Abrasive GRIT Blasting

We use abrasive blasting on metals and plastics to achieve a range of results. The inexpensive process avoids the use of harsh chemicals. Instead, we use various media with air blasting to achieve results.

Request a Quote

Fast, Efficient, Effective

Abrasive blasting also called sandblasting, steps up as the utility player for preparing or finishing metal and plastic parts. We work closely with you to understand the intended results of the project.

Common uses of Abrasive Blasting

Smoothing rough surfaces
Adding texture or roughness to smooth surfaces
Shaping a product
Removing surface contaminants
Preparing for additional finishing
Increasing adhesion of medical implants or device

Dental surgery. Implant cut and healthy tooth. Realistic vector dental implant and crown.

Grit Makes The Difference

Despite being referred to as “sandblasting,” we use different media in our blasting process to achieve different results.

Glass beads: Produces a soft, bright finish used for soft deburring. Different sizes of lead-free glass produce different finishes.
Ceramic: Produces a smooth or matte finishing. We use bead or grit various substrates, including plastic, steel, stainless steel, brass, titanium, copper, and aluminum.
Aluminum oxide: Finishes hard metals and other surfaces using sharp, abrasive media.
Other: We may use metallic, synthetic, and mineral blasting media for specialized applications.
Learn More

Other Services

FAQs

Abrasive blasting is used by various industries and is ideal for the following applications:

Removing glare when under surgical lighting for medical and dental instruments
Improving adhesion for medical devices
Increasing implant surface area, which increases the percentage of bone attachment for medical and dental implants.
Descaling (removal of heat treat scale)
Texturing for coating adhesion
Texturing for mechanical function
Producing a uniform cosmetic finish

Abrasive blasting media is determined based on the application and comes in a range of sizes and types. Smaller blasting media typically creates a smoother finish, where larger media produces a rough finish.

Industries that utilize abrasive blasting include:

Medical
Aerospace
Automotive
Electronics
Military
OEM Manufacturers

Abrasive grit and bead shot blasting media is often recycled through the machinery and can be reused, making abrasive blasting a cost-effective process.

Surface Roughness Conversion Chart
Ra (micrometers)	Ra (microinches)	RMS	CLA (N)	Rt	N	Cut-off Length (in)	Cut-off Length (mm)
0.025	1	1.1	1	.3	1	0.003	0.08
0.05	2	2.2	2	0.5	2	0.01	0.25
.1	4	4.4	4	0.8	3	0.01	0.25
.2	8	8.8	8	1.2	4	0.01	0.25
0.4	1.6	17.6	16	2.0	5	0.01	0.25
0.8	32	32.5	32	4.0	6	0.03	0.8
1.6	63	64.3	53	8.0	7	0.03	0.8
3.2	125	137.5	125	13	8	0.1	2.5
6.3	250	275	250	25	9	0.1	2.5
12.5	500	550	500	50	10	0.1	2.5
25.0	1000	1100	1000	100	11	0.3	8.0
50.0	2000	2200	2000	200	12	0.3	8.0
Ra = Roughness Average in micrometers or microinches. RMS = Root Mean Square in microinches. CLA = Center Line Average in microinches. Rt = Roughness Total in microns N = New ISO (grade) scale numbers. Cut-off Length = Length required for sample.

Blasting Media Chart
Type of Media	Materials used on	Capabilities	Specifications	RA (Micro-finish range)	Industries
Glass bead	Steel, Stainless steel, Aluminum, Titanium, Nitinol, Copper, Brass, Plastics	Fine shinny matte finish, Removing light heatreat scale, deburring of plastics, Removing light scratches and machining lines, Prep for plating	MIL-PRF-9954D with Mil spec media	10ra-90ra depending on the size of media, dia of nozzle, pressure used and material being blasted	Medical, Military/Defense, Industrial, Food Grade, Electronics, Manufacturing, Aerospace
Aluminum Oxide	Steel, Stainless steel, Aluminum, Titanium, Nitinol, Copper, Brass, Plastics	Dull Matte finish, Removing heavy heatreat scale, Deburring of metals and plastics, Prep for powder coating, Prep for painting, Roughen medical implants to improve friction, Improve adhesion on all materials	MIL-STD-171F Finish 5.5.1	16ra-220ra depending on the size of media, dia of nozzle, pressure used and material being blasted	Medical, Military/Defense, Industrial, Food Grade, Electronics, Manufacturing, Aerospace
Ceramic (Zirblast)	Titanium, Stainless steel, Aluminum, Copper, Brass, Plastics	Fine shinny matte finish, deburring of plastics, Removing light scratches and machining lines		10ra-90ra depending on the size of media, dia of nozzle, pressure used and material being blasted	Medical, Military/Defense, Industrial, Food Grade, Electronics, Manufacturing, Aerospace
C&G SST (Fine)	Steel, Stainless steel, Aluminum, Titanium, Nitinol, Copper, Brass, Plastics	Fine shinny matte finish, Removing light heatreat scale, deburring of plastics, Removing light scratches and machining lines, Prep for plating, Arrow's preferred replacement for Glassbead blasting on a part to be anodized		10ra-90ra depending on the size of media, dia of nozzle, pressure used and material being blasted	Medical, Military/Defense, Industrial, Food Grade, Electronics, Manufacturing, Aerospace
300 Series SST	Stainless steel, Aluminum, Titanium, Nitinol, Copper, Brass, Plastics	Matte finish, Prep for plating, Food Grade, Deburring, Removing machining lines		16ra-120ra depending on nozzle size, pressure used and material being blasted.	Medical, Military/Defense, Industrial, Food Grade, Electronics, Manufacturing, Aerospace
400 Series SST	Stainless steel, Aluminum, Titanium, Nitinol, Copper, Brass, Plastics, Die Castings	Matte finish, Prep for plating, Food Grade, Deburring, Removing machining lines, Arrow's preferred media for AR gun parts that are getting anodized		32ra-200ra depending on nozzle size, pressure used and material being blasted.	Medical, Military/Defense, Industrial, Food Grade, Electronics, Manufacturing, Aerospace
Steel shot	Die Casting, Steel, Cast Iron	Deburring, stress relieving, scale removal, plating prep		50ra-300ra depending on nozzle size, pressure used and material being blasted.	Industrial, General Manufacturing, Fabrication