An innovative contactless finite element simulation of the shot peening process

Shot peening is a major finishing treatment aiming to enhance parts’ life. However, the recourse to simulation to master the process and its effects still suffers from problems due to its complexity. The current paper presents a finite element-based approach that considers the random aspect of the shot peening process in association with a large number of shots, making it more realistic. The developed method is found to allow a computing time gain up to 70 % with comparable results to those obtained by the discrete element method, which has been reported as the most suitable for shot peening simulation. The comparison of both simulations results to experiment returned a good agreement. Simulations and experiences were concerned with C75 Almen-like strips.