Abstract: A method for laser shock peening an article by simultaneously firing low energy first and second laser beams to form pairs of longitudinally spaced apart first and second laser shock peened spots that are on opposite sides of the article, simultaneously laser shock peened, and transversely offset from each other. Each of the low energy first and second laser beams having a level of energy of between 1-10 joules.

Abstract: A method to laser shock peen articles such as a gas turbine engine rotor blade with first and second oblique laser beams to form pairs of longitudinally spaced apart first and second laser shock peened elliptical spots that are on opposite sides of the article or blade and transversely offset from each other. The oblique laser beams are fired at a portion of the leading or trailing edges of the blade at first and second oblique angles with respect to opposite surfaces of the edge. Another method laser shock peens the leading and trailing edges of gas turbine engine integrally bladed rotors and disks that are blocked by other rows of blades by firing the laser beams at compound angles such that the beams are aimed at the first and second oblique angles with respect to the surfaces of the edge and at a third oblique angle with respect to a rotor axis.

Abstract: A method for quality control testing of a laser shock peening process of a production workpiece includes (a) ultrasonically scanning at least a portion of a laser shock peened surface on the workpiece wherein a region having deep compressive residual stresses imparted by the laser shock peening process extends into the workpiece from the laser shock peened surface, (b) digitizing a signal derived from the scanning and forming a digitized image of intensity values from the scanning, (c) calculating at least one statistical function value for a plurality of points of the digitized image of the workpiece based on the intensity values, and (d) comparing the statistical function value to a pass or fail criteria for quality assurance of the laser shock peening process or accepting or rejecting the workpiece.