Technical Report ST-01

Fatigue Testing of 4340 Steel

July 1, 2001

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this test program was to determine the fatigue life improvement due to
StressWave processing in a steel alloy.
INTRODUCTION
Alloy steels often require fatigue life improvement, in aerospace and other applications.
This program was designed to determine if fatigue life improvement in a steel alloy was
possible with the StressWave process. The program used a baseline indenter design
and application parameters to process test specimens of AISI 4340 steel.
Testing was performed with open hole, zero load transfer specimens under constant
amplitude load conditions. Various test stress levels were used to facilitate
development of an S-N curve.
TEST SPECIMEN PREPARATION
Test specimen blanks were machined from the same lot of 0.25 inch thick AISI 4340
plate per AMS 6359 (Figure 1). After machining, the specimen blanks were heat treated
to Rockwell hardness of 36-40 (160-180 KSI tensile strength) on the C scale.
Baseline specimens were prepared by drilling and reaming a central 0.250 inch hole.
StressWave specimens were prepared by processing with a baseline indenter, then
drilling and reaming.
TEST PROGRAM
Test conditions are shown in Table 1. Testing was performed at constant amplitude
load conditions, at a stress ratio (R) equal to .05. Test frequency was 20 Hz.
Specimens were cycled to two-piece failure. All testing was performed in closed-loop,
electro-hydraulic fatigue test machines, calibrated periodically using standards traceable
to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
TEST RESULTS
Test results are listed in Table 1, and graphed in Figure 2 as an S-N curve. At 60 KSI
maximum stress level, the StressWave specimens demonstrated better than 5:1 life

Copyright 2001 by StressWave, Inc. All rights reserved.

SW TR ST-01, 4340 Steel

improvement (treated life:non-treated life), as compared to the baseline specimens. At
50 KSI, the StressWave specimens demonstrated better than 12:1 life improvement.
CONCLUSIONS
The StressWave process is effective for providing fatigue life improvement in 4340
steel, for the conditions tested.

Table 1. Test Conditions and Results

AISI 4340 plate per AMS 6359
0.375 inch thick
Zero load transfer
0.375 inch diameter open straight hole
Constant amplitude fatigue, cycle to failure
R=.05, 20 Hz maximum frequency
Maximum
constant amplitude
stress level (KSI)

Cycles to failure
Baseline
StressWave

50.0

271,343
101,516

3,000,000NF
1,268,027

60.0

78,000
71,559

592,328
805,242
411,571

Figure 1. Test specimen blanks

(4340/AMS 6359)

SW TR ST-01, 4340 Steel

Figure 2. Test Results S-N Curve

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