The Differences between Shot Blasting and Sandblasting

Sometimes people might get confused between sandblasting and shot blasting. The terms “sandblasting” and “shot blasting” even look similar. However, they are two different abrasive blasting methods. The blasting equipment they use is different, and they are also used for different applications. This article will discuss specifically about two blasting methods.

Sandblasting

Sandblasting is the most common and preferred abrasive treatment method in these days. Sandblasting is the process of propelling the abrasive media with compressed air. At the beginning, people use silica sand as abrasive media, and this is where the term “sandblasting” become popular. However, due to the health hazard silica sand bring to people, people do not use silica sand as abrasive media like they used to. The term “sandblasting” is more likely to be called as “abrasive blasting” since there are many better and safer blasting media materials for people to choose.

For sandblasting, there is a wide range of blasting media to choose from.

Shot Blasting

Shot blasting can also be called as grit blasting. Shot blasting is the process of propelling abrasive media with mechanical force. The system for shot blasting is called wheel blast equipment. Comparing to sandblasting, shot blasting is more aggressive. If you need to do

Compare to sandblasting, the cost for shot blasting is more expensive due to the more advanced equipment shot blasting needs.

In conclusion, sandblasting is rapid, and it is more economical compare to shot blasting. Shot blasting uses more advanced equipment, so it is more expensive than sandblasting, and it is slower than sandblasting. Therefore, if you do not want to cause damage to the target surfaces, sandblasting would be a better choice. And if you have enough budgets and the target surface is tough, shot blasting will satisfy your needs.