Sign in Get Instant Quote

Media Blasting

At a glance

Applicable Materials

Aluminum, Steel, Stainless Steel, Brass, Bronze, Copper

Colors

n/a

Applications

Cosmetic parts (the surface of your Macbook Pro has been bead blasted)

Texture

Matte

About the Process

Media blasting uses a pressurized jet of abrasive media to apply a matte, uniform finish to the surface of parts. The most common media used are varying sizes of glass beads or sand, though for other levels of abrasion, things like plastic beads have also been used.

This process is used to create a uniform, matte finish on parts, but can also be used to hide machine marks or remove small flaws in parts prior to anodizing or other plating processes.

Design considerations

  • Plugging threaded/reamed holes not required unless tolerances are very tight, as thickness change is minimal.
  • Avoid blasting thin walls, as they are prone to deformation.
  • Parts with intricate geometries may be difficult or impossible to uniformly finish.

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN

Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA): Principles, Best Practices, and Real-World Examples

There have been countless times when I’ve been putting something together and wondered, “Why was this designed this way?” If you’ve ever assembled your own prototypes or even furniture, you probably know what I mean. The best way to design for assembly is often to put prototypes together yourself throughout the process, but it helps […]

Learn More

Humanoid Robots in Manufacturing: Transforming Industrial Automation

Robotic humanoids are becoming increasingly common as critical hardware and software breakthroughs overcome long-standing barriers to creating viable and high-functioning systems. These robots are being increasingly adopted across manufacturing and related sectors to perform tasks traditionally handled by humans.  These humanoid robots are designed to replicate, substitute for, and enhance human capabilities. They are bringing […]

Learn More