Patent ID: 6338765
Filing Date: 2002-01-15
Classification: B23K,B23P,C21D,Y10T

Abstract:
An ultrasonic method of treatment of a work product material for improving life and load bearing strength, comprising the steps of:applying impulses to an external surface area in the vicinity of stress concentration regions of said work product material by an impulse producing instrument presenting at least one needle-shaped indenter in mechanical contact with the external surface area to deliver a multiplicity of shock pulses of a frequency, magnitude and sequential relationship to induce increased temperatures to a predetermined depth in the work product material that produces internal compression waves in a dynamic treatment zone of the work product material to relax residual stresses, inducing by reaction to said shock pulses in said dynamic treatment zone a compression wave pattern gradient of greater magnitude at a surface area than at remote locations in the work product material, and withdrawing the shock pulses in a manner that substantially cools the treatment zone to establish reconstructed compression wave distribution patterns thereby producing a work product material with higher fatigue strength and load bearing capacity.