Depending on the different types of micro-shot peening treatment, different results can be obtained. The micro-peening treatment is necessary when you need to prepare a surface for a subsequent procedure or coating, as happens with stainless steel. This treatment causes the treated surface to become homogeneous by removing approximately 1 micron of material. In this way it creates a minimally rough layer which favors the subsequent anchoring of the nickel plating (or other coatings) and improves its adhesion.
Because of different applications of the materials that are subjected to this treatment Nicasil has the possibility of choosing between different types of procedures, to obtain the best result. To understand which treatment is best for your purpose, let’s see what micro shot peening consists of and what it is used for.
WHAT IT IS FOR AND HOW IT HAPPENS
Micro shot peening involves different types of surface treatment for particular surfaces in: stainless steel, aluminium, brass and iron. In the past it was essentially used to clean surfaces, remove smudges or paint, and give compactness and roughness. Today it is carried out on all metals and plastics. Let’s see the necessary procedure:
- Degreasing: before treatment it is necessary to proceed with careful cleaning degreasing the surface to eliminate processing oils.
- Pickling: to eliminate the oxides normally combined into the welding or milling.
- Mechanical sweeping: to remove the marks of previous works.
After completing these preparations, the time comes to proceed with the micro-shot peening. Hence the choice of the appropriate abrasive depending on the result you want to obtain: glass-microspheres, ceramic, aluminum oxide or corundum.
MICRO SHOT PEENING: THE TYPES
To obtain the results requested by the customer it is necessary to make the right choice of abrasive materials to use and take into account that:
- Glass is suitable for alloys and soft metals
- Quartz is preferred when you want to obtain a fine but less hammered and more satin finish
- Ceramic for a hammered, orange peel finish
- Aluminum oxide for an orange peel but more hammered finish
- Corundum when looking for a more aggressive impact on hard metals; not very hygienic therefore recommended for painting, pre-plasticising or cleaning hardened materials.
In particular, the micro-peening treatment with glass spheres has been recognized as one of the best systems for preparing and treating surfaces. The micro-peening treatments proposed by Nicasil are divided into three categories:
- With grain steel: carried out using two automatic machines, it is suitable for shot peening steels in general and alloys with low surface hardness
- With corundum crystals: performed by two manual machines, it is particularly suitable for processing hardened and stainless steels.
