The present invention relates to a method of surface hardening a plurality of sintered bodies having a hard phase and a binder phase. The method includes the steps of placing the bodies in a container, and forming a system including the container and the bodies therein, and causing the bodies to move and collide with each other and with inside walls of the container. The container is vibrating utilizing a mechanical resonance frequency of the system.

A method of generating compressive residual stresses through a thickness of a metal component comprising the steps: receiving a metal base component (10), which in use is subjected to applied pressure and applying by thermal deposition cladding (16) to one or more surfaces (14) of the base component. The cladding (16) comprises one or more layers of metal or metal alloy. The method also includes, subsequent to the cladding step, applying autofrettage to the clad component thereby generating compressive residual stresses through the one or more layers of metal or metal alloy (16) and at least part way through the base component.

A method of generating compressive residual stresses through a thickness of a metal component comprising the steps: receiving a metal base component (10), which in use is subjected to applied pressure and applying by thermal deposition cladding (16) to one or more surfaces (14) of the base component. The cladding (16) comprises one or more layers of metal or metal alloy. The method also includes, subsequent to the cladding step, applying autofrettage to the clad component thereby generating compressive residual stresses through the one or more layers of metal or metal alloy (16) and at least part way through the base component.

An ultrasonic strengthening method for improving the fatigue life of a metal work-piece and its application, by clamping the metal work-piece on the ultrasonic machining lathe, ultrasonic machining of the surface of the metal work-piece with ultrasonic machining tool. The present invention focuses on presetting the compressive stress on the surface of the metal work-piece by adjusting the pressure of the ultrasonic machining tool on the surface of the metal work-piece, to eliminate the residual stress and to improve the fatigue life of the work-piece eventually. Meanwhile, the present ultrasonic strengthening method can refine the surface grain of the metal work-piece, improve the surface microhardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance of the surface of the metal work-piece, eventually to improve the fatigue life of the metal work-piece.

An ultrasonic strengthening method for improving the fatigue life of a metal work-piece and its application, by clamping the metal work-piece on the ultrasonic machining lathe, ultrasonic machining of the surface of the metal work-piece with ultrasonic machining tool. The present invention focuses on presetting the compressive stress on the surface of the metal work-piece by adjusting the pressure of the ultrasonic machining tool on the surface of the metal work-piece, to eliminate the residual stress and to improve the fatigue life of the work-piece eventually. Meanwhile, the present ultrasonic strengthening method can refine the surface grain of the metal work-piece, improve the surface microhardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance of the surface of the metal work-piece, eventually to improve the fatigue life of the metal work-piece.

A method for hot forming, in particular for press hardening, a component is disclosed, wherein in a local region of the component a reduced martensitic hardness is produced by locally reducing a forming pressure which is exerted on a surface of the component.

A method for hot forming, in particular for press hardening, a component is disclosed, wherein in a local region of the component a reduced martensitic hardness is produced by locally reducing a forming pressure which is exerted on a surface of the component.

The invention relates to a method and to a device for heat treating a metal component. The method comprises at least the following steps: a) heating the component; b) setting a temperature difference between at least one first sub-region and at least one second sub-region of the component; c) at least partially forming and/or cooling the component in a press hardening tool; and d) mechanically post-processing the at least one first sub-region of the component.

The present invention relates to a conditioning method of gas turbine engine components (e.g. compressor blades and vanes) for increasing fuel efficiency. The gas turbine engine components are plasma treated in a high vacuum environment to generally reach a surface roughness (Ra) below 150 nanometers and in some cases below 25 nanometers. Then during the same process the components are coated using either a metallic or ceramic, hard, thin coating ranging from 100 to 3000 nanometers in thickness depending on desired surface smoothness and non-fouling properties. The same treatment combined with a surface relaxation process, which is part of a smoothing process, allows applying even up to 100 micrometers of hard coating without changes to high cycle fatigue properties and overall performance. Improved surface smoothness of the components and enhanced non-adhesiveness of the contaminants advance the quality of the flow through the gas path and compressor efficiency.

The present invention relates to a conditioning method of gas turbine engine components (e.g. compressor blades and vanes) for increasing fuel efficiency. The gas turbine engine components are plasma treated in a high vacuum environment to generally reach a surface roughness (Ra) below 150 nanometers and in some cases below 25 nanometers. Then during the same process the components are coated using either a metallic or ceramic, hard, thin coating ranging from 100 to 3000 nanometers in thickness depending on desired surface smoothness and non-fouling properties. The same treatment combined with a surface relaxation process, which is part of a smoothing process, allows applying even up to 100 micrometers of hard coating without changes to high cycle fatigue properties and overall performance. Improved surface smoothness of the components and enhanced non-adhesiveness of the contaminants advance the quality of the flow through the gas path and compressor efficiency.