Heavy machinery and equipment is a significant investment for any company, so it’s crucial to ensure the metals used to craft them are durable and made to last. Peening is the process of purposefully adding stress to metal in order to strengthen the material and make it more resistant to damage and corrosion. Peening can improve and extend the life of the parts or equipment that metal creates.
Common types of peening are hammer peening, shot peening, needle peening, and roto/flail peening. Each uses different kinds of peening media to expose the metal to stress and make it less resistant to cracking, bending, or corroding down the line. However, these processes are often done dry. Wet peening is an innovative technique that can save both time and money, making for a much easier process.
Advantages of Wet Peening
Typically, all parts need to be cleaned and degreased before peening. With wet peening, however, parts can begin the process as-is, saving process steps and their associated costs. The cushioning effect from the water also means that less blasting media is needed during the peening process. And once the machine has completed the wet peening process, the part comes out clean and ready to use. Wet peening will also create a superior, smoother finish compared to its dry-peened counterparts.
Peening for Aerospace
Aircrafts need to be lighter and more fuel-efficient than ever before. Peening allows designers and engineers to use more lightweight alloys and other materials that have the strength and fatigue life similar to or better than heavier options. Aerospace components also need to be extremely reliable, so peening ensures more durable parts and products. And with the tight schedules many aerospace companies are held to, wet peening can speed up the production process while ensuring the smoothest, most frictionless surface possible.
Peening for Automotive
Every car manufacturer aims to create the latest and greatest in automotive technology each year. Peening can help improve speed, weight, and durability in vehicles, which is essential to keeping up with the market. But staying cost-efficient is just as important, so wet peening can eliminate unnecessary time and costs in the manufacturing process.
Peening for Medical Equipment
Medical equipment and instruments are held to some of the highest standards of any product. In order to create equipment that meets those requirements while still hitting production and budget goals, businesses should consider wet peening. Wet peening ensures a clean process and a smooth finish so every detail of the part is up to code.
Peening for Wind Energy
With the gradual shift to greener energy, parts for equipment such as wind turbines will need to be built to last. The centrifugal force they endure can create considerable wear and tear on the blades and other inner workings, so peening is an essential step to increase durability and resistance to fatigue. And with the demand for wind turbines increasing every year, wet peening can help reduce the time and money it takes to build and maintain the equipment.
Peening for Firearms
Firearms are another product that are held to very specific standards due to safety reasons, but they’re also often admired for the way that they look. Different parts of a firearm, such as the barrel or frame, should undergo peening to relieve stress to increase durability. But wet peening can create a unique and desirable finish to the metal before final coating, giving the firearm the perfect look and feel.
Automated Wet Peening to Save You Time and Money
Efficiently creating high-quality and durable parts doesn’t have to be difficult. Streamline your manufacturing process with Wet Technologies’ Wet Peen™, originally created for GE Aviation.
