Shot Blasting vs Sand Blasting: What Every Fabricator Should Know

We often hear “shot blasting” and “sand blasting” used as if they were the same. They’re not. The difference is simple: how the abrasive is pushed and what it does to the part.

Shot blasting spins a wheel that flings steel shot at high speed. The impact rips off scale, rust and burrs, but it also plastically deforms the surface, leaving it in compression. That built-in compressive stress is why aircraft landing gear, automotive springs and even your car’s body panels are shot-blasted—it adds fatigue life.

Sand blasting relies on compressed air to drive abrasive grains—quartz, alumina or metallic slag—against the work. It’s the go-to for cleaning complex castings, removing old paint from a ship’s hull or texturing a weld seam before coating. Because the grains are sharp and varied in size, sand blasting gives a matte, anchor pattern that paint loves to grip.

Need speed and repeatability on flat plates or large structural beams? Use shot blasting. Tight corners, delicate contours or on-site repairs? Choose sand blasting. And remember: shot blasting is mainly about cleaning and strengthening; sand blasting is chiefly about cleaning AND profiling. Use the right tool, save time, cut rework, and make parts that last.

So, the next time you hear the two terms swapped, pause for a second—one hurls steel for strength, the other sprays grit for grip. Pick the process that matches the part, and you’ll turn every blast of energy into extra life on the line, not extra hours in the shop.

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Sales Manager / Caroline Qiu