Blasting and anodizing order on aluminum parts
Hello! need help – am working on a set of 6061-T6 aluminum control knobs for a small instrument panel, and the surface finish is important since they’ll be handled frequently and remain visible. The goal is to achieve a uniform matte texture with glass bead blasting, followed by blue anodizing for corrosion resistance and appearance. My question is whether blasting should always be done before anodizing, or if it’s viable to bead blast after anodizing without affecting the coating’s durability or the color consistency.