Controlled shot peening is regularly being specified by the aerospace, automotive and nuclear industries to enhance component service life. It is a cold working process in which the surface of the component being processed is bombarded with small spherical media. Each piece of shot striking the surface of the component acts as a minuscule peening hammer, deforming the component surface and causing a small indentation or dimple. The overlapping dimples develop a thin layer of metal in residual compressive stress at or near the surface. Since nearly all fatigue and stress corrosion failures start at the surface of a part, the compressive stresses induced by shot peening can considerably increase component service life.
Guyson sell a range of automated, including robotically controlled, blast systems to undertake shot peening.