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Guides on choosing metal abrasive, written around the four variables that actually decide what a blast room costs to run.
Metal abrasive material guide
Compare stainless steel, aluminium, zinc, copper and carbon steel media by density, hardness and size range, and see which substrate each one belongs on.
As-cut versus conditioned shot
As-cut shot is cylindrical and cuts harder. Conditioned shot is rounded and is what peening requires.
How cut wire shot is made
Drawing into wire, cutting to a length equal to the diameter, then grinding and conditioning into a rounded particle.
Choosing shot size
Size is chosen by the smallest feature the media must reach and the coverage required, not by the size of the part.
Preventing iron contamination on non-ferrous parts
Ferrous residue on aluminium, zinc, copper or stainless rusts, stains and can start galvanic corrosion months after shipment.
Reading the operating mix
The media in a working machine is never the media you bought, and what the mix looks like tells you what the room is costing.
Talk to Sukie about your blast line
Tell us the substrate, the finish you have to hand over and the machine you are running, and we will recommend the alloy, the shape and the size range against it.