Laser peening to provide design credit for improved fatigue properties
AssigneeLSP Technologies, Inc.
InventorsAllan Clauer, Jeff Dulaney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of determining and utilizing the improved properties of a solid material that has been subjected to laser shock processing includes the steps of determining a set of desired fatigue tolerances for a work piece, utilizing a known design credit based on enhanced fatigue tolerances due to laser shock processing, and subsequently determining a base material and set of tolerances that meet the set of desired fatigue tolerances for the work piece, with adjustments being made for design credit.
Claims19
A method of constructing a work piece having inherent fatigue property requirements, comprising the steps of:
- determining a set of desired fatigue properties and tolerances for said work piece;
- determining a first base material and a first set of properties that would satisfy said set of desired fatigue properties;
- determining a second base material and a second set of properties that fall short of said set of desired fatigue properties;
- determining a design credit for said second base material based on enhanced fatigue properties due to a laser shock peening process;
- and
- using said second base material in a work piece, said second base material having an enhanced set of properties that satisfy said set of desired fatigue properties by incorporating said design credit.
A method of constructing an article of manufacture having material properties, comprising the steps of:
- determining a set of desired fatigue properties for said article;
- utilizing a predetermined design credit based on enhanced fatigue properties due to laser shock processing;
- and
- determining a base material and set of properties that meet said set of desired fatigue properties for said article, with adjustments being made for design credit.
A method of constructing an article of manufacture having material properties, comprising the steps of:
- determining a set of desired properties for said article based on preliminary design criteria;
- utilizing a predetermined design credit based on enhanced properties of candidate materials for said article due to laser shock processing;
- determining an allowable increase in the design criteria for said article incorporating said design credit for the candidate materials;
- selecting the candidate material giving the greatest allowable increase in the design crtiteria incorporating said design credit;
- and
- using the selected candidate material in the article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.