[1] LPB is the only known metal improvement method applied under continuous closed-loop process control and has been successfully applied to turbine engines, piston engines, propellers, aging aircraft structures, landing gear, nuclear waste material containers, biomedical implants, armaments, fitness equipment and welded joints.
Roller and ball burnishing have been studied in Russia and Japan, and were applied most extensively in the USSR in the 1970’s and Eastern Europe.
The basic LPB tool is a ball, wheel or other similar tip supported in a spherical hydrostatic bearing held in a CNC machine or industrial robot, depending on the application.
The tool path and normal pressure applied are designed to create a distribution of compressive residual stress.
Therefore, LPB and laser peening stand out in the surface enhancement industry because both are thermally stable at high temperatures.
The reason LPB produces such low percentages of cold work is because of the aforementioned closed-loop process control.
The LPB process can be performed on-site in the shop or in situ using robots, making it easy to incorporate into everyday maintenance and manufacturing procedures.