Assembly Innovations: New Peening Methods Attach Thermocouples
NASA engineers have developed new peening techniques for attaching thermocouples to metal parts. The technique was developed specifically for parts used in high-temperature applications, where other assembly methods, such as welding, fastening or adhesive bonding, would be ineffective.
The peening techniques were invented by engineers at John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida and ASRC Aerospace Corp. (Greenbelt, MD). The techniques have already been used successfully to attach Type S thermocouples, 0.005 inch in diameter, to parts made of C-103 niobium alloy and 416 stainless steel.