Shop vs field, and the grade that follows
DFW is drier and hotter than the Gulf Coast, so the driver here is fabrication throughput and coating adhesion, not chloride. Two setups cover most work: shop blasting in a controlled blast room for fabricated steel and parts, and mobile field blasting with containment where the steel is already erected. Either way the grade is dictated by the coating spec — a maintenance coat tolerates a commercial blast, an immersion or high-performance system does not.
| Prep grade | What it leaves | Common abrasive | Anchor profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSPC-SP 6 (commercial) | Light staining allowed | Steel grit / garnet | 1.5–3 mil |
| SSPC-SP 10 (near-white) | Staining on ≤5% of each unit area | Angular grit / aluminum oxide | 2–4 mil |
| SSPC-SP 5 (white metal) | 100% clean, no staining | Angular grit | 2–4 mil |
Anchor profile is verified against the coating manufacturer's spec — too shallow and the coating under-anchors, too deep and peaks read through thin film.
Who we serve around Dallas
Metal fabricators, aerospace and defense parts, energy-services equipment, and structural steel and components for the region's distribution build-out.
What this means for your project
The right grade, abrasive and profile depend on the coating and on whether the job is shop or field. Send the steel, the coating spec it has to meet, and whether it's shop or field work — we'll line up a DFW blasting contractor.