Abstract: A system and method for monitoring a laser shock peening process includes a sensor connected to a controller. The controller includes an input and a processor. The input is connected to the sensor to receive a signal indicative of a laser shock event at a workpiece. The processor is connected to the input and is configured to determine a time-of-flight of residual energy associated with the laser shock event from the workpiece to the sensor and determine peen quality from the time-of-flight of the residual energy.

Abstract: A method for laser shock peening a gas turbine engine blade includes laser shock peening a thin airfoil of the blade, forming a laser shock induced twist in the airfoil, and altering a root of the blade to counter the laser shock induced twist in the airfoil. The altering may be done after the laser shock peening. The altering may be done before the laser shock peening during casting or forging of the blade or during a machining or broaching procedure which cuts a shape of the root. One embodiment of the altering includes forming the root with an altered root centerline having an altered centerline angle with respect to a predetermined root centerline designed for a non-laser shocked airfoil of the blade.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine blade is laser shock peened by laser shock peening a thin airfoil of the blade, forming a laser shock induced twist in the airfoil, and shot peening a portion of the airfoil to counter the laser shock induced twist in the airfoil. The shot peening may be performed before or after the laser shock peening. The shot peening may be applied over a laser shock peened surface formed by the laser shock peening. The shot peening may be performed asymmetrically on asymmetrically shot peened pressure and suction side areas of pressure and suction sides, respectively, of the airfoil. A shot peened patch near a blade tip may be formed on one of pressure and suction sides of the airfoil wherein the airfoil extends radially outwardly from a blade platform to the blade tip of the blade.

Abstract: A manufacturing system and manufacturing method for adjusting the performance of manufacturing operations or steps in manufacturing components having three-dimensional external structural characteristics. An embodiment of the system broadly comprises: (a) a plurality of manufacturing operations for processing a component having three-dimensional external structural characteristics; (b) at least one analytical device for analyzing at least one characteristic of the component after the performance of one or more manufacturing operations to generate a component data set; (c) at least one data storage device for storing the generated component data sets and for providing at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data; and (d) a communication mechanism for transmitting at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data to one or more manufacturing operations so that the performance thereof can be adjusted in response to the transmitted portion of accumulated component data.

Abstract: A method of making a laser shock peened article includes bare laser shock peening a bare metallic surface of a substrate of the article without using an ablative coating and forming a pre-stressed region having deep compressive residual stresses extending into the article and a recast layer above the pre-stressed region. Removing just the recast layer with an abrasive vibratory process with an abrasive media. The vibratory process may include one or more of the following: abrasive tumbling including packing the article within a bed of abrasive particles and shaking the article within the bed during a tumbling cycle, mechanical peening including peening the article with small particles which either abrade and/or shatter a brittle surface of the recast layer, and abrasive polishing including loading the article into a bed of paste including abrasive particles and oscillating the bed across and around the article.

Abstract: A laser unit in a laser shock peening apparatus for generating a primary laser beam along a primary beam path includes a pulsed free running oscillator with only a single lasing rod. An electro-optic switch external to the free running laser oscillator is operably disposed along the primary beam path to block the initial slow rise time of the primary laser beam from the free running oscillator and reject energy away from the primary beam path. At least one optical transmission circuit is used to form at one stationary laser beam from the primary laser beam and direct the stationary laser beam towards at least one laser shock peening target area. A delay generator controllably connected to the electro-optic switch is used to reject energy away from the primary beam path along a dump path to a dump and sharpen pulses of the primary laser beam.