A computational model of wear evolution for shot peened surfaces of gear steel

Abstract

In mechanical engineering, shot peening is frequently used to reinforce the surfaces of some crucial components. Currently, there are no models available which can accurately predict the long-term wear behavior of surfaces treated with shot peening. This research proposes a computational model and technique for simulating the evolution of wear on gear steels with shot-peened surfaces in a ball-on-flat contact. Based on the fundamental Archard’ s equation, a wear equation is derived from the perspective of a contacting point on the static flat to represent the wear loss. The model takes into account the effects of abrasive particles and variations in hardness along the vertical direction by introducing a scaling factor in the wear equation and stratification of the flat material, respectively. The proposed model and developed method are validated through experiments and can be utilized to predict the wear evolution of shot peened surfaces on gear steels under the application of various loads and friction duration. Furthermore, the model and method can be easily extended to other materials as well.