Articles produced by laser shock processing exhibit various compressive
residual stress distribution profiles. A gas turbine engine airfoil
includes an asymmetrical stress profile formed through the thickness of
its thin section. The articles include plural laser shock peened surfaces
and plural regions having deep compressive residual stresses imparted by
laser shock peening extending into the article from the laser peened
surfaces. One article includes at least one set of simultaneously formed,
adjacent non-overlapping laser shock peened surfaces. Another article
includes at least one set of opposing laser shock peened surfaces formed
at different times at opposite sides of the article. Another article
includes at least one set of opposing laser shock peened surfaces formed
simultaneously at opposite sides of the article using laser beams having
different pulse lengths. Another article includes at least one set of
laterally offset laser shock peened surfaces simultaneously formed at
opposite sides of the article.
