As Cut Versus Conditioned Shot

Same Wire Two Shapes

Cut wire shot starts as drawn wire. It is cut so that the length equals the diameter, which is what gives every grain the same mass. In the as-cut condition the grain stays cylindrical with a sharp edge. Conditioning grinds that edge away and rounds the grain.

When To Use As Cut

As-cut grains cut harder. The edge does the work, which suits cleaning, descaling and deburring, and reaches into corners and recesses that a round grain skates over. Stainless Steel Cut Wire Shot, Aluminum Cut Wire Shot, Zinc Cut Wire, Copper Cut Wire Shot and Carbon Steel Cut Wire Shot As Cut are all supplied in this form.

When To Use Conditioned

Conditioned grains have no sharp edge, so they work the surface rather than cut it. That is what peening needs, and it is what gives a matte finish without damage. Sukie states that processing by conditioning turns the shape to a round grain, mainly used in the automobile industry on gears, bearings and springs. See Carbon Steel Cut Wire Shot Conditioned, Stainless Steel Shot Conditioned, Aluminum Round Shot, Zinc Shot and Copper Shot.

Why Cut Wire Beats Cast Shot In Both Forms

Compared with steel shot, cut wire shot has broader application, longer durability, no pore and no crack, higher density and a stronger jet. Cast shot carries internal pores that split under repeated impact, which drops peening intensity part-way through a cycle and loads the separator with fines.