Peening involves the use of spherical medias to “hammer” the surface of a material and is a very effective way to improve the fatigue strength of a part. By bombarding a part with a peening media the substrate becomes exposed to compressive stresses that consequently improve strength by giving the grain structures a shallower depth with a more random texture pattern. The change to a surfaces structure through peening makes them far less like to fracture and crack.
Typically peening is used on parts that may be subject to twisting and bending stresses. Often we are asked to peen parts of irregular shapes. Users of the wet peening process have recorded increased product life and quality across a range of industries.
With dry shot peening being more commonly known and thought of I was keen to make the case for wet peening and its benefits. Along with the obvious benefits of more uniform and consistent finishes, that are apparent with most wet blast applications, there are other arguments for the use of wet peening.
It is through collaborative development with our customers that Vapormatt have consequently been involved with a number of peening applications since our formation. Of particular note we have supplied several wet peening machines for the treatment of both fan and turbine blades for the aerospace industry. I’d like to offer 6 benefits that become clear once the switch from dry peening to wet peening has been made.
1. Controllability – with a Vapormatt wet peener you gain some of the highest levels of process control available with integrated HMI and several monitoring parameters you have the option to change several variables. With live reports and automatic adjustments available Vapormatt wet blast machines have become a preferred choice for several aerospace firms.
2. Dust free peening – by using wet peening parts do not have to be cleaned after peening to remove unwanted dust/media. The Vapormatt wet blast process avoids this as the media flows through and off intricate shapes.
3. Reduced media consumption – with a Vapormatt wet blast machine users have found that overall spend on peening media is drastically reduced. The cushioning effect of the water and patented filtration systems means media stays in the system for longer.
4. Superior finishes – as with all wet blast applications the flow of media over the parts ensures a smoother and more consistent finish when compared to dry peening.
5. No degreasing – “wet” peening means parts can be put into the wet blast machine with oil and grease. The Vapormatt wet blast process means any surface contaminants can be removed during peening and quickly filtered away.
6. Better medias – unlike dry shot peening a wet peening machine works best with ceramic or stainless steel shot medias. The benefit is that any risks of non-ferrous contamination are removed from the process.
If you would like to learn more about our peening applications or wet blasting in general feel free to get in touch.
As world leaders in wet blasting we have a number of application specialists who will be able to help with any further questions you may have.
