Recent Developments in Water Jet Cavitation Peening (WJCP) and Cavitation Abrasive Surface Finishing and Peening (CASF) for Finishing & Smoothing Aerospace Parts

Additive manufactured AM metals are attractive materials, as shape is directly formed from digital design data with unparalleled geometric freedom, less manufacturing leading time and little or no tooling. However, a significant reduction of fatigue properties compared to conventionally built wrought products has been a limiting factor. To improve fatigue life and strength, a novel mechanical surface treatment using water cavitation and abrasive impact is currently undergoing development. The powerful abrasive blasting process produces a smooth surface that has shown significant fatigue improvement as a result of the sub-surface compressive residual stress imparted by the forceful peening effect.