Vibropeening system and a method of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969034-B2
Application number	US-201715610042-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2017
Priority date	Jun 2, 2016
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A vibropeening apparatus comprises a main frame, an enclosure receivable within the main frame, a rotary drive mechanism, and an article to be vibropeened. The enclosure defines an internal volume, the internal volume accommodating a vibropeening bed. The article is positioned within the internal volume, and the rotary drive mechanism is to configured to impart a rotary motion to the enclosure within the main frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vibropeening apparatus comprising:
a main frame;
an enclosure receivable within the main frame:
a rotary drive mechanism; and
an article to be vibropeened,
wherein:
the enclosure defines an internal volume, the internal volume accommodating a vibropeening bed, the article being positioned within the internal volume,
the enclosure further comprises a first end and an opposite second end, and an axis of rotation extending between the first end and the second end, and wherein the article is removably secured to an internal surface of the first end of the enclosure, and
the rotary drive mechanism is configured to impart a rotary motion to the enclosure within the main frame.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the article is positioned within the internal volume, a predetermined clearance is defined between the article and the enclosure.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the vibropeening bed comprises a plurality of media particles, the media particles having a mean media particle size.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the predetermined clearance is approximately between five (5) and ten (10) times the mean media particle size.

5. The apparatus as claimed in 1 , wherein the enclosure is removably mounted within the main frame.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises a feed aperture, the feed aperture allowing for the ingress and egress of media particles.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises an inner surface, the inner surface being formed from a thermoplastic polymeric material.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the enclosure further comprises a window allowing a visual inspection of the vibropeening bed.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rotary motion is a unidirectional rotary motion.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rotary motion is an oscillatory rotary motion.

11. A method of using a vibropeening apparatus, the apparatus comprising a main frame, an enclosure receivable within the main frame, and a rotary drive mechanism configured to rotate the enclosure, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a vibropeening bed within the enclosure;
positioning an article to be vibropeened within the vibropeening bed;
attaching the article to one end of the enclosure;
actuating the vibropeening bed; and
rotating the enclosure within the main frame.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the step of positioning an article to be vibropeened within the enclosure, comprises the step of:
positioning an article to be vibropeened within the enclosure such that a predetermined clearance is defined between the article and the enclosure.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the step of rotating the enclosure comprises the step of:
rotating the enclosure in a unidirectional manner.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the step of rotating the enclosure comprises the step of:
rotating the enclosure in an oscillatory manner.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc
• Rolls Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co Kg

Inventors

• Aramcharoen Ampara
• Feldmann Goetz G
• Wong Chow Cher
• Barrowman Paul
• Ang Swee Huat

Classifications

• C21D7/06

  by shot-peening or the like · CPC title

• B24B31/062

  the workpieces travelling through the containers (B24B31/067, B24B31/073 take precedence) · CPC title

• B23P15/02

  turbine or like blades from one piece · CPC title

• B23P9/00 Primary

  Treating or finishing surfaces mechanically, with or without calibrating, primarily to resist wear or impact, e.g. smoothing or roughening turbine blades or bearings (treatment covered by a single other subclass, see the relevant subclass, e.g. B24C, C21D7/00, C22F1/00); Features of such surfaces not otherwise provided for, their treatment being unspecified · CPC title

• B21D31/06

  Deforming sheet metal, tubes or profiles by sequential impacts, e.g. hammering, beating, peen forming (forging hammers B21J7/00) · CPC title