Laser shock peening (LSP) is a relatively new surface treatment for metallic materials. LSP is a process to induce compressive residual stresses using shock waves generated by laser pulses. LSP can greatly improve the resistance of a material to crack initiation and propagation brought on by cyclic loading and fatigue. This pioneering book was the first of its kind to consolidate scattered knowledge into one comprehensive volume. It describes the mechanisms of LSP and its substantial role in improving fatigue performance in terms of modification of microstructure, surface morphology, hardness and strength. In particular it describes numerical simulation techniques and procedures which can be adopted by engineers and research scientists to design, evaluate and optimise LSP processes in practical applications.
Provides for the first time, a comprehensive coverage of this important areaWritten by two world renowned experts

Over the past three decades, the terminology of composite materials has been well acknowledged by the technical community, and composite materials have been gaining exponential acceptance in a diversity of industries, serving as competitive candidates for traditional structural and functional materials to realize current and future trends imposed on high performance structures. Striking examples of breakthroughs based on utilization of composite materials are increasingly found nowadays in transportation vehicles (aircraft, space shuttle and automobile), civil infrastructure (buildings, bridge and highway barriers), and sporting goods (F1, golf club, sailboat) etc., owing to an improved understanding of their performance characteristics and application potentials, especially innovative, cost-effective manufacturing processes. As the equivalent of ICCM in the Asian-Australasian regions, the Asian-Australasian Association for Composite Materials (AACM) has been playing a vital leading role in the field of composites science and technology since its inception in 1997 in Australia. Following the excellent reputations and traditions of previous ACCMs, ACCM-4 is held in scenic Sydney, Australia, 6-9 July 2004. The theme of ACCM-4, Composites Technologies for 2020, provides a forum to present state-of-the-art achievements and recent advances in composites sciences & technologies, and discuss and identify key and emerging issues for future pursuits. By bringing together leading experts and promising innovators from the research institutions, end-use industries and academia, ACCM-4 intends to facilitate broadband knowledge sharing and identify opportunities for long-term cooperative research and development ventures. The scope of ACCM-4 is broad. It includes, but is not limited to, the following areas: Bi- composites, Ceramic matrix composites, Durability and aging, NDE and SHM Eco-composites, Manufacturing and processing technologies, Industrial applications, Interphases and interfaces, Impact and dynamic response Matrices (polymers, ceramics, and metals), Mechanical and physical properties (fatigue, fracture, micromechanics, viscoelastic behavior, buckling and failure, etc.), Metal matrix composites, Multi-functional composites, Nano-composites, Reinforcements (textiles, strand, and mat), Smart materials and structures, Technology transfer (education, training, etc.)

Fusion bonding is one of the three methods available for joining composite and dissimilar materials. While the other two, mechanical fastening and adhesion bonding, have been the subject of wide coverage both in textbooks and monographs, fusion bonding is covered here substantially for the first time. Fusion bonding offers a number of advantages over traditional joining techniques and it is anticipated that its use will increase dramatically in the future because of the rise in the use of thermoplastic matrix composites and the growing necessity for recyclability of engineering assemblies. Fusion Bonding of Polymer Composites provides an in-depth understanding of the physical mechanisms involved in the fusion bonding process, covering such topics as:- heat transfer in fusion bonding;- modelling thermal degradation;- consolidation mechanisms;- crystallisation kinetics;- processing-microstructure-property relationship;- full-scale fusion bonding;- fusion bonding of thermosetting composite/thermoplastic composite and metal/thermoplastic joints.The book focuses on one practical case study using the resistance welding process. This example exposes the reader to the development of processing windows for a novel manufacturing process including the use of experimental test programmes and modelling strategies.

Fusion bonding is one of the three methods available for joining composite and dissimilar materials. While the other two, mechanical fastening and adhesion bonding, have been the subject of wide coverage both in textbooks and monographs, fusion bonding is covered here substantially for the first time. Fusion bonding offers a number of advantages over traditional joining techniques and it is anticipated that its use will increase dramatically in the future because of the rise in the use of thermoplastic matrix composites and the growing necessity for recyclability of engineering assemblies. Fusion Bonding of Polymer Composites provides an in-depth understanding of the physical mechanisms involved in the fusion bonding process, covering such topics as: - heat transfer in fusion bonding; - modelling thermal degradation; - consolidation mechanisms; - crystallisation kinetics; - processing-microstructure-property relationship; - full-scale fusion bonding; - fusion bonding of thermosetting composite/thermoplastic composite and metal/thermoplastic joints. The book focuses on one practical case study using the resistance welding process. This example exposes the reader to the development of processing windows for a novel manufacturing process including the use of experimental test programmes and modelling strategies.