Potential of Using Water Jet Peening as a Surface Treatment Process for Welded Joints

Water jet peening is a mechanical surface strengthening process which has gained momentum in the last two decades. It is an application of water jet abrasion process which improves the residual stresses of the treated surface. In comparison to other conventional methods like shot peening, laser shock peening water jet peening offers resistance to corrosion, improved fatigue resistance, simpler control over the process, full coverage of the treated area, flexibility in treating complex areas and eco-friendly environment. Since WJP uses water for improving the residual stresses it is a potential method for treating a variety of materials. The high pressure water jets has the tendency to cause the surface damage if the parameters are not maintained within optimum conditions therefore, optimum conditions must be determined so that surface treatment can be carried out without causing any detrimental effects. Hence, it is necessary to control the peening parameters which are: Jet pressure, Standoff distance, nozzle geometry, nozzle traverse rate and exposure time. The paper aims at reviewing the work contribution for using Water jet peening as a potential surface treatment process.