Glass bead blasting is a surface finishing technique where small, spherical glass beads are propelled at high pressure against a material's surface using compressed air, creating a smooth, uniform matte finish by cleaning, deburring, and polishing the surface without significantly damaging the underlying material, making it ideal for applications where aesthetics and surface integrity are crucial, commonly used in industries like automotive and aerospace to remove contaminants like rust, paint, and debris while maintaining the base material's integrity; due to the round shape of the glass beads, this process is considered gentler than traditional abrasive blasting methods like sandblasting, allowing for precise control over the surface finish and enabling access to intricate areas of a component.