> Resource Hub / Blog / How does shot blasting extend the life of industrial equipment?

How does shot blasting extend the life of industrial equipment?

Shot blasting is a surface treatment process that involves blasting abrasive materials at high velocity onto a surface. The purpose is to remove rust, scale, old coatings, or contaminants. It creates a clean, textured surface that is ready for further treatment, such as painting or coating.

This process is widely used across industries to maintain and restore the integrity of equipment, ensuring it meets operational standards and withstands environmental challenges.

Shot blasting provides several advantages that directly contribute to extending equipment life:

1. Corrosion Protection: By removing rust and contaminants, shot blasting prevents the spread of corrosion. Clean surfaces also improve the adhesion of protective coatings, enhancing resistance to environmental damage.
2. Enhanced Surface Preparation: Shot blasting ensures surfaces are free of debris and imperfections, creating a consistent profile for paints, coatings, or bonding agents. This helps coatings last longer and perform better.
3. Reduced Wear and Tear: Removing abrasive particles and contaminants minimises the risk of further damage from friction and wear, especially in moving parts.

While shot blasting focuses on cleaning surfaces and preparing them for protection, shot peening serves a slightly different purpose. In shot peening, small spherical media (such as glass beads or steel shot) is propelled at the surface, creating a layer of compressive stress. This stress adds strength without significantly altering its profile, therefore making the metal more durable under high-stress conditions, and helping to resist fatigue, cracking, and corrosion.

Shot peening can also extend the life of industrial equipment by improving its resistance to wear and environmental degradation. This is especially beneficial for heavy machinery and industrial components exposed to constant stress, pressure, or corrosive environments.

Shot peening is commonly used for:

• Strengthening components under high stress, such as engine parts, gears, and turbine blades.
• Preventing stress corrosion cracking in critical machinery.
• Increasing the fatigue life of essential industrial components.

Although shot blasting and shot peening use similar processes, their applications differ. Shot blasting is primarily for cleaning, preparing, and protecting surfaces, while shot peening focuses on improving the mechanical properties of a material.

• Shot blasting is used across industries to maintain and enhance critical equipment. Common industries and their applications include:
  • Construction and Infrastructure: Cleaning and preparing structural steel for protective coatings.
  • Manufacturing: Restoring surfaces of machinery and components impacted by corrosion or wear.
  • Oil and Gas: Preparing pipelines and industrial parts for protective coatings and painting.
  • Marine: Preparing ship hulls for painting or coating processes.

  Shot peening, on the other hand, can be used in applications such as improving the lifespan of aerospace components, extending the durability of springs, and ensuring the performance of rotating machinery under high stress.

When incorporated into routine maintenance schedules, shot blasting offers long-term benefits:

• Lower Maintenance Costs: By preventing corrosion and premature wear, shot blasting reduces the need for frequent repairs or replacements.
• Minimised Downtime: Well-maintained equipment experiences fewer breakdowns, ensuring smoother operations.
• Sustainability: Extending the life of industrial assets reduces waste and the environmental impact of manufacturing replacements.

Shot peening also contributes by enhancing the lifespan and reliability of components under heavy use, preventing unexpected breakdowns and improving operational performance.

The effectiveness of shot blasting depends on the equipment and abrasives used. Factors to consider include:

• Material Type: Different materials require specific abrasive media to achieve the desired results without causing damage. You can see our range of abrasive media available to purchase here.
• Application Needs: Whether you’re cleaning, preparing, or restoring surfaces, selecting the right equipment ensures optimal performance.
• Professional Expertise: Partnering with experienced professionals can help you achieve consistent and reliable results.

Shot peening equipment similarly requires precision and expertise, especially for applications involving high-stress components or complex geometries.

Airblast Eurospray sell a range of shot blasting equipment, parts, spares and accessories for the surface preparation and finishing industry. Whether you’re blast cleaning structures or buildings, shot blasting metal surfaces prior to painting, or working offshore in demanding environments, we’ll have the right shot blast equipment, parts and spares to help you. Browse our online catalogue.

Shot blasting is an indispensable tool for maintaining and extending the life of industrial equipment. By cleaning surfaces, preventing corrosion, and reducing wear, it provides tangible, long-term benefits. Additionally, shot peening serves as a complementary process to shot blasting by strengthening the mechanical properties of components under stress.

Incorporating shot blasting and shot peening into your maintenance strategy can protect your investments and ensure reliable performance for years to come. If you’re looking to learn more about these processes or need professional services or equipment, get in touch with us today. Let us help you maximise the life and efficiency of your industrial assets!