On the Application of Laser Shock Peening as a Manufacturing and Repair Process to Improve the Fatigue Performance of Refill Friction Stir Spot-Welded AA2024-T3 Joints

Mechanical Engineering Department/ University of Technology- Baghdad.
 Confinement layer is considered as the most important parameter during the laser shock peening (LSP) treatment. In this paper, its effect on the surface treatment effectivity of composite materials was investigated. The composite used in this research was fabricated using hand lay-up as a manufacturing process. The matrix material was built from unsaturated polyester resin and reinforced with 2.5% volume fraction of micro particles of aluminum powder. Fatigue test was conducted at room temperature with constant amplitude stress and a stress ratio of R =-1, before and after LSP treatment. LSP was applied with and without confinement layer at the same level of energy after the specimens were coated with a black paint. The results manifested that the laser peening without confinement layer increased the endurance limit by about 13.296% compared with the untreated state. Whereas using water as a confinement layer during treatment reduced the endurance strength by about 18.133% compared to the untreated state. Also, it was observed that the difference between confined and unconfined LSP effects on the endurance limit was about 31.429%.

Fatigue in laser shock peened open-hole thin aluminium specimens

Structural and mechanical modifications induced on Zr-based bulk metallic glass by laser shock peening

Surface morphology impacts material performance and durability significantly. To gain a deeper understanding of the impact of laser shock peening (LSP) treatment on the surface morphology of materials and to explore more optimized LSP treatment strategies, this study presents an investigation into the surface morphology of 20CrMnTi steel following LSP treatment. Through the application of statistical analysis, the study examines the induced surface morphology variations resulting from both single-point repetitive LSP and multiple LSP treatments. Experimental results demonstrate significant alterations in surface roughness and peak height distribution after LSP treatments, accompanied by the presence of high amplitude compressive residual stress (CRS). Moreover, the depth of laser-induced indentations is found to be closely related to the number of impacts, and the incidence angle of the laser exhibits a discernible influence on the directional texture and periodicity of the impacted surfaces. This investigation also proposes a method for estimating surface morphology variations after LSP treatment by means of analysis of impact patterns, thereby offering the potential for enhancing the friction and wear performance of the impacted surfaces through the adjustment of the impact region position during multi-layer LSP treatment.

Two different stress raiser geometries (fillets and notched) were treated by laser shock peening (LSP) in order to analyze the effect of sample geometry on fatigue behavior of 2205 duplex stainless steel (DSS). The LSP treatment was carried through Nd : YAG pulsed laser with 1064 nm wavelength, 10 Hz frequency, and 0.85 J/pulse. Experimental and MEF simulation results of residual stress distribution after LSP were assessed by hole drilling method and ABAQUS/EXPLICIT software, respectively. The fatigue tests (tensile-tensile axial stress) were realized with stress ratio of R = 0.1 and 20 Hz. A good comparison of residual stress simulation and experimental data was observed. The results reveal that the fatigue life is increased by LSP treatment in the notched samples, while it decreases in the fillet samples. This is related to the residual stress distribution after LSP that is generated in each geometry type. In addition, the fatigue crack growth direction is changed according to geometry type. Both the propagation direction of fatigue crack and the anisotropy of this steel results detrimental in fillet samples, decreasing the number of cycles to the fatigue crack initiation. It is demonstrated that the LSP effect on fatigue performance is influenced by the specimen geometry.

Effect of laser shock peening on surface integrity and tensile fatigue behavior of TB8 bolts

Regain the fatigue strength of laser additive manufactured Ti alloy via laser shock peening

This study investigated the effect of laser shock peening (LSP) treatment on the fatigue performance of Q355D steel butt-welded joints. The results demonstrate that LSP sig-nificantly enhances joint fatigue resistance through gradient hardening in surface lay-ers, introduction of high-magnitude residual compressive stress fields, and micro-structural refinement. Specifically, microhardness increased across all joint zones with gradient attenuation of strengthening effects within an approximately 700 μm depth. LSP effectively suppressed residual tensile stress concentration in regions beyond 4 mm on both sides of the weld. Fatigue tests confirmed that LSP substantially extended joint fatigue life: by 113–165% in the high-stress region (250–270 MPa) and 46–63% in the medium-low-stress region (230–240 MPa). Fractographic analysis further revealed reduced fatigue striation spacing and lower microcrack density in LSP-treated speci-mens, reflecting the synergistic effect of residual compressive stress fields and micro-structural refinement in retarding crack propagation. This work substantiates LSP as an effective method for enhancing fatigue resistance in Q355D steel welded joints.

Stress corrosion cracking is a phenomenon that can lead to rapid, sudden failure of metallic products. In this paper we examine the mechanisms of SCC mitigation of stainless steel and brass samples using laser shock peening (LSP). The behavior of hydrogen within the crystal lattice is one of the most dominant contributors to SCC, where uptake of hydrogen strains the lattice and increases its hardness. Cathodic charging of the metallic samples in 1M sulfuric acid was performed in order to accelerate hydrogen uptake. Non-treated samples underwent hardness increases of 28%, but LSP treated samples only increased in the range of 0 to 8%, indicative that LSP keeps hydrogen from permeating into the metal. Mechanical U-bends subjected to Mattsson’s solution and MgCl2 environments are analyzed, to determine changes in fracture morphology. Surface chemical effects are addressed via Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy, which is used for finding changes in the work function caused by LSP treatment. A finite element model of material deformation from U-bending was developed to analyze and compare the induced stresses. With LSP, there is a potential for overprocessing the samples, whereby negative effects to corrosion (grain refinement, martensite formation) can arise. Detection of any martensite phases formed is performed using x-ray diffraction. We find LSP to be beneficial for stainless steel but does not improve brass’s SCC resistance. With our analysis methods we provide a further understanding of the process whereby LSP reduces SCC susceptibility, and subsequently highlight important processing considerations for implementation of the process.

Microstructural evolution and mechanical behaviors of Al-Cu-Li alloy processed by laser shock peening

3D laser shock peening – A new method for improving fatigue properties of selective laser melted parts

Refill friction stir spot welding (RFSSW) is a highly flexible and promising solid-state joining method for aluminium alloys. Alternatively, resistance spot welding (RSW) can be stated as an appropriate joining method which can be automated and used within a high-volume production due to short process times. Both processes do not need any additional elements and a flat surface on both sides of the joints can be realised. In order to meet the modern requirements for crash safety and structural stiffness, thermal and mechanical joining methods are mainly combined by using single-component epoxy resin adhesives. Due to an insufficient knowledge about the application of both thermal joining methods for the abovementioned material combinations combined with additional adhesives, deeper investigations were done regarding the interactions of the polymers and the joining processes. Starting with a brief presentation of the boundary conditions of the investigations and the refill friction stir spot welding and resistance spot welding of high-strength aluminium alloys with sheet thicknesses bigger than 5.8 mm, the paper introduces the process-related joint properties of friction-based and resistance-based welded joints. Afterwards, the paper discusses the influences of the process parameter on the metallographic joint formation and load-bearing capacities for a selected two-sheet and four-sheet material combination. When combining the spot welding technologies with adhesives, the process parameters of the RFSSW process have to be adapted for the two-sheet combination by adding a squeeze-out step, while for RSW, just the preholding time has to be increased. Different challenges for both joining methods are shown. For RFSSW, the gap formation has to be considered when welding big total sheet thicknesses, while for RSW, the shape of the weld nugget is more important for an appropriate joint performance. Additionally, process optimisations for less adhesive incineration will be discussed for both joining processes, and the influences of the adhesive on the joint formation will be addressed with the help of load-bearing capacity evaluations. The paper closes with specific recommendations for the realisation of refill friction stir and resistance spot-welded joints with and without adhesive in the field of Al joints with big total sheet thicknesses which meet the quality demands and an outlook for further research steps will be given.

To study the influence of laser shock peening on the electrochemical corrosion resistance of welded 316L stainless steel joints, welded 316L stainless steel joints are treated with different laser shock peening treatments (i.e., one, two, and three times). Our analysis employs electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), an X-ray stress meter, and electrochemical corrosion tests to observe and analyze the microstructure, structural composition, residual stress, and corrosion resistance in different areas of the surface of 316L before and after the laser shock peening. The results show that the residual stress distribution of the welded joints is optimized after laser shock peening, with a maximum residual compressive stress near the matrix of 171 MPa. When the number of laser shock peening treatments is two, the corrosion current reaches a minimum of 9.684×10−7 A/cm2, and optimal pitting resistance is obtained. However, when the number of laser shock peening treatments is further increased to three, the corrosion current increase and the pitting resistance decreases. In summary, the electrochemical corrosion resistance of the welded joints effectively improves after laser shock peening, but its performance begins to decline after three repeated shocks, which is related to the combined effects of stress change and microstructure phase transformation.

Study on the effect of multiple laser shock peening on residual stress and microstructural changes in modified 9Cr-1Mo (P91) steel

The goal of the present study is to understand the effects of laser shock peening (LSP)-induced residual stresses on the fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behaviour of the commonly used aircraft aluminium alloy AA2024 in T3 heat treatment condition. LSP treatment was performed using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser on compact tensile C(T)50-specimens with a thickness of 2.0 mm. LSP-treated specimens reveal a significant retardation of the fatigue crack propagation. The fatigue crack retardation effect can be correlated with the compressive residual stresses introduced by LSP throughout the entire specimen thickness. A possible application of the LSP process on a component like panel with three welded stringers representing a part of a fuselage structure was performed as well. The skin-stringer AA2024-AA7050 Tjoints were realised through stationary shoulder friction stir welding (SSFSW), a variant of the conventional friction stir welding process. In this relatively new process, the shoulder does not rotate and therefore does not contribute to the heat generation. Consequently, a reduced and more homogeneous heat input leads to a less affected microstructure and better mechanical properties. The efficiency of the LSP process has been demonstrated resulting in an increase of 200 – 400% in fatigue lifetime.