Double Insurance for the "Appearance and Lifespan" of Auto Parts: How Steel Shot Becomes the "Invisible Ally" of Automakers?

Double Insurance for the "Appearance and Lifespan" of Auto Parts: How Steel Shot Becomes the "Invisible Ally" of Automakers?

In an automotive manufacturing workshop, a complete vehicle is composed of tens of thousands of parts. Any surface defect of a component, such as rust or micro-cracks, can lead to a decline in the vehicle's performance or even safety hazards. And steel shot is precisely the "beautician" and "protective shield" for these "precision parts" - it not only makes the surface of the parts as smooth as new but also significantly enhances their fatigue resistance through "shot peening". Today, let's take a look at how steel shot becomes the "invisible ally" of automakers from the perspective of automotive parts.

I. The "Surface Crisis" of Auto Parts: From Rust to Fatigue, Every Step Requires Precise Protection

The production and usage environment of automotive parts is complex: sand residue from castings, oxide scale from stampings, and welding spatter from welded parts. If not thoroughly cleaned, it can lead to coating peeling, uneven electrophoretic coating, and shortened service life. More importantly, gears, half shafts, suspension parts, etc., which are subject to alternating loads for a long time, may have surface micro-cracks that gradually expand during driving, posing a risk of fracture.

Traditional treatment methods (such as acid washing) have problems of high pollution and difficult control. In contrast, the steel shot blasting/peening process, with its natural advantage of "physical impact", has become the "optimal solution" to these problems.

II. The "Dual Skills" of Steel Shot: Cleaning + Strengthening, Two Benefits in One

For automotive parts, the value of steel shot is not only as a "cleaner" but also as a "strengthening agent":

1. Cleaning: Making the surface "flawless"

- Castings (such as engine blocks, wheels): High-speed impact of steel shot can remove sand particles and oxide scale from the surface of castings, avoiding stress concentration caused by residual impurities.

- Stampings (such as doors, hoods): Remove burrs and metal chips generated during stamping to ensure the accuracy of subsequent welding and painting.

- Welded parts (such as chassis brackets): Clean spatter and pores around the welds to make the welds more uniform and enhance structural strength.

2. Strengthening: Adding an "extra layer of insurance" to parts

When steel shot impacts the surface of the workpiece, it creates a compressive stress layer of 0.1-0.3mm on the surface, equivalent to putting on an "invisible armor" for the parts:

- Gears: Fatigue life increases by 40%, reducing tooth surface wear.

- Crankshafts: Surface hardness increases by 20%-30%, reducing the risk of fracture.

- Suspension arms: Impact resistance is enhanced, making them more capable of handling bumpy roads.

III. Real Feedback from Automakers: "Cost Reduction and Efficiency Increase" Brought by Steel Shot

A leading automaker once had a batch of products with coating peeling due to incomplete surface cleaning of gearboxes, incurring a rework cost of over one million yuan. After introducing the steel shot blasting process:

- Cleaning efficiency increased by three times (processing time per batch was reduced from 4 hours to 1.5 hours).

- Surface defect rate dropped from 8% to 0.5%, reducing rework costs by 90%.

- Gearbox lifespan extended from 5 years to 8 years, and customer complaint rate decreased by 60%.

IV. Choosing the Right Steel Shot to Make the Effect "Half the Effort, Double the Result"

Automotive parts are made of various materials (steel, aluminum, cast iron) and are subject to complex working conditions (high temperature, high pressure, corrosion). The selection of steel shot needs to be "tailored to fit":

- Cast iron parts: Use high-carbon steel shot (HRC55-60), which is hard and has strong impact force, to quickly remove oxide scale.

- Aluminum alloy parts: Use low-hardness steel shot (HRC35-40) to avoid scratching the surface.

- High-strength steel parts (such as gears): Use alloy steel shot (containing chromium, molybdenum) to enhance the strengthening effect.

From "usable" to "highly effective", steel shot is redefining the surface treatment standards for automotive parts. For automakers, choosing high-quality steel shot is not only a "small investment" to reduce costs but also a "big strategy" to improve product quality and enhance market competitiveness.

What surface treatment challenges have you encountered when your factory is producing auto parts? Share in the comment section and get a steel shot application solution for free!

Gracie Zhang

WhatsApp:/WeChat:+86 13238994391

Email:customer@amanda.net.cn

Sales Manager

Sales Departments | AMANDA INTERNATIONAL PRIVATE LIMITED