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Introduction
This article provides comprehensive information about shot peening equipment.
You will learn:
What is Shot Peening Equipment?
Types of Shot Peening Equipment
How Shot Peening Equipment Works
How Shot Peening Equipment is Made
Shot Peening Media
And more…
Chapter 1: What is Shot Peening Equipment?
Shot peening equipment is a system machining that projects concentrated shot peening media, under extreme force, against a surface to modify the surface or to engineer a part for a specific purpose. The process of shot peening involves the use of several different techniques including centrifugal wheel, ultrasonic, wet, and laser that doesn’t use a peening media.
The types of peening media or shot is made of several different types of materials and varies depending on the type of shot peening equipment and the material to be peened. The most common forms of shot peening media are steel, glass, and ceramic material. The first consideration when choosing a shot peening media is the characteristics and properties of the material to be peened. The compressive stresses created by the impact of the media produces small indentations, which compresses the material on a component that is beneath where the peening media made impact.
Shot peening is a cold working process that is used to modify the mechanical properties of components by placing compressive stress on the surface of a component or workpiece. It helps in strengthening a component while reducing its stress profile. Shot peening is used to extend the longevity of components by increasing a component’s resistance to fatigue caused by corrosion, cavitation erosion, and cracks. The amount of compressive stress a component must endure varies in accordance with the intensity and coverage of the peening media.
Shot peening equipment includes a wide variety of types:
industrial shot peening machines
laser ablation or laser peeners
ultrasonic needle peening tools
flap peeners
peen markers
shot peeners
dry shot peening cabinets
wheel shot peening machinery
micro shot peeners
shot peening rooms
shot peening cabinets
air shot peener
airless shot peener
portable shot peeners
wet shot peener
micro dimpling equipment
peen formers
peening machines
Chapter 2: Types of Shot Peening Equipment
Shot peeners use round media in place abrasives that are used in sandblasters. The types of media widely vary from natural less aggressive types to plastics, glass beads, steel shot, steel grit, aluminum oxide, and silicon carbide. Media sizes are measured in mesh sizes, which are the openings in the mesh used to screen media or in microns (µ), the actual size of the particles.
During peening, as the media impacts the surface of a component, the media breaks into smaller sizes and becomes less aggressive and forceful. For this reason, multiple sizes of media are used for peening or added as needed. To ensure the best results, users monitor the process and add media as needed to maintain consistency.
While sharp blast abrasives cut or abrade a surface, rounded shot media deforms a surface. The metal under the impacting shot or bead is stretched and compressed forming small craters, dimples, or dents.
Although they can be confused, shot peening and sand blasting serve different purposes. Sand blasting is used to remove material from the surface of a component using extremely small fragments and pieces. It is used to prepare a surface for other forms of finishing such as the addition of a coating or painting. During shot peening, there can be pieces of metal removed during the process, the tops of peaks created by machining, but it is not as material removal process. In addition, sand blasting produces a great deal of metal dust compared to shot peening.
Shot peening equipment uses pneumatic or air pressure or centrifugal wheels to project abrasives or media at the surface of a component. Its focus is to restore the fatigue strength of materials and has been used successfully for many years. Shot peening is unlike plating, hardening, or welding that reduce the fatigue strength of metals.
Shot Peening Equipment Processes
Shot peening equipment processes include a wide range of techniques that are differentiated by the energy they use to project the media to create an impact or shock wave:
Air Shot Peening
Cavitation Peening or Water Jet Peening
Centrifugal Wheel Shot Peening
Hammer Peening
Laser Ablation Peening
Peen Marking
Powder Impact Plating (PIP)
Rotary Flap Peening
Shot Peen Forming
Ultrasonic Needle Peening (UNP) or Ultrasonic Impact Treatment (UIT)
Ultrasonic Shot Peening
Water or Wet Shot Peening
Convention or mechanical shot peening processes include air, wet, and wheel shot peening, which are the most common processes.
Pneumatic or Air Shot Peening Equipment
Air or Dry Shot Peening Equipment – Air shot peening or dry shot peening equipment utilized compressed air to move the shot peening media. Pneumatic or compressed air shot peening systems can be divided into two types, suction, and direct pressure.
Suction or Siphon Shot Peening Equipment – Suction shot peeners or shot peening cabinets use the Venturi effect that places the abrasive into a pressurized stream of fluid, air, or water. Venturi devices constrict the stream of fluid to generate a pressure differential or vacuum. Shot peening media is sucked into the air or water stream at the constriction.
Venturi devices are found in many industries. Venturi generators are used to create a vacuum for mechanical holding applications. They are used with ejectors and eductors to move fluids, powder, or solids in chemical process industries.
Suction hot peening cabinets or portable siphon shot peening pots cost less than pressure shot peening systems. Economy shot peeners tend to be suction shot peeners. They do not require a pressure vessel and consume only half of the pressurized air compared to pressure shot peening cabinets. However, suction shot peeners require higher air pressure levels to maintain media flow.
Suction shot peening cabinets are less aggressive and take longer to impact clean. Suction shot peeners are commonly used in short-run or light production, maintenance, and remote field applications.
The less aggressive nature of suction or siphon shot peeners increases the time to strip or clean parts. On the upside, the lower aggressiveness reduces the wear rate of the parts within a suction shot peener and tends to last longer, reducing shot peening equipment maintenance costs.
Small handheld shot peeners can have a cup above the shot peening gun to gravity feed into a shot peening gun’s venturi point. Gravity shot peeners are a type of suction shot peener because gravity-fed shot peening guns still make use of the venturi siphon effect.
Direct Pressure or Pressure Shot Peening Equipment
Pressure or direct pressure abrasive shot peening equipment use a pressure vessel to energize the abrasive media. A pop-up or metering valve on the pressure vessel is opened to release pressurized fluid and shot peening media into a shot peening hose. The pressurized media travels through the shot peening hose to the direct pressure cabinet and shot peening gun.
Direct pressure cabinet shot peening machines expel the shot peening media at much higher flow rates or speeds compared to suction shot peening equipment. Impact or kinetic energy (K) of the shot peening media is K = ½ mv² where m = shot peening media mass and v = velocity. Doubling the flow or velocity quadruples the impact energy and shot peening efficiency.
The higher shot peening media speeds enable direct pressure systems to impact clean parts up to 4 times faster than suction shot peening machines. Pressure levels are more adjustable with direct pressure shot peening cabinets, so cleaning and surface modification can be more precisely controlled.
Direct pressure shot peening equipment can lift and propel heavy media such as steel shot, cut wire shot, and steel grit more easily than suction equipment. Suction shot peeners struggle with heavy media. Doubling the shot peening media mass doubles the impact energy. Heavier shot peening media (denser or larger) is more efficient at cold working or deforming compared to lighter, lower density, or smaller media.
A higher density or larger diameter as well wider diameter nozzle or multiple nozzles will shot peen parts with more mass and higher energy impacts. Air compressors with greater flow capacity (CFM) are required to drive the higher mass through the shot peening system.
The higher speeds, ability to handle heavy steel media, more aggressive nature, and better control have made direct pressure shot peening equipment more widely used for high volume production and automated applications. The higher shot peening media speeds enable pressure shot peener guns to operate at greater stand-off distance. Pressure shot peeners consume two to three times the volume (CFM) of compressed air compared to suction shot peening equipment.
Proper maintenance of pressure vessels is necessary for the safety of operators since the failure of a pressure vessel can harm operators and damage equipment. All pressure vessels for shot peening are manufactured in accordance with the standards established by the American Society Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel (BPV) Codes.
With wet abrasive shot peening equipment, water replaces air as the fluid used to propel the shot peening media. Its use reduces the dust generated during shot peening by over 90%, which can be important when stripping or cleaning a part containing heavy metals and hazardous materials. Water shot peening equipment has the ability to provide additional surface modification with water additives. Chemicals can be added to break down hard to remove films or grease. Anti-rust agents can be added to protect parts until coatings are applied.
Although wet abrasive shot peeners are referred to as dustless, they still have a certain amount of dust that is created during peening.
Water shot peening equipment keeps parts cooler and reduces warping or distortion of thin sections. It suppresses static discharge and ignition from explosive dust such as aluminum and titanium. Water shot peening equipment consumes up to 50% less shot peening media and provides a cushioning or lubricant effect that increases the life of the shot peening media.
Wet shot peening systems can use closed-loop media recyclers, oil separators, demisters, and filtration systems. Dust is converted to clean and disposable sludge waste. Parts do not have to be degreased before wet shot peening. The process combines washing and dedusting with shot peening. Detergents can be added to the water to loosen deposits, dissolve oils or greases and accelerate the cleaning process.
Rust inhibiting agents can be added to the water to prevent rusting of wet steel after the shot peening process is complete. Without rust suppressors, the metal needs to be dried, oiled, or painted immediately after shot peening to prevent rust.
Bacteria and microbes can grow in shot peening water forming slime films and releasing odors. The shot peening water, like other metalworking fluids and grinding coolants, require the addition of antimicrobial agents.
Dry shot peening equipment can be retrofitted to provide wet shot peening. Slurry shot peening systems are known as air abrasive water shot peeners. A water injection nozzle or water ring (halo) is attached to an air shot peening gun, which introduces water into the shot peening media stream. They suppress 50% to 85% of the dust generated, which is less dust control than water induction or injection nozzles.
Slurry shot peeners have a high degree of versatility because they can dry shot peen, wet shot peen, rinse, and dry parts. A drawback of slurry shot peeners is cleaning up the muddy mess that is generated. Slurry shot peening equipment is tiresome for operators to carry and handle because of its heavy water hose.
Wet Venturi Shot Peeners
Wet venturi shot peeners are like dry suction shot peeners except a compressed air-generated venturi vacuum sucks in an abrasive-water mixture. Some manufacturers call these systems modified shot peeners. While venturi shot peeners successfully suppress dust, they require high shot peening pressure to operate effectively resulting in high consumption rates of water and shot peening media with limited flow control.
Vapor Shot Peening Equipment
In vapor shot peening machines, the abrasive and shot peening media are premixed in a pressurized vessel. Vapor shot peeners are also known as mist shot peeners or dustless vapor shot peeners, and dust-free shot peeners. Vapor shot peening systems provide the highest level of dust suppression, up to 95%.
The abrasive slurry travels through a shot peening hose to the slurry shot peening nozzle. Additional compressed air can be added to regulate the aggressiveness of the wet shot peening process. The regulated compressed air generates a mist of wet shot. Air pressure and shot peening media consumption rate are controlled independently. Vapor shot peeners consume much less water and media compared to venturi and slurry shot peeners and have a wide operating pressure range with finer control of the wet shot peening process compared to other wet shot peeners.
Centrifugal Wheel Shot Peening Equipment
With centrifugal wheel shot peening equipment, media is fed into the axis of a spinning turbine impeller. A series of blades or paddles on the shot peening centrifugal wheel accelerate and fling the shot or abrasive media. Adjustments around spinning blades directs the stream of media to control the shot peening pattern as well as the size and location of the “hot spot”. The shot peening pattern can be several inches to several feet in width, depending on the wheel dimensions, wheel speed, and distance between the wheel and part surface.
The hot spot on the shot peening surface becomes hot to the touch and tells the operator where the center of the shot peening flow is. Hot spots are the most aggressive portion of the shot peening media stream with the highest density of impacts per unit area. When parts are not hot to the touch, the operator adjusts the shot peening pattern to move the hot spot.
Centrifugal wheel shot peeners are ideal for moving heavy shot peening media like condition cut wire steel shot, stainless steel shot, and cast steel shot. In addition to peening, round steel shot is excellent at cleaning castings and descaling forgings, which are normally blasting processes.
The shape and hardness properties of the media, or whether any media is used at all, is another parameter controlling the shot peening process. Spherical steel, stainless steel, glass beads, or ceramic ball media impart compressive residual surface stresses on a part. Steel and stainless steel media include cast shot and conditioned cut wire. Cut wire and steel grit have sharp edges that make them useful for abrasive blast cleaning, but not peening.
Chapter 3: Emerging Shot Peening Equipment
While the majority of shot peeners or shot peening equipment uses centrifugal wheels or pressure shot peening, there are alternative peening technologies that use lasers and ultrasonic energy. Although the projectile form of shot peening has been used since its introduction by J. Almen in the 1930s, less aggressive methods of shot peening have been discovered and become successful that do not require the use of media but involve advancements in the use of sound and light.
Laser Peening
Laser peening machines ablate a tape, water, or coating “tamping” layer to induce a pressure or shock wave into the surface. The pressure wave induces compressive residual stresses deep into the surface 0.47 inches (12 mm) with minimal cold working. Shot peening typically induces compressive residual stress to depths of only 0.2 inches (6 mm). The thinner depth is sufficient to make large improvements in strength. Laser peening also improves galling and spalling resistance of alloys.
The laser peening can be controlled for precision scanning and be selective without masking. It imparts minimal coldwork with benefits at higher temperatures. Laser peening is a media-less peening process that can be used with complex shapes and sharp corners. It is digitally controlled and has no media to wear out to provide consistent, quality results.
Ultrasonic Shot Peening
Vibratory and ultrasonic energy can also be used to selectively shot peen surfaces of parts. A miniature chamber is made around a part or region of the part requiring peening. An ultrasonic transducer is built into the side or bottom of the chamber. Shot Peening media laying on the ultrasonic transducer acts like a liquid in an ultrasonic cleaner. The ultrasonic transducer energizes the beads or shot causing rapid peening impacts on the part and chamber walls.
Ultrasonic shot peeners can peen surfaces within cavities or holes, which might be shadowed during conventional impact cleaning processes or require a peening lance.
Ultrasonic energy can be used to modify crystal structure or produce a surface layer with nanoscale crystals. The process is called ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM). Researchers are also experimenting with combinations of lasing and ultrasonic technology such as laser‐assisted ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (LA‐UNSM).
Ultrasonic Needle Peening (UNP) - Ultrasonic needle treatment (UNT) or impact treatment (UIT) repeatedly drives a pin or needle into a surface at ultrasonic frequencies of 10 to 60 kHz. Ultrasonic needle peening can be highly selectively on the region peened on a part without the need for masking. Welds or the stress concentration formed in welds with excess material can be needle peened to improve strength characteristics. No peening media is required, but the carbide needle requires replacement over time.
Cavitation Peening - Cavitation peening, water jet peening, or ultrahigh-pressure water peening machines operate at ultra-high pressure of 20,000 psi or higher. The high-pressure stream flows through a cavitation nozzle plate to intentionally create vaporized water or cavitation bubbles. Cavitation bubbles collapse on a metal surface generating a pressure shock wave similar to the shock wave in laser peening. The shock pressure can be over 145 ksi. The high-pressure shock wave creates compressive residual stresses in the metal.
Since no media is involved, water jet peening can peen into crevices, corners, and complex geometries. Cavitation peening is a cool process, no heat is generated as in shot peening and laser peening.
Pin or Dot Peen Marking - Pin marking or dot peening impacts a small pin into a surface to create dimples of text, graphics, codes, and other marks for identifying products. The dot peen pin or stylus is usually made of tungsten carbide or diamond, which is pneumatically or electrically driven. Dot peening is a highly controlled process.
Dot peening is not a true surface engineering process like shot peening, rather a part marking method. Dot peening has an advantage over other marking processes using a scribe or cutting action, which can impart tensile stresses. Dot peening marks with very low stress or compressive stress. Flight critical aerospace components are almost always identified with dot peening because the process is very controllable and generates a preferred stress profile.
Rotary Flap Peening - Rotary flap peening uses carbide shot adhesively bonded to polymer fabric flaps. The flaps are loaded onto a mandrel or wheel. The flap peen mandrel or wheel is mounted on a rotary power tool. The rotary power tool spins the flaps at high speeds and the operator flap peens a metal surface.
Flap peening is useful for peening selected areas of a surface without masking. Inner diameters of holes can be peened by rotating the peen flaps at higher speeds.
Ball Peen Hammer Peening - Ball peen hammers have been used for many years as a form of peening prior to the introduction of shot peening equipment. Although the process is defined as ball peen hammer peening, any hammer can be used to manually peen the surface of a part. Blacksmiths and metal workers have peened forgings and castings with small hammers for centuries to harden and strengthen surfaces.
Welds are often hammered to clean and improve the surface of the weld. However, manual hammering is not a controlled process, so its use is discouraged in manufacturing standards and codes. Researchers are developing a robotic hammer peening (RHP) process, but no commercial systems are available yet.
Hammering is sometimes used to straighten bent or distorted parts. The power hammer operator can incur a lot of musculoskeletal damage. Shot peening can be used to straighten bent parts without harming the worker.
Shot Peen Forming - Shot peen forming machines are used to straighten or bend parts. Peen forming is most useful for generating large radius curves for wings, ships, storage tanks, or process vessels.
Wheel shot peening systems are used for forming large parts without high complexity such as a wing. For highly complex parts, air peening is utilized because the peening nozzle can direct media into a part’s nooks and crannies. Ultrasonic peen forming and laser peen forming processes can also form curvatures in parts.
Parts can be peen formed as received, prestrained, or clamped to a fixture for preshaping. The radius of curvature has to be within the metal’s elastic range. The part cannot have abrupt changes in curvature.
Strain Peening - In strain peening, the part is preloaded or prestressed with a surface tensile stress up to its elastic limit before shot peening. During shot peening, the surface plastically yields as the shots create dimples stretching the metal beyond its yield point. The combination of tensile preloading and impact loading creates a higher maximum of compressive residual stress value in the part.
Dual Peening and Multi-Peening - Dual peening, tri-peening, and multi-peening provide even greater improvement to fatigue strength compared to conventional single-shot peen processing. Dual peening, tri-peening, and multi-peening shot peen a metal surface twice, thrice, or multiple times, respectively, with progressively finer shot media and lower intensities. Multiple peening passes with smaller and smaller media tend to cold work the peaks missed by previous passes.
Chapter 4: Shot Peening Equipment Types – By Size and Application
Shot peening equipment consists of shot peening equipment or abrasive shot peening packages preconfigured with the required components or be modular. A shot peening system can be specifically configured for an application by selecting various parts from a supplier’s catalog. Parts include shot peening guns, wear-resistant nozzles, pressure vessels, valves, deadman handles, shot peening cabinets, shot peening rooms, and shot peening hoses.
Shot peening equipment varies by size, configuration for an application, the size of the parts being peened, the end-use or function, and the setting (lab/shop, production line, or field/remote sites) where they are used.
Shop and Laboratory Shot Peening Equipment
Benchtop Micro Shot Peening – Micro shot peening or fine particle peening machines have small 0.018-to-0.125-inch diameter nozzles. Some nozzles are made of sapphire or single crystal alumina for enhanced wear resistance.
Micro shot peening cabinets are benchtop or floor mounted. Handheld pencil shot peeners are a type of micro shot peener. They usually have a small gravity-fed media cup.
In conventional shot peening, steel shot media diameters of 600 to 800 microns. Media sizes ranging from 10 to 200 microns are used to micro-shot peen surfaces.
To generate a similar impact or kinetic energy (K = ½ mv²) with fine shot media, the velocity needs to be increased. A specialized version of micro shot peening called WPC treatment propels blasts of micro-shot at speeds of 450 miles/hour (200 meters/sec). In conventional shot peening, the steel shot travels at 150 miles/hour (70 meters/second). The high-speed impacts mechanically deform as well as heat the surface. The high-velocity fine particle peening microforges the surface. WPC is an acronym for “wonder process craft” or wide peening and cleaning.
The forging action can be used to mechanically plate another metal or solid lubricant onto a surface in a peen plating process. Peen plating provides unique surface compositions unattainable by conventional plating or thin film deposition. Solid lubricants like molybdenum disulfide can be embedded into a surface. Peen plating is also known as impact plating, mechanical plating, particle impact plating (PIP), cementation plating, dry plating, and mechanical deposition. The advantage of peen plating is the avoidance of hydrogen embrittlement, which occurs during wet plating hardened high carbon steels with hardnesses greater than Rockwell C 40.
Micro peening produces dimples with a much smaller diameter at a higher density per unit area The microscale of fine particle peening maintains a low Ra or surface roughness average compared to conventional shot media. As a result, the micro dimples can be highly effective in reducing friction.
Manual Shot Peening Cabinets or Cabinet Shot Peeners – Manual shot peening cabinets have two holes with rubber shot peening glove protruding into the cabinet, which allows an operator to manipulate parts and hold the shot peening nozzle at the appropriate stand-off distance to generate a hot spot and then move the hot spot across the surface to clean or etch a surface.
The shot peening cabinets have a window and internal lighting, so the operator can see the parts and guns without getting shot peening in the face. Some shot peening cabinets shot peening air across the window to maintain visibility by preventing dust build-up.
Spent shot peening media drops through the cabinets steel or fiberglass grate and into a collection hopper. The used shot peening media was conveyed to a media separator to recover the abrasive. Economy shot peening cabinets might skip the separator step and directly reuse the spent media. Without separation, dust and finer broken media are reused, which can reduce efficiency and damage filters.
Ideally, the media and dust generated during shot peening parts are contained within the cabinet and filtration system. The shot peening cabinet develops leaks as seals wear and tear over time. Leaking around doors is a common problem because cabinet doors are not always clamped tight around the whole periphery.
A patent-pending technology for “leak or warp” proof shot peening cabinet doors designed with double panels and two rigid, steel channels. The doors have an improved closing mechanism that clamps the door shut along the edge. The knife-edge on the door forms a positive seal every time the door closes.
Shot peening cabinets can have front, top and side opening doors. Some cabinets have multiple doors. Double doored cabinets allow shuttling in of a dirty part, while a cleaned part is removed. Shot peening cabinet doors can swing open, swing up, or slide open.
Pass-through cabinets are available for etching glass sheets or panes and metal plates. Pass-through shot peening systems come up with a narrow gap with special brush or rubber flap seals to prevent abrasive leaks. The sheet or part is pushed into the gap and passed through the cabinet on rollers.
Manual shot peening cabinets are ideal for machine shops, garages, body shops, light production or short runs, touch-up of production parts, prototyping, and custom work.
Chapter 5: Production Shot Peening Equipment
Production shot peening equipment is built to a higher quality standard and has the durability to handle the wear and tear of industrial settings. Production shot peening systems are configured to handle large production volumes of parts or oversized castings, forgings, extrusions, or structural shapes.
The design of production shot peening equipment includes multiple shot peening guns with each prepositioned to shot peen specific areas on a part. A shot peening system with 12 guns has a high consumption rate of compressed air and shot peening media.
Automated versus Manual – Production shot peening systems can be manually operated or automated. If parts vary in size, shape, and production volume, a manual system for loading or unloading parts may be sufficient while automated shot peening systems are advisable when production quantities are higher or quality is an issue.
Shot peening processes can be semi-automatic, fully automatic, or turnkey. In a semi-automatic system, operators might manually load or fixture parts on a table and hanger. Then, the shot peening chamber door is shut, and the parts rotated and shot peened with preset or programmed parameters. At the end of the first cycle, the operator might have to flip or reposition the part to complete the shot peening cleaning of surfaces shadowed during the first cycle. In a turnkey or fully automated shot peening system, the part loading, handling, and manipulation, as well as the shot peening parameters, are programmed or controlled automatically.
Part handling, as well as gun manipulation, can be automated as part of shot peening equipment and can provide more precision a control gun standoff and travel speed back and forth across the part surfaces. The result is more consistent shot peening with no missed spots requiring touch-up. The additional cost of automation can be offset by reduced labor cost, higher throughput, few rejects and rework, and improved quality.
Fixed Station and Robotic Shot Peeners – In fixed station and robotic shot peening systems, the shot peening gun or guns are mounted onto the end of a robotic arm. Parts are loaded manually or automatically into the shot peening machine. After which, the robotic gun nozzle scans and shot peens the areas requiring surface treatment.
Robotic shot peeners are found in aerospace and automotive industries for shot peening delicate and complex components such as turbine blades, pump impellers, engine parts, and valve components.
Batch and Pass-through shot peening Chambers – Batch production systems include tumble shot peeners and table shot peeners. In these systems, batches of parts are placed in the shot peening machine and processed. In pass-through shot peening systems, parts are pushed through an opening with special brush or rubber flap seals to prevent abrasive leaks.
Inline and Continuous Shot Peening Systems – In very high-volume and continuous production applications, shot peening machines can be integrated into production lines or placed in-line. Alloy strip, plate, or sheet in a primary or secondary metal mill can be continuously shot peened to provide a product with higher fatigue strength for demanding applications. Inline and continuous shot peening systems can be used for peening metal stock (sheet, strip, plate, bar, rod), wire, wire rope, and structural steel (I-beams, channels, angle).
Large in-line shot peening systems are available for production lines where parts or materials are passed in front of shot peening guns or shot peening wheels. Production shot peening systems have automatic guns or remotely operated shot peening guns.
For shot peening steel or metal sheet or other continuous or semicontinuous stock materials, shot peening nozzles or shot peening wheels are mounted above and below the stock material. The shot peening system continuously peens the steel or stainless sheet as rollers move it along the mill production line.
Shot Peening Rooms – Shot peening rooms clean parts that are too large for shot peening cabinets, table shot peeners and hanger shot peeners and are large enough to accommodate an operator and a vehicle or material handler. Used shot peening media drops through the grating on the shot peening room floor and is mechanically or pneumatically conveyed to the reclaimer or separator.
Shot peening operators wear a shot peening suit with a shot peening hot peening hood, shot peening gloves, respirators or air supply, and hearing protection. Surface shot peening is completed using a portable shot peening pot or shot peening machine integrated into the shot peening room.
Media Separators and Dust Collectors – Most production shot peening rooms and shot peening systems have media separators to allow recovery or reclamation of used shot peening media. Recovered media and returned to the shot peening media pot or bin. Dust and disintegrated media are sent to a dust collector and filtration system, which removes the dust for disposal.
Production Shot Peening Equipment with Integrated Part or Material Handling
Tumble Shot Peeners – Tumble shot peeners have a tumbling basket or continuous rubber tumble belt to tumble parts while being shot peened. The part must be suited for the tumbling action. Certain parts with thin fins, protrusions, or complex geometries can be damaged during tumbling or get jammed together. A hanger shot peener or wire mesh belt shot peener for those parts.
The basket should be fully loaded to protect the belt or basket from excessive wear. Overloading the tumble belt or tumble basket is not advised because the surface or part might not see the shot peening media. Overload can also damage the tumble belts or baskets.
Table Shot Peeners – Table shot peening systems are used with shot peening clean heavy castings and forgings. The parts are mounted on a rotary table inside a shot peening chamber. The chamber doors are closed and the part shot peened while the table rotates inside the chamber.
The bottom of the part sitting on the table is not exposed to shot peening media. The part has to be flipped over to clean the underside of the part.
Hanger Shot Peening Systems – In hanger shot peening systems, the parts hang down from hooks. Virtually all of the part is exposed to the shot peening stream or multiple shot peening streams, so almost every surface can be peened.
Wire Mesh Belt Shot Peeners – Wire mesh belts have a wear-resistant manganese steel mesh belt to convey parts past a stream of flowing shot peening media. The belt should not be shot peened without parts. If only a few parts need a surface treatment, then the belt should be loaded with dummy parts or scrap to reduce belt wear.
Monorail Shot Peening System – Monorail shot peening equipment has an overhead rail. Parts hanging from the monorail enter the shot peening machine through doors or a pass-through opening. The parts are shot peened and then they exit the other end of the machine where the peened parts are removed from the monorail.
Roller Conveyor Shot Peening System – Roller conveyors allow heavier metal stock such as billets, thick plates, and structural members (I-beams) to be shot peening cleaned.
Field and Special Purpose Shot Peening Systems
Portable Shot Peeners and Shot Peening Pots – Mobile and portable shot peening equipment are used in shot peening large surfaces or revitalizing parts in the field. Smaller portable shot peeners consist of portable shot peening pots, air hoses, shot peening hoses, shot peening guns, and air compressors and are light enough to be carried to the site.
Internal Shot Peeners – Specialized tools or shot peening lances are available for shot peening the inner diameter of holes, tubes, and hollow shafts. The tools have collars to center the shot peening nozzle. The tungsten carbide deflecting tip directs the shot peening against the inner wall of the pipe. Spin internal shot peening units have rotating heads with several nozzles directed at an angle toward the interior pipe surface.
Leading Manufacturers and Suppliers
Chapter 6: Shot Peening Equipment Construction
The construction of shot peening equipment includes parts cabinets, pressure vessels, hoses, guns, and nozzles that are made using sheet metal fabrication, casting, welding, mechanical fastening, machining, and specialized processes. Shot peening cabinets and shot peening rooms start as fabricated metal boxes and are made by cutting, bending, and forming steel sheets, plates, and structural steel into sides, legs, and doors to form a box.
With the addition of shot peening guns, windows, glove ports, doors, turntables, grating or screen, gun or part holders, pneumatic valves, foot pedals, lights, hoses, and reclamation devices, the box is transformed into a powerful industrial tool.
Shot peening cabinet parts can be welded or fastened together. Fastening allows the parts to be more easily removed for cleaning, repair, and replacement. Welded shot peening cabinets tend to be more airtight with less leakage of shot peening media and dust into the shop, but replacement of worn cabinet sides or bottoms is difficult.
The abrasive shot peening stream wears the bottom and sides of the cabinet over time. The seals and windows on the cabinet will also age, wear and require replacement.
Materials Used to Construct Shot Peening Cabinets and Rooms
Shot peening cabinets and shot peening rooms for dry or air shot peening are made of steel with powder coatings, zinc galvanization, or industrial paint. Wet shot peening cabinets are made of more corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel.
In certain dry shot peening applications such as surgical instruments and medical implants, stainless steel construction materials might be used to avoid iron contamination of a surface.
A system for shot peening stainless steel parts would typically use stainless steel shot or a nonmetal peening media. Steel components or steel shot impacting stainless steel parts can transfer metal to the stainless surface, which can alter passivation and lead to rust on the surface.
Wear-resistant steel liners or wear plates are strategically placed within shot peening chambers to reduce wear of the shot peening machine. Wear-resistant alloys include manganese steels, nickel and chromium white cast irons such as Ni-Hard alloys.
Parts and Consumables for Shot Peening Equipment
Shot peening equipment tends to be self-destructive due to the aggressive shot peening media. Parts are consumable and wear out over time as media flow over or through the parts. Media or abrasive grits are consumable as well. Some types of media, like steel shot, rounded cut wire shot, ceramic beads, and glass beads, can be recycled through the shot peener a hundred times or more.
As with all forms of industrial equipment, but especially with shot peening equipment, regular inspections are necessary to ensure all aspects of the equipment is in working order. The parts in abrasive shot peeners, wheel shot peeners, and shot peeners need to be regularly inspected for wear. When the inner diameter of a nozzle changes or the throwing blades change geometry, the efficiency of a shot peener is compromised.
Shot Peener Equipment Parts
Shot peening guns
Shot peening nozzles
Shot peening wheel parts – wheel blades, cages, and impellers
Wear plates
Pressure regulators
Shot peeners valves – Air inlet valves, abrasive metering valves, shut-off valves, media mixing valves, deadman valves, and pop-up valves
Shot peening cabinet windows
Shot peening cabinet grating
Shot peening hose
Shot peening room floor grating
Deadman controls, handles, and valves
Foot pedals
Dust collectors filters
Breathing air filters
Media separator screen and parts
Shot Peening Nozzle Wear Resistant Materials
Ceramic, aluminum oxide, or alumina (Al₂O₃)
Binderless tungsten carbide, Pure WC (ROCTEC®, Cerbide™)
Boron carbide (B₄C) (Norbide®)
Cemented tungsten carbide, WC with cobalt binder
Ceramic
SiAlON or silicon aluminum oxynitride
Silicon Nitride
Steel
Zirconium oxide or zirconia, (Zr0₂) or zirconia-alumina
Boron carbide, alumina, pure WC, and silicon carbide ceramics are amongst the most wear-resistant materials.
Depending on the shot peening media, cemented tungsten carbide and SiAlON nozzles last 10 to 20 times longer than ceramic or alumina nozzles. Boron carbide is the hardness and the most wear-resistant of the nozzle materials, costs 3 times as much as cemented WC but lasts 3 to 25 times longer than cemented WC or sialon. Nozzles made of boron carbide do not have the toughness and impact resistance of cemented tungsten carbide. Binderless tungsten carbide (WC) nozzles have double the life boron carbide nozzles.
Based solely on wear resistance, boron carbide and binderless WC last up to seven times longer than cemented WC. If you bang a boron carbide or silicon nitride nozzle into a part, grate, or cabinet wall, the nozzle is likely to crack compared to a cement tungsten carbide nozzle.
Nozzle service life depends on the shot peening media passing through the nozzle. Hard ceramic beads wear nozzles faster than spherical cast steel shot.
Shot Peening Accessories and Ancillary Equipment
Air Blowguns
Shot peening hose back pressure tester
Shot peening nozzle wear gage
Shot peening water additives - Passivates, Rust Inhibitors, and Antimicrobial agents
Dust suppressants
Industrial vacuums
Masking caps and shields
Material handling equipment
Media separators reclaimers and recyclers
Moisture traps, water separators, air dryers
Shot peening masking tapes, films, and materials
Shot Peening Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Shot peening masks
Shot peening hoods
Shot peening suits
Shot peening respirators
Breathing air supply filter or system
Shot peening gloves or shot peening cabinet gloves
Hearing protection
Chapter 7: How Shot Peening Equipment Works
The basic principle behind the function of shot peening equipment is rather simple and involves striking the surface of a component with shot media at great force to remove material or create a plastic deformation of the surface. The constant impact on the surface causes indentations that result in a compressed stressed layer. Shot peening media are driven or propelled at a part or component using compressed air, pressurized water, ultrasonic energy, or a centrifugal blast wheel.
The impacting shot or spherical media plastically deforms or stretches the metal producing dents or dimples at the impact sites. The deformation introduces cold work and dislocations into the material increasing hardness and inducing compressive residual stress, which is negative stress and is the opposite of tensile residual stress that is positive. Fatigue strength lowering tensile residual stresses is generated during manufacturing processes like welding, casting, machining, grinding, and heat treatments. Shot peening equipment resolves those issues.
The impacts of the media hammer down high points on rough surfaces and generate valleys, dimples, and peaks on smooth surfaces with textured surfaces being engineered with lower friction than mirror-polished surfaces.
The level of cold working or residual stress generated by shot peening equipment is controlled by its “intensity” and “coverage” with intensity being the parameter used to control the peening process, and the one that is monitored using an Almen strip and an Almen gauge. The intensity of the blast stream causes deformation or bending on an Almen strip, which is used to determine the compressive residual stress that has been applied to a component. Shot size, shot hardness, shot density, and velocity adjustments control shot peening intensity. In order to achieve a sufficient amount of compressive stress, the shot media being used has to be as hard as the parts being peened with higher hardness media inducing a greater amount of compressive stress.
Coverage
Coverage is interpreted as being the percentage of a surface that has been indented with full coverage being defined as 98% denting of a surface due to the inaccuracies of coverage measurements. It is gauged using an Almen strip, which measures the percentage of the surface that has been indented by examining the angles of the cone shaped blast stream. Coverage measures the percent surface area of the part that has been shot peened or dimpled by shot media. The effectiveness of shot peening is directly related to its coverage since inadequate or excessive coverage can damage a surface, fatigue strength, and the life of a component. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), in J2277_202301, has outlined procedural practices regarding effective shot peening coverage.
Chapter 8: Uses for Shot Peening Equipment
Shot peening equipment is used to strengthen and stress relieve metal components and parts with the purpose of producing a thin layer of fine grained metal to prevent cracks and other damage. By creating surface compressive stress, materials have a resistance to fatigue and corrosion. An increase in fatigue strength adds to the number of cycles a part can withstand before failure. It is for this reason that shot peening equipment has become an essential part of the production of long lasting and durable products.
Peening and surface engineering can provide surface modifications such as:
Cold or work hardening, which increase surface hardness and strength
Compressive residual stress generation, which increases fatigue strength up to 500X
Increased resistance to fretting and stress corrosion cracking
Surface smoothing on a rough surface to surface roughening of smooth surfaces.
Dimpling, which creates reservoirs or pockets for lubricants that lower friction
Powder impact plating where solid lubricants and metal powder can be mechanically plated onto a surface
Marking, peen marking systems can produce controlled dimples of text for part marking
Surface Engineering - Surface Dimpling or Texturing
Shot peening is highly effective at producing dimpling or dimpled textures on the surface of parts to alter frictional characteristics and retain lubricants.
Spherical or rounded media (cast shot, glass bead, ceramic spheres) produces a smoother or lower Ra profile compared to angular or crushed media.
Refining the surface finish or reducing the surface profile can increase fretting fatigue strength from 20% to 200%. A larger diameter or heavier cast shot can be used first to impart a deep residual stress layer. Next, the surface is peened with small spheres or microbeads to refine the surface finish.
If the part has a rough (high roughness average, Ra) surface finish like an as-cast or as-forged surface, then peening can modestly refine the surface finish. If the part has been ground or machined to a smooth or low Ra finish, then shot peening will result in a rougher surface finish. Shot peening can remove tool marks from machining or grinding.
Surface engineering entails modifications to the surface of a part to provide unique characteristics enabling or enhancing performance in specific applications.
Peening impacts the surface with spherical steel, stainless steel, glass, or ceramic media, which strain hardens and imparts compressive residual surface stresses on a part. The common media used is cast steel shot with a Rockwell C hardness of 40 to 55.
The compressive residual stress from shot peening can increase the fatigue strength of parts by 30% to 500%. Increasing fatigue strength and resistance to stress-corrosion cracking is important for fastened components, gears, axles, dies, molds, shafts, springs, aircraft landing gear, and other rotating and structural parts.
The residual stress generated during shot peening can be used to peen form and peen straighten shafts back into tolerance. Shot peening also hardens the surface of parts, which increases hardness and wear resistance. Shot peening can also close surface porosity. Shot peening is used to find and remove spots of hidden sub-surface corrosion in parts and around fasteners.
Shot peening can texturize a surface or produce specific patterns of dimpling or depressions. A dimpled texture can better retain lubricants, grease, inks, or other fluids. Peened textures can also alter the gripping and frictional characteristics of surfaces.
Chapter 9: Industrial Applications for Shot Peening
Shot peening equipment is used for surface finishing and impacting. The machines have the ability to refine and improve a surface for better performance with exceptionally high precision. The rapid high speed propulsion of media is a transformative method for uses in a wide range of industrial operations.
Aerospace – Shot peening is used to induce compressive residual stresses and reduce distortions in aircraft structural components such as landing gear, turbine disks, jet engine blades, aircraft wheels, spars, ribs, chords, and stringers.
Aerospace parts such as wings, winglets, stabilizers, rubbers, and other airfoils are peen formed to develop curvature.
Since shot peening is a critically important process in attaining high fatigue strength in aerospace parts, there are many aerospace, military, and industrial standards controlling the shot peening process, such as:
Society of Automotive & Aerospace Engineers - SAE J2441 - covers the engineering requirements for peening surfaces of parts by impingement of metallic shot, glass beads, or ceramic shot.
Airbus - ABP 1-2028
SAE Aerospace Material Specification - AMS-S-13165, AMS 2430, and AMS 2432
Boeing Aircraft Corporation - BAC-5730
Military - MIL-S-13165C, MIL-P 81985(AS), and MIL-STD-852
Rolls Royce - RPS-428
General Electric - P11TF3
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft - PWA-6
Automotive OEM – Many engine components are shot peened to improve material properties and extend life. Automotive parts benefiting from shot peening to increase like include camshafts, coil springs, connecting rods, crankshafts, engine parts, and leaf springs.
Shot peening of automotive leaf springs in the 1930s marked the first commercial use of the process in industry. Peened springs can live for a million cycles while unpeened springs only last 250,000 cycles.
Foundries and Forges – Metal casting and forgings are often utilized in demanding, rotating machines prone to fatigue failure. Shot peening can improve the fatigue properties of castings and forgings.
Machine Shops / Manufacturing – Shot peening can increase the fatigue strength and life consistent of machined or ground mechanical components and tools such as:
Precision shafts shafts, gears, pinions, and structural parts
Reamers, drills, taps, end mills, cutting tools, broaches, hobs,
Dies, molds, punches, and forming tools
Dimensional gages
Medical / Dental – Dimpling, micro-dimpling, and shot peening can improve the performance of medical devices and dental restorations. Hip, shoulder, dental and other bone, and joint implants are shot peened to improve fatigue life.
Welding, Brazing & Soldering – Shot peening is applied after joining to improve the properties of the weld and heat-affected zone (HAZ) metal. The compressive residual stress can overcome the tensile residual stress developed during welding. The weld and HAZ metal must not be embrittled by the welding process or peening could cause cracking.
Chapter 10: Benefits of Shot Peening Equipment
The goal and purpose of shot peening equipment is to extend the service life of equipment by creating a compressive layer. It is a process that has become an essential part of modern manufacturing as the demand for longer lasting and more durable parts has become a necessity. The lists of the benefits of shot peening equipment includes an assortment of positive effects, protective qualities, and product improvements.
Shot peening applies compressive stresses to a surface to improve the surface’s fatigue strength by 30% to 500%, and part life by up to 10x.
Shot Peening Inhibits or Impedes
Distortion from applied tensile, bending, and torsional stress - Shot peened parts with compressive stresses are strengthened and can resist mechanical forces that might elastically deform an unpeened part.
Fretting - Fretting wear occurs when fastened metal joints with high loads experience micromotions or micro sliding. Cold welding followed by detachment produces wear particles in the fastened joint. The wear particles oxidize or corrode, which contributes to increased wear and surface damage. Fretting wear and fretting corrosion result in reduced fatigue strength. The surface hardening and texture generated by shot peening reduces fretting and fretting fatigue.
Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) - Hydrogen embrittlement occurs when hardened steels are electroplated or pickled in an acid bath. Hydrogen diffuses into the part reducing the steel’s toughness and ductility. Peening can reduce hydrogen pickup. Laser peening to reduce hydrogen pickup had been patented. Particle impact plating can plate in a dry process with zero hydrogen pickup.
Stress corrosion cracking - Stress corrosion cracking is localized corrosion accelerated by applied tensile stress at a crack tip and anodic or galvanic potential differences.
Shot peening creates dimples on the surface of a part that improves the adhesion of lubricants and reduces friction.
Finer sizes of shot peening media can be used to shot peen inside holes, crevices, and the intricate details of a part.
Shot peening can handle round or concave as well as convex curved surfaces. Shot peen forming also can straighten parts or produce desired curves in large parts because the process induces stress in the part.
Shot peening is highly versatile because shot peening machines are available for extremely large parts to exceedingly small parts.
When properly performed, shot peening does not impart any surface damage or burning to a metal part.
A wide variety of shot and shot peening media are available with different hardness values, shapes, and media sizes, which allows the shot peening process to be precisely tuned and optimized for different materials and applications.
Micro-shot peening can mechanically plate a surface with a protective film to enhance lubricity or corrosion resistance.
With the proper shot peening media, surface changes can improve material properties and part performance. Shot peening can improve fatigue strength, corrosion resistance as well as corrosion fatigue, and fretting fatigue properties.
Depending on the shot peening media used, shot peening can be environmentally friendly and non-toxic.
Shot peening can be automated or robotically operated to increase efficiency and quality. Shot peening can be easier to automate compared to part cleaning and finishing with grinding wheels, rotary files, and abrasive flap wheels.
Shot peening can be more cost-effective when compared to other methods because:
Larger surfaces can be rapidly shot peened.
Conventional shot peening is more flexible and less labor-intensive than alternative methods to impart residual compressive stress. Alternative surface enhancement methods include several mechanical cold-working processes such as rolling, burnishing, or ball burnishing. Stress-relieving heat treatment can eliminate tensile stress, but they often distort parts.
The process can be automated.
Shot peening equipment, media, and consumables are relatively inexpensive.
Typically, shot peening media can be reclaimed, separated and reused several times, and then recycled. Certain shot peening media types can be reused hundreds of times.
Chapter 11: How to Select Shot Peening Equipment
With all the positive benefits of shot peening equipment, it may be assumed that the purchase of the equipment is an easy and uncomplicated process. Although this may be somewhat true, the selection of shot peening equipment is as with all forms of industrial equipment in that careful selection is necessary to ensure that the equipment precisely matches the application for which it is purchased.
The first step in the process is to find a reliable and qualified supplier that provides the proper guidance and direction. Manufacturers have a set of guidelines they follow and support especially for clients purchasing equipment for the first time.
Start with the part size, shape, and materials as well as the annual production volumes when considering the type of shot peening equipment to select.
What’s your production volume (parts per year), the size of the parts, or the surface area being shot peened?
What level of automation and materials handling is appropriate for your production volumes and parts?
What is the part alloy requiring surface treatment?
Will the material generate hazardous dust requiring containment?
Next, understand your cleaning and surface treatment requirements. What standards apply to my application? ISO, ASTM, SAE, ASME, or AMS?
Where are the surfaces located – in a shop, garage, factory floor, shipyard, oilfield, or highway?
If possible, request a trial at a supplier’s facility or at one of their customer’s sites to evaluate different shot peening processes and shot peening media.
Verify the shot peening process parameters with an additional test or trial.
What are the operating costs of the shot peening equipment? Estimate the annual operating and consumable costs such as compressed air, water, and electrical power consumption.
What are the consumable costs such as shot peening media, wear part replacements, and system maintenance costs?
What are the media choice options to generate the required surface engineering (residual stress)?
Do you need a system designed for specialized media?
OR, Is a general-purpose blasting and shot peening equipment capable of handling a variety of media types for a range of end-uses? Many machines are capable of abrasive blasting and shot peening.
Examine the different shot peening media options choices in terms of total cost-benefit. While shot peening media cost is one factor, consider shot peening media efficiency, durability, and life.
A larger size or heavier shot peening media can be faster and more efficient in cold working a surface, but the media must be able to reach and peen inside corners.
Shot peening media that can be recovered and reused for hundreds of cycles can have a lower annual media cost compared to a lower-cost shot peening media with a short life or capable of only a few reuse cycles.
Denser and larger-diameter media such as metal shot and metal grit is fast but requires high flow (CFM) pressure shot peeners or wheel shot peeners.
What are the labor costs and training requirements? How many operators are required to run the shot peening system? Is special safety and automation system training required?
Submit a quote for the shot peening equipment along with any additional questions to clarify training as well as annual estimated operating, maintenance, and consumable costs.
Chapter 12: Drawbacks of Shot Peening
Shot peening and shot peening equipment generate high decibel noise and dust.
Proper collection, handling, and disposal of the media and dust are required as well. Wet or water shot peening systems reduce the dust problem.
The shot peening process puts a lot of wears out internal components of shot peening equipment. Media and consumable wear parts must be gaged to maintain consistency and then repaired or replaced at appropriate intervals to assure quality and safety. The cost of media and consumables should be factored into your shot peening equipment selection process.
Shot peeners or shot peening operators can be injured during shot peening. The high-pressure abrasive stream can harm skin and eyes. Media and dust can be inhaled or ingested. Inhalation can cause lung disease, breathing disorders, and other health problems.
Dust collectors and filters must be used and maintained to prevent operators and other workers from dust hazards. In shot peening rooms and remote field locations, shot peening operators should wear shot peening suits, shot peening hoods or shot peening helmets, respirators, shot peening cabinet gloves, and other personal protective equipment (PPE).
Shot peening can generate heat during the abrasion process, which can warp thin parts. Wet shot peening keeps parts cool during shot peening.
Shot peening media can get lodged into crevices on a part and can be difficult to remove.
Conclusion
Today’s shot peening equipment suppliers provide a vast range of product variations manufactured with high-quality materials and methods.
Shot peening equipment suppliers are constantly upgrading equipment with new technology innovations such as laser peening and ultrasonic peening.
Shot peening experts at the leading suppliers know how to select the specific shot peening and peening systems, media types, media recovery equipment, and material handlers for a broad range of industry applications.
Shot peening manufacturing experts are willing to work with customers on the development of new applications that would benefit from shot peening and peening technology.
The outlook for increased use of shot peening and shot peening equipment is extremely promising considering the broad range of capabilities that modern equipment OEMs can provide to their customers as well as the benefits to the environment.
Leading Manufacturers and Suppliers
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