Lambda Technologies Group

Fundamentals of LPB®: How It Works and Why Engineers Rely on It Low plasticity burnishing (LPB®) is a mechanical surface treatment method designed to enhance the fatigue performance and longevity of metallic components. By introducing deep, stable compressive residual stresses, LPB mitigates the fatigue debit from common failure mechanisms such as stress concentrations, stress corrosion cracking (SCC), pitting, fretting, and foreign object damage (FOD). How LPB® Works: • Process: Pressure is applied to the surface of a component using controlled tooling, causing a slight plastic deformation in the surface layers. • Result: This deformation rebounds after the tool moves away, leaving behind elastic compressive residual stresses that counteracts the tensile stresses responsible for crack initiation and propagation in service. Why Engineers Rely on LPB®: • Engineered Compression: The compressive stress field is designed and sculpted for each component and application to achieve the desired performance for the part as a whole, with consideration for the engineering goal for the larger assembly. • Enhanced Fatigue Life: Significantly improves high-cycle and low-cycle fatigue performance. • Damage Tolerance: Eliminates the fatigue life reduction from surface damage, including FOD and corrosion pitting. • Repeatability: LPB® is applied under continuous closed-loop process control with parameter record keeping by serial number, ensuring precision and repeatability. • Dimensional Control: The control of the LPB tool and process allows the stress field to be introduced with surface deformation commonly less than 0.0005 inches (0.013 mm) which allows the component to stay within its drawing tolerances in a majority of instances. LPB® offers a reliable solution for engineers seeking to enhance component durability and performance in critical applications. Do you have an application that could benefit from LPB? https://bit.ly/3tQgdNu #25yearsofinnovation #lpb #engineering

Engineering Residual Compression for Superior Performance Residual compressive stress isn’t just an afterthought—it can be strategically engineered from the start or applied to existing components. Enhance fatigue life, mitigate stress corrosion cracking, reduce fretting damage, and improve resistance to foreign object damage and stress concentrations. Learn how precision surface enhancement can optimize your designs: https://bit.ly/4dldvmo #Engineering #Aerospace #MaterialsScience

From the Archives: Minimizing Distortion in Machining: An Important Case Study https://bit.ly/4efrrzH #machining #engineering

The Early Days of Surface Enhancement Technologies In 2000, Surface Enhancement Technologies, LLC was founded with a clear mission: to revolutionize surface integrity through advanced engineering solutions. But every great innovation starts with a dedicated team. In the early days, our small but passionate group of engineers, scientists, and technicians worked tirelessly at Lambda Research, Inc. to develop and refine Low Plasticity Burnishing (LPB®). With a focus on precision and performance, we collaborated with industry leaders to push the boundaries of fatigue life improvement, corrosion resistance, and damage tolerance. Those first years were filled with challenges—proving the science, refining our processes, and demonstrating real-world results. But through it all, our commitment to technical excellence never wavered. Today, as we celebrate 25 years at SET, we reflect on the expertise, creativity, and perseverance that built the foundation of SET. The core values established in those early days still drive us forward. If you were part of our journey in the beginning, we’d love to hear your memories. What do you remember most about the early days of SET? #tbt #throwback #25yearsofinnovation

Preventing Fretting Fatigue in CFM56 Blade Dovetails Fretting fatigue is a well-known failure mode in CFM56 blade dovetails, where cyclic loading and surface wear lead to crack initiation. Low Plasticity Burnishing (LPB®) introduces a deep, stable layer of residual compressive stress, preventing crack propagation and significantly extending component life. Learn how LPB enhances fatigue performance in aerospace applications: https://bit.ly/3sBTCE9 #aerospaceengineering #casestudy #CFM56

Lifing Analysis: Predict Fatigue Life with Confidence Accurately predicting the fatigue life of critical components is essential for optimizing design, reducing costs, and ensuring reliability. Lifing Analysis provides data-driven insights into fatigue performance before committing to expensive and time-intensive physical testing. By incorporating engineered residual compressive stress from surface treatments, our analysis delivers reliable fatigue life estimates—even in the presence of damage mechanisms such as FOD, fretting, and corrosion. Engineers gain a comprehensive report detailing: ✔️ Design guidelines to enhance damage tolerance and extend component life ✔️ Opportunities to reduce material usage, lowering weight and production costs ✔️ Strategies to improve part performance, minimizing maintenance, inspections, and downtime Make informed design decisions and optimize component life. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3sFnmzT

A Legacy of Surface Enhancement: Key Milestones As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we look back at pivotal moments that have shaped Surface Enhancement Technologies, LLC: • 1996 – Development of Low Plasticity Burnishing (LPB®), introducing a transformative approach to mechanical surface treatment. • 2000 – Establishment of Surface Enhancement Technologies, LLC to implement our internally developed surface treatment solutions in the business world. • 2001 – NASA becomes our first customer, applying LPB® to critical aerospace components to enhance fatigue life. • 2002 – First U.S. military application: LPB® is implemented to extend the lifespan of turbine engine components • 2004 – First nuclear industry application: LPB® is selected by the Dept. of Energy over laser peening to enhance the durability of nuclear waste containment canisters for the Yucca Mountain project. • 2004 – First breakthrough in the medical industry: LPB® is applied to orthopedic implants to improve wear resistance and longevity. • 2005 – First expansion into commercial aerospace: LPB® is used to enhance landing gear and structural components, increasing safety and durability. • 2006 – SET takes on their most complicated geometry to date by processing the F119 IBR blade edges with LPB • 2010 – First power turbine application: LPB is applied to the 17-4PH Taurus 70 Stage 1 dovetail to mitigate fretting fatigue • 2011 – SET lands its first mining customer to mitigate stress corrosion cracking in drilling equipment • 2012 – First Oil & Gas sector adoption: LPB® is introduced to pipeline couplings to mitigate corrosion fatigue and stress cracking in harsh environments. • 2013 – First automotive and locomotive applications: LPB is introduced to V8 engine blocks, wheels, and radiator fans. • 2014 – First armament application • 2014 – First LPB application requiring 5-axis surface tracing and automated tool changes to treat the platform of an IBR for a commercial aerospace engine. • 2017 – First fitness industry application: LPB is applied to barbells to mitigate fatigue cracking. • 2021 – 1,000,000th part processed in production. • Present – Continued innovation in surface integrity improvement across a broad array of industries, alloys, and applications. These milestones reflect our dedication to advancing engineering solutions that enhance performance, safety, and reliability across multiple industries. You can read a little more about our history here https://bit.ly/3ELCdRw #25yearsofinnovation #lpb #surfaceenhancement

Case Studies of Fatigue Life Improvement Using Low Plasticity Burnishing in Gas Turbine Engines This award-winning study, recognized with the John P. Davis Award by the International Gas Turbine Institute, demonstrates how Low Plasticity Burnishing (LPB®) improves fatigue life in gas turbine components. LPB® induces deep, thermally stable compressive residual stresses, outperforming traditional methods like shot peening and laser shock peening. The process is cost-effective, seamlessly integrates with CNC machining, and extends the life of both new and legacy turbines—without expensive material or design modifications. Read the full paper here: https://bit.ly/4ejWWc0 #GasTurbines #LPB #Engineering #ResidualStress

A leading aircraft manufacturer faced challenges with long lead times and inconsistent residual stress results from their shot peening supplier. Lambda Technologies was tasked with replacing the shot peening process with Low Plasticity Burnishing (LPB®), maintaining identical coverage and compressive residual stress. Replacing the shot peening process resulted in: • Enhanced Efficiency: LPB reduces processing times and eliminates the need for masking or additional preparation steps. • Improved Quality: LPB ensures consistent compressive residual stress with 100% coverage, contributing to greater reliability in critical components. Read the full case study. https://bit.ly/3XULldH #shotpeening #engineering

Lambda Research conducted a study to characterize the effects of compressive residual stress on the fatigue performance of steel threads. The results clearly show improved threaded-fastener performance. https://bit.ly/3tRjDzo #engineering #engineeringdesign #casestudy