steel shot and steel grit on products. The process involves “throwing” media at a surface rather than “blowing” it. This is the common equipment used in shot blasting systems:

• Tumble blast equipment: Tumble blast equipment allow continuous blasting cycles with continual abrasive recycling. These types of machines have built-in rubber belts and steel flight models.
• Swing table blast wheels: Direct drive blast wheels swing out for loading and unloading abrasive media.
• Table blasters: These are fixed equipment components with direct drive wheels connected inside the blast cabinet.
• Spinner hangers: These direct drive blast wheels have rotating spindles that allow loading and unloading abrasive media .
• Hanger blast equipment: Blast systems can be fitted with trolleys and hung on manual Y-track monorails for specific shot blasting operations.
• Cylinder blasters: Certain shot blast equipment specializes in removing rust and old paint from all forms of metal cylinders.

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