Saturation Curve Analysis and Quality Control

Author:  Dr. David Kirk
Source:  The Shot Peener magazine, Vol 20 / Issue 3, Summer 2006
Doc ID:  2006025
Year of Publication:  2006
Abstract:  
Dr. David Kirk, our "Shot Peening Academic", is a regular contributor to The Shot Peener. Since his retirement, Dr. Kirk has been an Honorary Research Fellow at Coventry University, U.K. and is now a member of their Faculty of Engineering and Computing. INTRODUCTION Users specify the range of indentation ability of the shot streams to be used on their components. They are able to do this by virtue of the so-called "Saturation Intensity" which is a quantitative measure of shot stream indentation ability. The range is normally specified as upper and lower limits for the saturation intensity, which has to be obtained from a saturation curve. At various stages in shot peening we need to confirm that the specified indentation ability is being employed. These stages include the initial set-up of a job and subsequent verification intervals. The primary quality control application of saturation curve analysis is, therefore, the determination of saturation intensity values. A secondary application is to obtain an indication of the Almen strip indentation rate.