Blasted Stainless Steel | Bead Blasted & Sand Blasted

Sanmei Metal offers two blasted matte finishes for stainless steel — bead blasted for a fine, even texture, sand blasted for a coarser, heavy-coverage surface.

Blasting is a surface finishing process where media is propelled at the metal under pressure, producing a non-reflective matte texture. The sheet is first prepared with a base finish, then blasted with either fine bead media or coarser sand media — the type and size of media determines how smooth or coarse the final texture is.

Bead blasted starts from a pre-polished base, using fine glass or ceramic beads to create a smooth, even texture with a soft sheen (Ra 1.5–2.5μm). Sand blasted uses coarser zirconia or aluminum oxide media on a standard base, producing a rougher, fully matte texture with no sheen (Ra 4–7μm). Bead blasting costs more due to the finer media and tighter process control; sand blasting is simpler and lower-cost.