Specialty Automotive Peening Applications

Author:  Kumar Balan
Source:  The Shot Peener magazine, Volume 21 / Issue 3, Summer 2007
Doc ID:  2007022
Year of Publication:  2007
Abstract:  
Kumar Balan, Product Engineer, Wheelabrator Group Equipment / Process Design & Specification Conformance Conclusion Awareness of the benefits of shot peening has certainly grown from the blacksmith hammering a piece of leafspring to impart better wear characteristics. Contemporary shot peening machines have sophisticated computer controls that monitor the process to ensure repeatable and consistent results. Such systems ensure tighter control over the process, resulting in alarms for non-critical faults and shut-down commands during occurrence of critical faults in the machine. Peening equipment designers are highly cognizant of the importance of such checks and non-compromising product quality that their customers are faced with in their manufacturing process. Peening equipment design is therefore geared to partner with other sophisticated manufacturing equipment in an auto parts manufacturing plant. Acknowledgement: Information contained in this article has been assimilated through discussions and valuable suggestions from knowledgeable sources within the North American offices of Wheelabrator Group including Dan Diverty, Ron Barrier and Jay Benito.