What Is Media Blasting and How Does It Work?

Media blasting uses compressed air or another propulsion system to drive abrasive particles against a surface. The process can remove rust, scale, coatings, oxidation, and light machining marks while creating a cleaner or more uniform finish. However, the wrong media or pressure can damage precision parts. 

This guide explains what media blasting is, how the process works, which blasting media suit different materials, and what factors control the result. You will also learn how media blasting affects CNC-machined parts, tolerances, surface roughness, and later finishes.

What Is Media Blasting? 

Media blasting is a surface treatment process that propels abrasive particles against a part to clean, strip, texture, or prepare its surface. The impact of these particles can remove rust, oxidation, scale, paint, and other contaminants while changing the surface appearance or profile.

The process uses different blasting media depending on the material and required result. Glass beads may create a smooth satin finish, while aluminum oxide provides stronger cutting action. Media blasting is widely used on machined parts, castings, fabricated components, and products that require cleaning or preparation before painting, powder coating, plating, or bonding.

Dry Media Blasting vs. Wet Media Blasting 

Dry media blasting propels loose abrasive particles with compressed air, while wet media blasting mixes the abrasive with water before directing it onto the part. Both methods clean and texture surfaces, but they differ in dust generation, impact behavior, surface appearance, and suitable applications.

Dry blasting usually provides stronger cutting action and faster removal of rust, scale, paint, and heavy oxidation. It can also create a pronounced surface profile before painting, powder coating, or bonding. However, airborne dust and loose abrasive may enter threads, blind holes, pockets, and internal passages, so the part requires careful cleaning afterward.

Wet blasting, sometimes called vapor blasting, uses water to cushion the abrasive impact and carry debris away. It produces less airborne dust and often creates a smoother, more uniform satin finish. This controlled action makes it useful for aluminum housings, stainless steel parts, precision castings, and components with delicate surfaces.

Comparison factor	Dry media blasting	Wet media blasting
Delivery method	Compressed air and dry abrasive	Water, abrasive, and compressed air
Cutting action	Usually stronger	Generally gentler and more controlled
Typical finish	Matte or roughened surface	Smooth, satin, uniform surface
Dust generation	Higher	Lower
Heat buildup	More likely during extended blasting	Reduced by the water
Common applications	Rust, scale, paint, and coating removal	Cosmetic finishing and controlled cleaning
Main concern	Dust and trapped abrasive	Drying and corrosion prevention

What Are the Advantages and Limitations of Media Blasting?

Media blasting provides controlled surface cleaning, texturing, and preparation across many metals and selected plastics. However, its results depend on the blasting media, pressure, part geometry, and tolerance requirements.

Advantages of Media Blasting

• High processing efficiency: Media blasting removes rust, scale, oxidation, coatings, and surface contaminants faster than manual sanding or wire brushing, especially on irregular surfaces.
• Broad material compatibility: The process can treat aluminum, stainless steel, carbon steel, titanium, brass, castings, and selected engineering plastics when the media and pressure match the substrate.
• Flexible finish control: Different media can create matte, satin, peened, or roughened surfaces based on the required appearance or function.
• Consistent surface appearance: Controlled blasting reduces visible variation across machined, cast, or fabricated surfaces and supports repeatable batch finishing.
• Improved coating adhesion: Angular abrasives can create a surface profile that supports painting, powder coating, and adhesive bonding.
• Cost-effectiveness: Media blasting can reduce manual labor and process multiple surfaces in one operation. Reusable media and batch processing can further lower the finishing cost for repeat orders.

Limitations of Media Blasting

• Dimensional risk: Aggressive media or excessive exposure may affect tight-tolerance surfaces.
• Edge rounding: Sharp edges and fine details can lose definition.
• Uneven coverage: Deep pockets, narrow slots, and shadowed areas may receive less blasting.
• Residual media: Abrasive particles can remain in holes, threads, and internal passages.
• Limited defect removal: Blasting may reduce light tool marks but cannot fully remove deep scratches, dents, or porosity.

How Does Media Blasting Work? Step by Step

Media blasting works by accelerating abrasive particles toward a part surface with compressed air, water, or mechanical force. The particle impact removes contaminants, changes surface texture, or prepares the part for a later finish. Proper media selection and process control are essential for consistent results.

Step 1: Inspect and Prepare the Part

The process starts with a review of the part material, geometry, surface condition, and finishing goal. Oil, grease, loose debris, and heavy contamination should be removed before blasting because they can reduce cutting action and contaminate the media.

The operator also checks thin walls, sharp edges, deep pockets, threads, and tight-tolerance features that may need protection. The required result must be clear before processing. Common goals include rust removal, coating stripping, cosmetic finishing, light tool-mark reduction, and surface preparation before painting, powder coating, anodizing, bonding, or another secondary treatment.

Step 2: Select the Blasting Media

The selected blasting media must match the base material, existing surface condition, and required finish. Glass beads usually create a smoother satin appearance, while aluminum oxide provides stronger cutting action for coating removal and surface profiling.

Particle hardness, size, and shape also influence the result. Angular media cuts more aggressively and produces a rougher profile. Rounded particles create more of a peening effect and a uniform cosmetic surface. Media that is too hard or coarse can roughen soft metals, round edges, or damage thin features, so the choice should follow the specific part requirements.

Step 3: Mask Critical Areas

Critical features must be protected before blasting. Threads, precision bores, bearing seats, sealing surfaces, datums, electrical contacts, and mating faces may lose their original finish or tolerance if abrasive particles strike them directly.

Suitable masking methods include tapes, plugs, caps, fixtures, and reusable covers. The masking material must withstand the selected media, pressure, and exposure time without shifting or tearing. The operator should also prevent abrasive particles from entering internal passages or blind holes. Effective masking reduces dimensional risk and prevents unwanted roughness.

Step 4: Blast the Surface

The operator sets the air pressure, media flow, nozzle distance, and blasting angle before treating the surface. The nozzle should move at a steady speed with controlled overlap so the finish remains even across the part.

Higher pressure and longer exposure increase cleaning and cutting action, but they also raise the risk of material removal, edge rounding, and distortion. Thin walls, sharp features, soft alloys, and cosmetic surfaces usually need lower intensity. Complex pockets and recessed areas may require changes in nozzle angle or additional passes.

Step 5: Clean and Inspect the Part

After blasting, the part must be cleaned to remove dust, loose abrasive, and particles trapped in holes, threads, pockets, or internal channels. Compressed air may be sufficient for simple parts, while washing or ultrasonic cleaning may be required for complex geometry.

The final inspection checks finish uniformity, surface roughness, coverage, contamination, and masking quality. Critical dimensions should be measured again when blasting could affect precision features. The part can then move to anodizing, painting, powder coating, passivation, bonding, assembly, or protective packaging.

What Types of Blasting Media Are Commonly Used?

Common blasting media differ in hardness, particle shape, cutting strength, and the surface texture they create. Some abrasives remove coatings quickly, while others clean or refine a surface with limited material removal. The right choice depends on the base material, surface condition, geometry, and required finish.

Glass Beads

Glass beads are round, nonmetallic particles that create a peening action instead of aggressive cutting. They commonly produce a clean satin or matte finish on aluminum, stainless steel, and other metals. Glass beads suit cosmetic finishing, light oxidation removal, and reducing minor visual differences between machined surfaces. However, they do not remove thick coatings or deep scratches efficiently. Excessive pressure can still round sharp edges or affect thin features, while clean, dedicated media help reduce contamination risks on stainless steel and nonferrous components.

Aluminum Oxide

Aluminum oxide is a hard, angular abrasive with strong cutting action. It removes rust, scale, paint, oxidation, and durable coatings more aggressively than glass beads. The particles also create a rough surface profile that supports painting, powder coating, and adhesive bonding. Aluminum oxide works well on carbon steel, stainless steel, titanium, and many other metals. However, coarse particles or high pressure can make soft aluminum excessively rough and may damage thin features. Its particles fracture during use and expose new cutting edges, which allows controlled reuse.

Steel Shot and Steel Grit

Steel shot consists of rounded particles, while steel grit has sharp, angular edges. Steel shot mainly peens and strengthens the surface, whereas steel grit cuts more aggressively and removes scale, rust, or coatings. Both media offer high durability and suit steel castings, forgings, structural components, and heavy industrial parts. They are generally unsuitable for aluminum, stainless steel, or contamination-sensitive parts because ferrous residue may affect the surface. Their weight and impact force can also damage thin walls, fine details, and precision features.

Ceramic Beads

Ceramic beads are dense, spherical media that produce a controlled peening effect and a consistent matte or satin finish. They resist fracture better than glass beads, so they maintain a more stable particle size during repeated use. Ceramic beads suit stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, and precision components that need a uniform cosmetic appearance. They can provide a stronger impact than glass beads without the aggressive cutting action of angular abrasives. However, their higher density requires careful pressure control on thin walls, sharp edges, and delicate features.

Plastic Media

Plastic media consists of lightweight particles made from materials such as acrylic, melamine, polyester, or urea. It removes paint and selected coatings with less risk of cutting into the substrate than harder mineral abrasives. This makes it suitable for aluminum, magnesium, composites, plastics, and components with delicate dimensions. Aerospace and automotive applications often use plastic media for controlled coating removal. However, it performs poorly against heavy corrosion, hard scale, or strongly bonded coatings. Excessive pressure can still damage soft materials and fine features.

Garnet and Crushed Glass

Garnet and crushed glass are angular abrasives used for cleaning, coating removal, and surface profiling. Their sharp edges remove rust, paint, scale, and oxidation while creating a textured surface that can improve coating adhesion. Garnet offers relatively stable cutting performance and breaks down less quickly than some lower-cost abrasives. Crushed glass also provides strong cutting action and may contain recycled material. Both media can be too aggressive for delicate aluminum parts, soft metals, or cosmetic surfaces, so particle size and pressure require careful control.

Walnut Shells and Corn Cob

Walnut shells and corn cobs are organic media used for gentle cleaning and polishing. Their lower hardness helps remove light coatings, carbon deposits, grease, and surface residue while limiting damage to the base material. Walnut shells suit aluminum parts, engine components, molds, and surfaces that cannot tolerate aggressive abrasives. A corn cob provides an even gentler action and can absorb moisture or oils during cleaning. Neither medium removes heavy corrosion efficiently or creates a strong coating profile, and all residual particles must be removed before assembly or further finishing.

Blasting media	Particle shape	Relative aggressiveness	Typical surface result	Suitable materials	Common applications	Main limitation
Glass beads	Round	Low to medium	Smooth matte or satin finish	Aluminum, stainless steel, brass	Cosmetic finishing, light oxidation removal	Limited coating and deep defect removal
Aluminum oxide	Angular	High	Rough, etched surface profile	Steel, stainless steel, titanium, selected aluminum alloys	Rust removal, coating stripping, coating preparation	May roughen soft metals or affect fine details
Steel shot	Round	High impact	Peened, compressed surface	Carbon steel, castings, forgings	Cleaning, peening, surface strengthening	Ferrous contamination risk on nonferrous metals
Steel grit	Angular	Very high	Coarse, aggressively profiled surface	Heavy steel parts and structural components	Scale removal, heavy coating removal	Unsuitable for delicate or thin-walled parts
Ceramic beads	Round	Medium	Uniform matte or satin finish	Aluminum, stainless steel, titanium	Precision cosmetic finishing and controlled peening	Higher initial media cost
Plastic media	Angular	Low	Clean surface with limited substrate removal	Aluminum, magnesium, plastics, composites	Paint and coating removal	Weak against rust, scale, and hard coatings
Garnet	Angular	Medium to high	Clean, textured coating-ready surface	Steel and durable metal parts	Rust, paint, and scale removal	May be too aggressive for cosmetic surfaces
Crushed glass	Angular	Medium to high	Etched, roughened surface	Steel and robust metal components	General cleaning and coating preparation	Can damage soft metals and sharp features
Walnut shells	Irregular	Low	Clean surface with minimal cutting	Aluminum, engine parts, molds	Carbon removal and gentle cleaning	Ineffective against heavy corrosion
Corn cob	Irregular	Very low	Lightly cleaned or polished surface	Soft metals and delicate components	Moisture, oil, and light residue removal	Does not create a strong coating profile

How Do You Choose the Right Blasting Media? 

The right blasting media should remove the required contamination without creating unnecessary roughness, dimensional change, or cleaning work. Surface condition, part geometry, tolerance sensitivity, media life, and process control all affect the final choice.

Evaluate the Surface Condition

Start by identifying the type, thickness, and adhesion of the material that must be removed. Different surface conditions require different levels of cutting action. The media should remove the unwanted layer without creating excessive roughness or damaging the underlying material.

• Light oxidation: Glass or ceramic beads remove thin oxide films while causing limited surface cutting.
• Rust: Aluminum oxide, garnet, or crushed glass provides enough cutting action to remove moderate corrosion.
• Mill scale: Steel grit, coarse aluminum oxide, or garnet can break through tightly bonded scale.
• Carbon deposits: Walnut shell media removes light or moderate buildup with relatively low cutting action.
• Grease and oily residue: Degreasing should come first because blasting oily surfaces can contaminate the media and reduce consistency.
• Light machining marks: Glass or ceramic beads can visually blend shallow tool paths and create a more uniform texture.
• Deep scratches: Grinding, polishing, or remachining is usually more suitable because blasting cannot remove deep defects evenly.

Consider Part Geometry and Tolerances

Part geometry determines both media access and the risk of dimensional change. Finer or less aggressive media usually suit delicate features, while critical fits should be masked rather than protected only through media selection.

• Deep pockets: Fine glass beads suit cosmetic finishing; fine aluminum oxide suits stronger cleaning.
• Blind holes: Use larger glass beads or plastic media when possible to reduce trapped particles.
• Thin walls: Plastic media, walnut shells, or fine glass beads reduce impact and distortion risk.
• Sharp edges: Fine glass beads or plastic media limit edge rounding better than steel grit or coarse aluminum oxide.
• Threads and precision bores: Mask these features; avoid angular media that can alter fit or surface texture.
• Tight-tolerance surfaces: Fine glass beads or plastic media provide lower cutting action, but masking remains the safer choice.

Balance Cost and Process Control

The right blasting media should reduce total processing cost while keeping the finish stable across each batch. Media price alone is not enough; reuse rate, blasting speed, cleanup, equipment wear, and rejection risk all affect the final cost.

• Media consumption: Ceramic beads, steel shot, and steel grit support repeated reuse in recovery systems, which lowers media replacement costs.
• Cycle time: Aluminum oxide and garnet remove rust, scale, and hard coatings faster, which reduces blasting time.
• Cleanup and wear: Glass beads, plastic media, and walnut shells create less nozzle wear, while durable media produces fewer fine particles and less cleanup.
• Process consistency: Ceramic beads and controlled glass beads maintain stable particle size, helping reduce finish variation, rework, and rejected parts.

Factors That Affect Media Blasting Results

Media blasting results depend on the interaction between the abrasive, equipment settings, nozzle control, and exposure time. Small changes in these variables can alter cleaning speed, surface roughness, edge definition, and finish uniformity. Stable parameters are essential when parts must match an approved sample or repeat across production batches.

Blasting Media Properties

The hardness, particle size, shape, and condition of the blasting media determine how strongly it cuts or peens the surface. The selected properties must match the substrate and required finish because overly aggressive media can increase roughness, remove material, or damage fine details.

• Hardness: Harder media remove coatings and corrosion faster but increase the risk of substrate damage.
• Particle shape: Angular particles cut aggressively, while round particles create smoother, peened surfaces.
• Particle size: Coarse media creates a stronger impact; fine media produces a more refined texture.
• Media condition: Worn or fractured particles can reduce cutting efficiency and alter finish consistency.

Air Pressure and Media Flow

Air pressure controls the impact energy of each particle, while media flow controls how much abrasive reaches the surface. Both settings must remain stable during processing. Excessive pressure or flow can increase roughness and consumption, while insufficient settings may leave coatings or contamination behind.

• High pressure: Improves removal speed but may round edges, roughen soft materials, or distort thin walls.
• Low pressure: Provides better control for delicate parts and cosmetic surfaces.
• Low media flow: Causes slow cleaning and incomplete surface coverage.
• Excessive flow: Wastes abrasive and may reduce visibility inside the blasting cabinet.

Nozzle Distance and Angle

Nozzle position affects the concentration, coverage, and direction of abrasive impact. A short distance or direct angle produces stronger cutting action, while greater distance or an angled pass creates a gentler effect. Inconsistent positioning often causes streaks, shading, or uneven surface roughness.

• Short distance: Concentrates the blast stream and increases material removal.
• Long distance: Expands the coverage area but reduces impact strength.
• Direct angle: Works well for aggressive coating or corrosion removal.
• Angled pass: Reduces impact and improves access around edges or recessed features.

Blasting Time and Nozzle Movement

Exposure time and nozzle movement determine how evenly the surface receives abrasive impact. Excessive treatment can increase roughness and affect critical features, while insufficient exposure may leave contamination behind. A steady movement pattern helps maintain the same texture across visible or repeated parts.

• Long exposure: Increases material removal, roughness, and edge-rounding risk.
• Short exposure: May leave rust, coatings, or oxidation on the surface.
• Slow movement: Concentrates impact and can create rough or dark patches.
• Overlapping passes: Improve coverage and support a more uniform finish.

Industry Applications of Media Blasting

Different industries use media blasting because their parts face different surface problems, including oxidation, coatings, machining marks, contamination, and inconsistent texture. The process helps restore surface condition, improve coating adhesion, create a controlled appearance, and prepare components for inspection or assembly.

Aerospace

Aerospace parts require tightly controlled surfaces because coatings, bonding, sealing, and inspection depend on cleanliness and consistency. Media blasting removes oxidation, old coatings, and surface residue from aluminum aerospace components, titanium brackets, housings, and structural fittings. Glass beads, ceramic beads, or plastic media can limit aggressive cutting, while masking protects precision bores, sealing faces, and thin-wall features.

Automotive

Automotive components encounter rust, paint, carbon deposits, scale, and road contamination during production, repair, or refurbishment. Media blasting cleans engine parts, wheel hubs, suspension brackets, transmission housings, brake components, and fabricated metal parts before painting, powder coating, or assembly. Aluminum oxide and garnet suit heavier removal, while glass beads improve the appearance of aluminum automotive components.

Medical Equipment

Medical equipment parts need clean, uniform, and low-glare surfaces because finish consistency can affect handling, assembly, coating, and visual inspection. Glass or ceramic beads create controlled matte textures on surgical instrument components, device housings, fixtures, and precision machined parts. 

For metallic surgical implants specifically, surface preparation is often referenced against standards such as ASTM F86, which addresses surface characteristics intended to improve corrosion resistance. Dedicated media and thorough cleaning help prevent abrasive residue or cross-contamination from affecting later processes. 

Electronics and Robotics

Electronics and robotics components use media blasting to improve surface consistency, remove light oxidation, and prepare metal parts for anodizing, coating, or bonding. Typical applications include aluminum enclosures, heat sinks, robot arms, sensor housings, mounting brackets, and structural frames. Glass or ceramic beads can create a uniform matte finish and reduce visible machining marks. Threads, connector interfaces, sealing areas, and precision mounting surfaces should be masked to protect fit, conductivity, and assembly accuracy. 

Industrial Equipment

Industrial machinery parts develop rust, mill scale, casting residue, weld discoloration, and worn coatings that can interfere with assembly or protective finishing. Media blasting cleans pump housings, valve bodies, gear housings, tooling components, cast parts, and welded structures, often to a defined cleanliness grade such as SSPC-SP 10 Near-White Metal Blast Cleaning prior to coating. Steel grit, aluminum oxide, or garnet handles heavy deposits, while glass beads suit lighter cleaning or cosmetic finishing. 

Marine and Energy

Marine parts and energy components operate around salt, moisture, chemicals, pressure, and elevated temperatures, so coating adhesion and corrosion protection are critical. Media blasting removes corrosion and old protective layers from pipe fittings, turbine components, offshore brackets, equipment housings, and power-generation parts. The process also creates the surface profile needed for primers and protective coating systems that meet requirements such as the IMO Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC), which governs coating systems for seawater ballast tanks on new ships. 

Media Blasting Considerations for CNC-Machined Parts

Media blasting can improve the appearance and surface condition of CNC-machined parts, but it may also affect precision features. The process must account for tolerances, masking, wall thickness, edge definition, and geometry before blasting begins.

Dimensional and Tolerance Risks 

Media blasting can remove a small amount of material from exposed surfaces, especially when coarse angular media, high pressure, or long exposure is used. Precision bores may enlarge, shaft diameters may decrease, and sharp edges may lose definition. For example, removing 5 μm from each side changes a bore or shaft diameter by 0.01 mm, which may consume the full tolerance of a precision fit. 

Thin walls and slender sections face an additional distortion risk, especially under high pressure or prolonged exposure. These changes can cause loose fits, sealing failure, assembly misalignment, thread damage, or parts falling outside tolerance. Critical features should be masked and remeasured after blasting when dimensional accuracy affects function.

Masking Critical Features 

Masking isolates surfaces that must remain in their original machined condition. Common no-blast areas include threads, precision bores, datum surfaces, mating faces, electrical contacts, identification marks, and internal passages.

The process may use plugs, caps, blasting tape, protective coatings, or custom fixtures based on the feature shape and blasting intensity. The masking material must resist particle impact without shifting, tearing, or leaving residue. Before blasting, the operator should verify the masking boundaries against the drawing and confirm that all protected areas remain fully covered.

Part Geometry Risks

Part geometry affects how the abrasive reaches and strikes each surface. Thin walls and slender features may distort under concentrated impact, while sharp edges can lose definition. Deep pockets, narrow slots, internal corners, and recessed areas may receive less exposure than open surfaces, which can create uneven texture or visible shading.

Small holes, threads, and internal channels may also trap abrasive particles after blasting. Complex CNC parts therefore require controlled nozzle angles, shorter exposure, and careful post-blast cleaning. A sample part should be approved when geometry may cause an inconsistent appearance or a localized surface change.

Media Blasting vs. Other Blasting Processes 

Media blasting is a broad surface-treatment category, while sandblasting, bead blasting, and shot blasting refer to more specific processes. Their differences mainly involve the abrasive media, propulsion method, cutting strength, surface finish, suitable part types, and level of process control.

Media Blasting vs. Sandblasting

Media blasting can use glass beads, aluminum oxide, ceramic beads, plastic grit, garnet, and organic abrasives. Sandblasting traditionally uses sand or another hard, angular abrasive. Sandblasting generally removes rust, scale, and thick coatings more aggressively, while media blasting offers a wider range of cutting strengths and surface textures.

Media blasting gives better control when surface roughness, edge definition, or dimensional stability matters. Sandblasting suits robust steel parts and heavy-duty cleaning where a coarse surface profile is acceptable. Silica-containing sand also creates serious respirable dust risks, so many modern blasting operations use alternative abrasive media.

Media Blasting vs. Bead Blasting

The main difference lies in the abrasive shape and its action on the surface. Media blasting may use angular or rounded particles, so it can provide either aggressive cutting or gentle surface treatment. Bead blasting uses spherical glass or ceramic beads that strike and peen the surface with less cutting action.

Media blasting suits coating removal, corrosion cleaning, surface profiling, and cosmetic finishing, depending on the selected abrasive. Bead blasting mainly suits parts that need a smooth, uniform matte or satin appearance with limited material removal. It works well for visible aluminum housings, stainless steel components, and cosmetic CNC parts.

Media Blasting vs. Shot Blasting

Media blasting usually directs abrasive particles through a nozzle with compressed air. Shot blasting commonly uses a centrifugal wheel to throw steel shot or steel grit at the workpiece. Shot blasting processes large batches and durable steel parts faster, while nozzle-based media blasting provides more control over selective areas and complex geometry.

Shot blasting commonly treats castings, forgings, structural steel, and other robust components. Media blasting works better for CNC-machined parts with thin walls, recessed features, cosmetic surfaces, or protected areas. The stronger impact of shot blasting may damage soft metals, sharp details, and tight-tolerance features.

Conclusion

Media blasting uses controlled abrasive impact to clean, strip, texture, or prepare a part surface. The final result depends on the selected media, surface condition, air pressure, nozzle control, part geometry, and exposure time. For CNC-machined parts, dimensional risk, masking, and finish consistency require careful planning before production.

DZ Making provides CNC machining and secondary surface finishing for custom metal and engineering plastic parts. Send your drawings, material grade, critical tolerances, no-blast areas, required surface finish, and order quantity for a manufacturing review and quotation.

FAQs

1. Can media blasting remove CNC tool marks?

Media blasting can reduce the visibility of light tool marks by creating a more uniform texture. It cannot remove deep grooves, chatter marks, or scratches, which usually require polishing, grinding, or remachining first.

2. Is media blasting the same as sandblasting?  

Sandblasting is one type of media blasting. Media blasting can use glass beads, aluminum oxide, ceramic, plastic, or organic abrasives, while sandblasting traditionally refers to using sand or similar angular media.

3. Which blasting media is suitable for aluminum?  

Fine glass beads are usually the most suitable choice for aluminum CNC parts because they create a uniform matte finish with limited cutting. Plastic media suits coating removal, while fine aluminum oxide suits applications that require a rougher profile.

4. What surface roughness can media blasting achieve?  

Media blasting commonly produces a surface roughness of about Ra 0.5–6 μm on metal parts. Fine rounded media creates the lower range, while coarse angular abrasives produce rougher profiles. The exact Ra should be verified through sample blasting.

5. Which finishes can be applied after media blasting?

Media-blasted parts can proceed to anodizing, painting, powder coating, plating, passivation, conversion coating, or adhesive bonding. The surface must be thoroughly cleaned and compatible with the requirements of the next finishing process.