Almen Strips Call to order: 1-574-256-5001 or 1-800-832-5653

Q: How do I select what type of Almen strip to use?

A: The type, "A", "N" or "C" refers to the Almen strip thickness and is specified by the part designer. The "A" strip, the most common, is used for peening intensities in the range of .004 inch "A" to .024 Inch "A". For lower intensities the "N" strip, being thinner and more sensitive, should be used (i.e. thin aluminum aerospace components). For higher intensities the thicker "C" strip should be used (i.e. hard gears etc.).

Q: What does this mean? Peen to an intensity of 10A2?
A: The 10 is an abbreviation for .010 inch arc height using the "A" thickness Almen strip as measured on the #2 Almen gage. This last requirement, the #2, is implied since only the #2 Almen gage is in commercial use today. The original Almen gage, patented in June of 1944 by J. O. Almen, was superceded by the #2 gage in November of 1943. It is neither required nor recommended to specify #2 gage since this is the only gage in use.

Q: Where can I learn more about Almen strips and their use?
A: At the annual Shot Peening / Blast Cleaning Workshops or special on-site training available from Electronics Inc.

Q: Do Almen strips come in different grades or quality levels?
A: Yes. The earliest document to specify Almen strips was the MIL-S-13165 and it required a pre-bow of .0015 inch and a hardness of 44-50 HRc. Later SAE J442 required a narrower tolerance for pre-bow of .001 inch. Still later, SAE AMS 2432 required an even narrower pre-bow of .0005 inch and restricted the hardness range to 45-48 HRc. For additional information see "Almen Strip Grades"

Q: I can purchase cheaper strips elsewhere. Is there a difference?
A: A. YES. We have the world's largest inventory of quality Almen strips from the most reliable source, the original manufacturer. We submit the strips to rigourus quality control inspections and maintain audit records for every batch of strips. We sell to the most discriminating customers in the world. We created several Grades (SM) of strips to meet the most demanding requirements from aerospace and military applications to high-volume automotive production. Want to compare our strips? Find out what two of our largest aerospace customers discovered. There is a difference in strip performance even if the cheaper strips come with a "certificate." Side-by-side comparisons can be performed for yourself. We recommend you mount several (ten or more) Almen holders on a rotating turntable that is exposed to a single nozzle shot blast. Mount our strips in holders 1,3,5,7, etc., and theirs in holders 2,4,6,8, etc. This alternating sequence will erase any bias from the set-up. Process at least 15 strips of each brand and preferably 30 pieces of each. Measure the arc heights of each strip (be sure to use a good Almen gage such as our model TSP-3). Put the data into a histogram and look at the results. You'll see clearly why we say we sell the world's finest Almen strips.

Order Almen Strips by phone at 1-219-256-5001 or 1-800-832-5653.