Shot peening is widely used to improve the performances of machine elements
subjected to fatigue loading, stress corrosion cracking or fretting, mainl
y due to the favourable residual stress field induced. However, many times
the choice of the treatment parameters is made by following empirical consi
derations that do not take the residual stresses into account and, conseque
ntly, do not allow to optimise the treatment results. To reach this objecti
ve it is necessary to accurately know the residual stress field induced by
varying the shot peening parameters.
Finite-Element analyses of shot peening. both axisymmetric and three dimens
ional. were developed to predict the residual stress field induced with dif
ferent treatment parameters. Different approaches were used to evidence wor
ths and limits of every one and to determine the numerical method that allo
ws to reach the best results with the less expansive use of hardware and so
ftware.