Shot Peening Optimization
Lambda Technologies’ cost-effective shot peening optimization services allow the peening specifications of any component to be tailored to achieve optimum fatigue results with the fastest processing times.
The shot peening optimization benefits include:
- Up to 5X improvement in production times
- Improved fatigue performance
- Reduced capital investment
- Reduced peening equipment wear and tear
- Reduced media consumption
- Reduced surface damage
- Enhanced thermal stability
What are potential issues from typical shot peening services?
In typical shot peening services, Almen strips are used to establish a saturation curve and control peening to 100 percent, or higher. The 100 percent coverage requirement assumes that every point (or nearly every point) on the surface must be impacted to impart uniform residual compression. The assumption is now known to be false. Processing at higher coverage leaves some areas with multiple overlapping impacts, while others remain untouched.
Potential effects of excessive coverage include:
- Damage to the surface by creating laps, folds, and micro-cracks, especially at sharp features like edges, bolt holes, and corners
- Extended processing time
- Reduced production rates
- Increased media consumption
How does shot peening optimization save time and money?
Both empirical and analytical studies confirm that a full 100 percent shot peening coverage is not necessary and may not provide the best fatigue performance. Compression is now known to extend as far as five times the impact dimple radius, so regions between impacts are in compression, not tension. Surface compression supports subsurface equilibrating stress; surface fatigue initiation is suppressed even at lower coverage.
By developing specifications that reduce repeated media impacts, your critical components benefit from lower surface cold work. Hardened steel by work softening reduces and improves the thermal stability of the beneficial compression.
