DEVICE FOR STRENGTHENING THE SURFACE OF PRODUCTS, METHOD AND USE THEREOF

The invention relates to a method and a device for strengthening the surface of workpieces, in particular of metal ones, by mechanical effects accompanying the impact of small projectiles or by mechanical effects accompanied by the impact of a shockwave induced by plasma created by electric evaporation of a metal foil. The device comprises a polymer strip with a metal foil on the surface of the side diverted from the surface of the workpiece in which foil bridges are formed to form projectiles, further comprising two electrodes and adjacent to the metal foil located on the polymer strip, wherein bridges are formed between the contact surface areas of the metal foil, and the electrodes and between which the plasma is formed, are mounted in a support body, through which flat conductors and are connected to a switch for switching large currents and high voltages with a high-voltage source. The polymer strip with the metal foil tightly abuts the support body with the electrodes and the electrodes and protrude above the upper surface of the support body to provide electric contact with the contact surface areas of the applied metal foil. The method of strengthening the surface of workpieces by means of the device according to the invention consists in that one cycle of strengthening the surface of workpieces involves the action of an electric current pulse supplied from a high voltage source after closing the switch by conductors to electrodes between which a high voltage is applied, thereby shorting the circuit on the metal foil at the location of the bridges to form a plasma expanding and by a compressive force acting on the polymer strip part of which hits as a projectile the surface of the workpiece. The plasma is generated by the electric current pulse, in addition to the expansion pressure, is also accelerated by the electromagnetic Lorentz force caused by the passage of electric current, through this plasma in the generated magnetic field.