Method and apparatus for improving the fatigue life of components and structures using the stresswave process
AssigneeStresswave, Inc.
InventorEric T. Easterbrook
Life of this patent
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AssigneeStresswave, Inc.
InventorEric T. Easterbrook
Estimating the term…
Metal coldworking tooling and a method of employing such tooling. The tooling is used to produce deformation in a workpiece, preferably via use of stress waves, to provide a selected beneficial residual stress profile in the workpiece, in order to provide high fatigue life structures in a minimum number of manufacturing steps. Preferably, action of an indenter causes propagation of stress waves to coldwork a workpiece, causing dimples in the workpiece. Preferably, the dimples are provided with a shape formed by application of a pre-selected pressure profile to the workpiece surface. By optimized use of the method, a relatively uniform beneficial residual stress profile is provided at both the surface and at the midplane apertures in a workpiece, so as to improve overall fatigue life.
Tooling for working a structure to improve the fatigue strength at a selected location in said structure, said structure comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a body therebetween, said tooling comprising:
An apparatus for treating material bounding the location selected for creation of an opening in a workpiece, in order to provide beneficial residual stress in material bounding said opening, to thereby improve fatigue life of said workpiece, said apparatus comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.