Patent ID: 8051565

Claim:
A method of reducing crack propagation in an airfoil, comprising: providing an airfoil having a root spaced apart from a tip, spaced-apart leading and trailing edges, a suction side extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and an opposed pressure side extending from the leading edge and the trailing edge; providing a fixture for supporting the airfoil comprising a base and a beam extending upwardly from the base defining an elongated angled bearing surface; loading the airfoil into the fixture such that the root of the airfoil is received by the base and the angled bearing surface extends parallel to the trailing edge of the airfoil in contact with the trailing edge, so as to support the airfoil against bending loads; clamping the airfoil to the beam to ensure contact between the trailing edge and the angled bearing surface during a subsequent burnishing step; and burnishing the airfoil using a burnishing element, so as to create at least one burnished section of residual compressive stress, the at least one burnished section being located adjacent the leading edge and spaced from the leading edge by an offset distance selected so as to avoid deformation of the leading edge.