Graduate Studies Opportunities in Montreal

GRADUATE STUDIES OPPORTUNITIES IN MONTREAL (CANADA)

Shot peening for fatigue life improvement

Shot peening is a cold working process in which rigid particles are propelled at
high velocities on a ductile metallic surface. The impacts induce surface
tensile plastic strains in the plane of the treated surface. Since the bulk
material remains elastic, compressive residual stresses develop at the surface.
These stresses retard the apparition of cracks and hence increase the fatigue
life of the treated part.

Shot peening is largely used in the aerospace industry. In fact, most of the
metallic parts used in aircrafts are submitted to shot peening. The use of shot
peening is strictly regulated and manufacturers have to follow guidelines that
were established many years ago. These regulations were devised based on
extensive trial and error. As a result, the industry, although it successfully
uses the process, has a limited fundamental understanding of its effects. In
some circumstances, shot peening process could be optimized and in other cases,
the process does not produce any beneficial effects and could not be used.

Four major and one small aerospace companies, one National Research Council research
laboratory as well as École Polytechnique de Montréal, École de Technologie
Supérieure and McGill University have pooled their efforts into a collaborative
research project aiming at understanding the effects of shot peening on fatigue
life. The project will span over 3 years and will involve 11 graduate students.
The project will start in May – September 2013.

The research team is actively looking for graduate students having backgrounds in
Mechanical Engineering or Metallurgical/Materials Engineering. Applicants
interested in joining the project should send:

1.  Brief curriculum vita along with their transcripts;

2.  A list of publications where one section is devoted to articles
accepted/published in international refereed journals and one other section
where all the other communications (conferences, books,
papers not written in English, etc.) are listed;

3. A one-page letter explaining their expertise and their contributions to research.

Incomplete or applications not respecting the format listed above will not be considered.

Applications should be sent electronically to Prof. Richard Chromik at

richard (dot) chromik (at) mcgill (dot) ca