FAQ

What surface preparation grade do I need?

Q: What surface preparation grade do I need?

The short answer: the grade is defined by two things —the **coating** you are going to apply and the **service environment** of the part. The more demanding the paint or the more aggressive the environment, the higher the cleaning grade required. The most used scale runs from Sa 1 to Sa 3 (ISO 8501 standard), with its equivalent in the SSPC-SP standard. In practice, each grade has a typical use: ● **Sa 1 (SSPC-SP 7), brush-off:** light cleaning; low-demand coatings or surfaces in good condition. ● **Sa 2 (SSPC-SP 6), commercial:** removes most rust and mill scale; standard industrial paints. ● **Sa 2½ (SSPC-SP 10), near-white metal:** the most requested; high-performance coatings and corrosive environments. ● **Sa 3 (SSPC-SP 5), white metal:** maximum demand; immersion, chemical exposure or extreme conditions. But the cleaning grade is only part of the specification: the anchor profile (the roughness left by blasting) also matters, because coating adhesion and durability depend on it. The golden rule is simple: **always follow what the paint's technical data sheet states** —it gives the required grade and profile. For the detail of each grade and all the equivalences between standards (SSPC-SP, ISO 8501, NACE/AMPP), see the technical articles on standards.

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STANDARDS AND GRADES

How to choose the grade by coating and environment

The short answer: the grade is defined by two things —the coating you are going to apply and the service environment of the part. The more demanding the paint or the more aggressive the environment, the higher the cleaning grade required. The most used scale runs from Sa 1 to Sa 3 (ISO 8501 standard), with its equivalent in the SSPC-SP standard.

In practice, each grade has a typical use:

● Sa 1 (SSPC-SP 7), brush-off: light cleaning; low-demand coatings or surfaces in good condition.

● Sa 2 (SSPC-SP 6), commercial: removes most rust and mill scale; standard industrial paints.

● Sa 2½ (SSPC-SP 10), near-white metal: the most requested; high-performance coatings and corrosive environments.

● Sa 3 (SSPC-SP 5), white metal: maximum demand; immersion, chemical exposure or extreme conditions.

But the cleaning grade is only part of the specification: the anchor profile (the roughness left by blasting) also matters, because coating adhesion and durability depend on it. The golden rule is simple: always follow what the paint's technical data sheet states —it gives the required grade and profile. For the detail of each grade and all the equivalences between standards (SSPC-SP, ISO 8501, NACE/AMPP), see the technical articles on standards.

THE COATING DATA SHEET RULES

The grade is set by the paint, not by habit

There is no universal «good» grade: there is the one your coating requires for the environment it will work in. Under-specifying compromises durability; over-specifying raises costs needlessly. CYM Materiales helps you define the right grade and the equipment to reach it repeatably.

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What surface preparation grade do I need?

How to choose the grade by coating and environment

The grade is set by the paint, not by habit

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Can't find the equipment you need?

CYM Materiales develops it.