Could your parts be improved by shot peening? Probably so, read on;
If the parts you produce or repair are made from metal, and are subjected to cyclic stress loadings and fatigue failures, there is a high probability shot peening will greatly improve their performance.
The surface of all metal parts contains minute surface defects, blemishes, microcracks and high stress areas, induced into the part from the manufacturing and machining process. When a metal part is stressed and subjected to cyclic loading these surface defects enlarge and form cracks that propagate through the part until it ultimately fails.
Both ceramic beads and glass beads are available in two types; as blasting beads, and as peening beads. Although in practice it is quite simple to substitute one for the other, care must be taken when the beads are used for shot peening that the beads are approved for use according to the peening specification being worked to. Ceramic beads have several advantages over glass beads. The advantages are mostly a result of the greater toughness and density of ceramic beads when compared to glass beads. Ceramic beads can outlast glass beads by a factor of up to 30 to 1, i.e. the life is up to 30 times greater (sometimes more!).
This feature offers several advantages as follows:
Surface finish
With their lower breakdown rate ceramic beads will reproduce more consistent surface finishes over long production runs. When reproducible surface finishes are required for consumer goods this is a critical factor.
When blasting with glass beads, the working mix of beads in the machine is constantly fluctuating as the beads break down and new ones are added. This fluctuation in the abrasive working mix results in higher chances of changes to the blasted surface finish.
When blasting with ceramic beads the bead breakdown rate is a lot slower. This means the working mix of beads in the machine is a lot more stable and consistent, resulting in more consistent surface finishes.
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