Steel fatigue occurs when a metal structure or component is subjected to repeated loading and unloading of stress on a specific part (similar to bending a paper clip or staple back and forth repetitively until it breaks). When this process, also known as cyclic loading, exceeds a specific limit, tensile cracks form on the surface and alters microscopic grains within the metal which ultimately lead to fatigue failure if left untreated. Outside of replacing the metal, Ultrasonic Impact Treatment from Applied Ultrasonics has emerged as the most effective method of combating steel fatigue due to its ability to improve surface quality, force detrimental tensile stresses deep within the material, and reform the grains that comprise the structure of the metal.
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| *Example of cyclic loading and its effect on steel fatigue. |
