What is Shot Blasting?

Manufactured metal parts aren't ready for use right out of the mould. They often need a coat of paint, powder coating, or welding work. But before this can happen, the surface of the metal part must be clean.
Shot blasting prepares metal parts for further processing like painting or powder coating. This step is necessary to ensure the coat adheres properly to the part. Shot blasting can clean off contaminants like dirt or oil, remove metal oxides like rust or mill scale, or deburr the surface to make it smooth.
What is Shot Peening?
To explain shot peening, one must first understand the general notion of peening. It is possible to strengthen the material properties of metal by applying stress to its surface. This expands the surface of the metal, creating a layer of compressive stress and relieving tensile stress in the piece.
Working the surface of metal to increase its strength is called peening. The traditional method involves striking the metal with a ball-peen hammer, which is inefficient in a large-scale manufacturing setting. Today, most industries employ mechanical shot peening instead.