Bead blasting uses a pressurized jet of abrasive bead to apply a matte, uniform finish to the surface of parts. The most common bead used are varying sizes of glass beads or sand, though for other levels of abrasion, things like plastic beads have also been used.

This process is used to create a uniform, matte finish on parts, but can also be used to hide machine marks or remove small flaws in parts prior to anodizing or other plating processes.