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Shot Peening

Shot Peening has a strong track record as an effective and economical method of extending component life and performance

The shot peening process produces surface residual compressive stresses that increase the lifespan of treated metal parts, with the process also hardening components and improving existing metal part distortions, where desired.

Our shot peening improves and strengthens the surfaces of your important components

Shot peening is also used for work hardening to improve wear characteristics, straightening distortions, surface texturing and for creating aerodynamic curvatures for aerospace designs. The increased strength of treated parts allows for lighter-weight parts that exhibit high wear and fatigue resistance. Shot peening is a cold working process that produces a compressive residual stress layer and modifies the mechanical properties of metals and composites. The value of the residual stress is dependent on a number of variables including the parameters of the peening process and the hardness of the component material.

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Shot peening is a method of improving the surface properties of metal components and machines

Shot peening works by using compressed air to impact a surface with shot (small spherical metallic, glass, or ceramic particles) with enough force to create a deformation or small indentation in the metal surface. It is often is used to strengthen components like steel automobile crankshafts and connecting rods. In architecture, it provides a muted finish to the metal. Manufacturing processes have a significant effect on the fatigue properties of parts with part failure often due to residual tensile stress during operations.

Choose the most versatile option for strengthening your components so that you get exactly what you need from our service

Shot peening is a method of replacing tensile stress with compressive stress which prevents unwanted failures. Although it is not the only technique for improving metal fatigue life through the compressive stresses it can induce, shot peening is the most versatile of all the options available as it provides the highest significance of compressive stress in the widest range of materials and different parts, as well as an array of part formations, patterns and designs.

Why Shot Peening?

The main benefits of Shot Peening your important equipment are

  • Increase Performance

    Shot peening your equipment ensures your business will be able to enjoy a greater range of refined manufacturing operations through the provision of a consistent surface that combats metal fatigue via compressive stress. As the shot peening process works by introducing the residual compressive stress in the surface of the component which, in turn, helps to prevent cracks forming and developing in the compressive environment generated by peening; your machinery will operate at the highest level of productivity for the maximum amount of time.

  • Extend Lifespan

    Once a surface has undergone shot peening, the properties of the surface change, improving plasticity, resulting in the prevention or delay of cracking in stressed components. This means that the useful life of the treated components will be extended and the monetary investment made by your business in the treated components and related capital equipment will be maximised.

  • Prevent failures

    Utilising shot peening to prevent component failure is common across industries, with ensuring the prevention of component failure is a natural benefit of shot peening. As well as the shot peening process delaying and preventing cracks, as a method increases the strength of any component treated. The benefits of shot peening have been well documented and, as an illustration of the confidence the industry has in shot peening, the activity is very regularly used to improve the performance of safety-critical components in a range of juxtaposed sectors including the immediately demanding, short-lived requirements of Formula One and the longevity and measured long-life obligations of the aerospace industry.

  • Improve Design

    Shot peening offers you the opportunity to refine component dimensions. Whether you are initially designing and manufacturing a product or when you are refurbishing, refining or rebuilding a component, shot peening can increase or reduce part size. For example, shot peening can be used to increase the diameter of a shaft or decrease the diameter of a hole. The process is also able to rectify warped components, where specific, targeted peening work can be undertaken to straighten the required part sections.

  • Achieve optimum productivity

    Shot peening is a complex process, the success of which depends on the provider’s expertise, attention to detail and an understanding of a customer’s needs, in order to ensure the treated components will operate at a level of maximum productivity. Combining strengthened, consistent surfaces that are unlikely to warp or crack, with the opportunity to improve the design of components means shot peened items achieve their own optimum productivity, bringing the obvious benefits to your business.

  • Increase performance
  • Extend lifespan
  • Prevent failures
  • Improve design
Typical applications of Shot Peening
There are several, core beneficial applications for shot peening, for an extensive range of industrial sectors, from oil & gas, aerospace and automotive to rail, medical and renewable energy

Consistently shot peening is used for strengthening metal in components, ensuring the finished part will be resistant to fatigue, as well as corrosion, cracking, galling and erosion. The process is also used to improve performance and maximise productivity, often through the ability of shot peening to refine the component design.

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