How can we increase the service life of components subject to cyclic stresses? How can laser shock peening be implemented in the most up-to-date manufacture of high-performance structures?

These and many other questions were the focus of the LSP Days 19, which ran from September 16th to 19th 2019 in Hamburg and Geesthacht. In cooperation with the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG), the ZAL GmbH organized this event for the second time, presenting a series of top-class lectures from various fields of science and industry. Seventy-five participants from over 12 countries were greatly impressed by the topflight contributions. The interactive workshops and exhibition area offered guests an unprecedented opportunity to find out more about the practical applications of this high-end technology.

The LSP Days 2019 aimed to bring scientists from universities and research institutes together with industry representatives. To this end, the first day of the event was entirely dedicated to the physical fundamentals of Laser Shock Peening, a process in which short laser pulses generate precise residual stresses within components.

As the event progressed, world-class speakers such as Dr. med. Yuji Sano explained how Toshiba uses peening on nuclear reactor shells in Japan. Prof. Phil Irving from Cranfield University demonstrated how the fatigue properties of aircraft structures can be increased using laser shock peening. These and other practical applications were also introduced to the participants during the four workshops. During the course of the ZAL LSP Days 19, guests were able to see Europe’s largest Laser Shock Peening plant in action.

The event, led by Dr. med. David Osmann Busse (ZAL), Dr. Nikolai Kashaev (HZG) and Prof. Benjamin Klusemann (Leuphana University Lüneburg), was rounded off with a guided technical tour through the laboratories of ZAL and HZG as well as an exclusive evening event, a boat trip on the Elbe.

Are you interested in Laser Shock Peening? Learn more about the LSP team of ZAL RnT here.