Article & News

Day: May 4, 2026

Picture of Kumar Balan

Kumar Balan

Kumar Balan is a shot peening and blast cleaning technical specialist. He assists industry leaders, including Ervin Industries and Empire Abrasive Equipment, achieve business growth in North American and overseas markets. He is also an EI Shot Peening Training Lead Instructor at their international seminars and workshops. In the 25 plus years that Kumar has been in the surface preparation industry, he has worked for Wheelabrator Group, Blastworks and Pangborn Corporation. In addition, Kumar worked with a Canadian automation company, specializing in CNC fabrication machinery. Mr. Balan has a Master of Business Administration degree from York University, Toronto, and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from his education in India. Mr. Balan has published several technical papers on blast cleaning and shot peening and is a regular contributor to The Shot Peener magazine. His expertise is in centrifugal wheel type and air type blast cleaning and shot peening equipment. He is a regular speaker at industry conferences and training seminars worldwide. Mr. Balan’s contributions to the industry were recognized when he was named the 2006 The Shot Peener of the Year at the Electronics Inc. Shot Peening and Blast Cleaning Workshop.
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Stepping Forward

My introduction to shot peening was not exactly traditional. I joined EI as an intern and spent my first two years in research and development