What's the metallurgy process called...?

What's that called when you shoot metal with a media and it makes it bumpy and rough? Similar to the texture TRD skid plate.

I recently got a skid that's raw aluminum and want to make it that texture but have no idea what a shop that would do that would be called.

Media Blasting?
Shot Peening?

I have no idea what the differences between these are haha

 

I thought the answer would be easy to Google but I was wrong.

My best guess would be sandblasting. We used to have a sandblaster at work and I tried blasting a friend's aluminum center caps to get the paint off and ruined them with a rough finish

 

My Googlin' is usually on point but after doing circles I gave up and came to ask.

That rough finish is what I'm going for, just so it doesn't look like 'fresh off the welding table' aluminum. Cool on a trophy truck, not so much on a DD.

Might have to call around locally and report back wtf the process is called.

 

For what it's worth, it was a very dull and rough finish. It definitely wasn't polished aluminum.

I agree you should call around to professionals though

 

Bead blasting is a similar process that some people might be familiar with. It's not quite as harsh.

 

Shot blasting and/or sand blasting comes to mind. They both used to prepare the surface.

The only way I know these terms is because I recently restored a 1975 Yamaha 2stroke and it's tank needed sand blasting.

 

Sand blasting - and you can do it with different grades and pressures so that you get the texture you are looking for. But that is the old way of doing it. Get it to a modern metal shop and they can grind it with a robot and water pressure in no time.

 

Appreciate it guys. I'll call on Monday and hopefully now won't sound as much like a tard

 

I believe shot peening is done in production and can improve strength. I don't know but I remember mountain bike parts with shot peened finish. Aluminum. It could be bling to be overkill with your surface treatment. In my experience sandblasting makes things smooth.

 

For sure. Definitely just looking to get rid of the high shine.

 

Media blasting is the umbrella term, and the media can be as soft as crushed walnut shells and as hard as BB’s depending on what’s being removed and the desired finish.

Shot peening is a process for relieving localized stresses in a part that it acquired during the manufacturing process. Whatever changes occur to the finish are incidental.