Essentially, the sandblasting process uses compressed air to blast some form of abrasive media, such as sand, onto the product being processed. Shotblasting uses centrifugal force from a mechanical device to push process media onto the product.
Sandblasting
The cleaning and preparation process for sandblasting is powered by compressed air and directs a high-pressure flow of abrasive media to a given surface. The surface could be a car part that is being cleaned of dirt, grease, and oil. It could be a rusty chain being repaired at the shipyard. Or the surface might be an old filing cabinet being prepared for powder coating.
Sandblasting is a proven pre-finishing technique that has been around for over a hundred years. Sandblasting equipment has evolved from uncontrolled, free-spraying streams of sand that created harmful dust clouds to highly sophisticated enclosed enclosures with precise abrasive flow control. The medium for sandblasting has also changed from sand to more user-friendly materials. Although equipment and materials have changed, sandblasting remains the most common and preferred abrasive treatment method. It is particularly suitable for soft and sensitive materials that are ready for final finishing. Sandblasting is also a more economical equipment system, is easier to operate, and provides consumers with superior quality.
Shotblasting
Shot blasting has a completely different pressurization system than sand blasting. This abrasive treatment method uses a device similar to a spinning wheel to centrifugally accelerate pellet material and spray it onto a surface. Shot blasting is a more aggressive abrasive technique than sand blasting. It is typically used for larger and more difficult preparation objects that require strong application force and denser media materials to clean and prepare surfaces. Shot peening also needs to be tightly controlled, as the force of shot peening can cause collateral damage if the process is not restricted.
Sandblasting uses irregular sand grains to impact the surface of the workpiece to clean and increase the roughness, allowing the metal workpiece to obtain better mechanical properties and make the coating stronger; shotblasting relies on the powerful impact of the shot grains force to make the surface of the workpiece closer, thereby making the workpiece more wear-resistant, tough and corrosion-resistant. Sandblasting does not require high equipment, and the speed of sand blasting is not fast, but the processing speed of the workpiece is faster; shot blasting requires the use of more advanced equipment, so the processing speed is slower and usually more expensive.