Peening solutions
The core of the Shotvisual software
An event-driven molecular algorithm is used to model the behavior of an assembly of spheres, inspired by the statistical physics treatment of vibrated granular gases. A finite number of hard spheres (the shot) is driven by a velocity stream or by a vibrating boundary sonotrode (for the case of ultrasonic shot peening) and contained within defined boundaries. Such event-driven simulations allow studying all sorts of industrial conditions, including for parts that have complex geometries, defined by e.g. a FEM mesh, made of triangular elements. One, thus, has the possibility to conduct efficient 3D simulations in short computing times, achieving in certain situations a 1:1 ratio between effective peening time and the simulation time. The impact detection time time also appears to be independent of
the mesh density.
The realistic operating process parameters such as shot diameter and density, velocity stream of the blaser, amplitude and frequency of the ultrasonic sonotrode, as well as the process duration are then read and act as input data for the event driven simulation. The use of an OpenGL C++ library permits a direct 3D visualization (optional) that renders the individual trajectories of the spheres and meshes during the simulation. Using the software, one can now eventually correct process parameters by visualizing how the shot impacts the parts.
Output
Once the operating conditions are roughly optimized, impact related data are saved for each FEM meshed triangle: coordinates, impact time and velocity, impact angle. Such data can afterwards be used for a second refinement of the operating conditions, and provide now quantitative relationships between the process control parameters and the various impact properties, including surface coverage which is
constrained by international standards (SAE). In addition, a complete prediction of the effect of surface treatment on mechanical properties can be established, based on a classical chaining method in which the SHOTVISUAL predicted impact velocity field appears to be the crucial quantity.
References
Articles
Basic
reference
for the application of granular gas methods to the study of shot peening processes.
Interface between CAD and granular gas simulations.
From impact and surface treatment to targeted materials properties from a chaining method.
Interface between CAD and granular gas simulations.
From impact and surface treatment to targeted materials properties from a chaining method.
Videos
Ultrasonic shot peening in simple geometries.
Moving gear treated by shot peening.
A steel plate shot peened by a centrifugal turbine.
Moving gear treated by shot peening.
A steel plate shot peened by a centrifugal turbine.
