Apparatus and method for quantifying metal surface treatment

A method for establishing the operating parameters of a shot peening process of a metal component comprising:

• creating a solid model of the metal component;
• identifying at least one surface location on the metal component at which a set of structural properties will be measured;
• identifying a simulated location on the solid model corresponding to each identified surface location on the metal component;
• preparing a simulation fixture plan for fabricating a simulation fixture having an element for supporting a test strip holder thereon at each identified simulated location;
• fabricating the simulation fixture;
• positioning each test strip holder at each identified simulated location on the simulation fixture;
• positioning a test strip in each test strip holder;
• subjecting the simulation fixture to the shot peening process wherein the simulation fixture has the test strip holders positioned thereon and the test strip holders have the test strip positioned thereon;
• removing at least one of the test strips from the respective test strip holder positioned on the simulation fixture;
• examining the test strip for arc height and uniform coverage, obtaining a set of results, and analyzing the set of results;
• fine-tuning the shot peening process based upon the analysis of the set of results of the examination of the test strip;
• positioning a replacement test strip in each of the respective test strip holders positioned on the simulation fixture from which the test strip was removed;
• and
• subjecting the simulation fixture to the fine-tuned shot peening process wherein the simulation fixture has the test strip holders positioned thereon and the test strip holders have the test strip positioned thereon.

A method for shot peening a metal component comprising:

• creating a solid model of the metal component;
• identifying at least one surface location on the metal component at which a set of structural properties will be measured;
• identifying a simulated location on the solid model corresponding to each identified surface location on the metal component;
• preparing a simulation fixture plan for fabricating a simulation fixture having an element for supporting a test strip holder thereon at each identified simulated location;
• fabricating the simulation fixture;
• positioning each test strip holder at each identified simulated location on the simulation fixture;
• positioning a test strip in each test strip holder;
• subjecting the simulation fixture to the shot peening process wherein the simulation fixture has the test strip holders positioned thereon and the test strip holders have the test strip positioned thereon;
• removing at least one of the test strips from the respective test strip holder positioned on the simulation fixture;
• examining the test strip for at least one of shot peening intensity, coverage, and deflection, obtaining a set of results, and analyzing the set of results;
• fine-tuning the shot peening process based upon the analysis of the set of results of the examination of the test strip;
• positioning a replacement test strip in each of the respective test strip holders positioned on the simulation fixture from which the test strip was removed;
• subjecting the simulation fixture to the fine-tuned shot peening process wherein the simulation fixture has the test strip holders positioned thereon and the test strip holders have the test strip positioned thereon;
• repeating the steps of removing at least one of the test strips from the respective test strip holder positioned on the simulation fixture, examining the test strip, obtaining a set of results, analyzing the set of results, and fine-tuning the shot peening process until the set of results is within an acceptable range;
• subjecting the metal component to the fine-tuned shot peening process;
• and
• testing at least one of the identified surface locations on the metal component for the set of structural properties specified by design.