Surface damage
caused by a variety
of reasons can
eventually lead to
fatigue and failure.
performance equivalent to, or sometimes even better
than, brand new pieces. Existing fatigue damage up
to 0.030 inch deep, easily detectible with conventional
NDT, was fully arrested by LPB compression exceeding 0.050 inch deep. Treated pieces showed an overall
12X increase in fatigue life.
How does it work?
Tension in metallic components induces crack formation from stress concentrations formed by surface
damage. Solutions involving changing the alloy or
completely redesigning the component are expensive
and time consuming. The LPB process eliminates the
need to alter either the material or design. Producing
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www.AMTSociety.org • www.AviationPros.com • Aircraft Maintenance Technology
April 2013
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