VIBRATORY STRESS RELIEVING – It’s ADVANTAGES AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO

THERMAL TREATMENT

J.S Hornsey B.Sc (Mech Eng), SAIW, SAIMech.Eng, CGLI (Dist Weld) CGLI (Dist Metallurgy)
VSR(Africa)cc December 2004

ABSTRACT
In an introductory review, the techniques and equipment for vibratory stress relieving are
described and applications exemplified with case histories. It has been proven that the
process gives stabilisation results comparable with and in many cases exceeding those
obtained with thermal treatment, whilst being quicker, cheaper, more versatile as the
equipment is completely portable and the technique offers many advantages when machined
parts or heavy fabrications are involved.

INTRODUCTION With modern exciters, correctly sited, and the

Over the last 60 years, vibratory stress relieving
has evolved from a little known art into an
indispensable basic process, which is now a well
tried and established alternative to thermal
treatment for the treatment of castings,
fabrications, components requiring intricate
machining operations and non-ferrous metals. It is
important to emphasize that vibratory stress
relieving is not claimed to be a substitute for all
thermal treatments although there is some
common ground just as there are areas where each
process is and will remain predominant.
Thermal and Vibratory treatment share a capability
in three areas, namely overall stress reduction,
dimensional control and dimensional stabilisation.
Although total stress relief is almost impossible to
obtain by using any commercial process, vibratory
stress relieving can stabilise and stress relieve the
component at any stage of the manufacturing or
machining process without changing the materials
metallurgical condition, without scaling or
discoloration and without distortion at low cost and
with minimal time restraints to the manufacturer.
Conversely only thermal treatment will change a
material’s metallurgical properties and thermal
treatment is also more effective than vibratory
stress relieving when used to prevent incidences of
brittle fracture, although more often correct
material selection is a prerequisite for the
prevention of this type of failure.
Additionally, materials that derive their mechanical
properties from transformation hardening or cold
working cannot be so thoroughly stabilised. Thus
the complementary nature of the two processes
can be appreciated. However instability in these
types of materials can be successfully treated
using vibratory stress relieving. The vibratory
process involves inducing metal structures into one
or more resonant and sub resonant conditions
using portable high force exciters. Treatment
periods are short and frequencies generally in the
range 10-230Hz.
component virtually undamped by means of rubber
isolation mounts, equal and often better results
than are to be expected from commercial thermal
treatments are possible and are more often
obtained.
One of the main factors which has and in some
cases still hinders the acceptance of the process is
the reluctance by engineers to accept that a low
cost vibratory treatment, using only 220v and often
lasting less than thirty minutes could possibly
replace an extended thermal treatment involving
high energy consumption.
A recent survey carried out by the US
Department of Energy has shown energy savings
experienced by using vibratory stress relieving in
some cases exceed 500:1.
This article discusses the practical benefits of
vibratory stress relieving as compared with
thermal treatment and attempts to dispel some
of the myths associated with
vibratory stress relieving it also highlights some
of the discrepancies in the various vibratory
systems available. A section dealing with
vibratory stress relieving equipment is included
although it is assumed that the reader will be
broadly conversant with installations for thermal
treatment. Some of the variations in
specifications for thermal treatment are also
included which will hopefully expose the
ignorance in these specifications.
PAST RESEARCH
It is possible to find technical papers, ostensibly
written about vibratory stress relieving dating as
far back as 1934, but in fact, there have been few
genuine research programs into the process.
The bulk of the papers concern either general
oscillatory testing of metals or work which the
author thought to be related to vibratory stress
relieving without properly evaluating and
appreciating the process. Many tests were limited
to simple test bars, which due to restricted

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budgets were treated in fatigue test machines at
fixed frequencies and amplitudes.
Recent testing (Oct 2003) in conjunction with The
Anglo American Corporation of South Africa,
again due to budget restraints used a simple
welded specimen two plates 150mm x 150mm x
25mm thick, butt welded together. This is
certainly not a good example of actual
components owing to perfect welding conditions
with the welding carried out by personnel from
The South African Institute of Welding and
consequently very low inductions of stress. The
results obtained showed strain redistribution of
up to 90% and a reduction in stress of 42%
In some tests fixed foundry knock-out shakers
and de-burring barrels have been used and the
work audaciously claimed to relate to vibratory
stress relieving! There are obvious reasons why
most of these low budget methods did not
succeed in producing the desired result.
Recent tests carried out amongst others by the
University of Strathclyde and the Department of
Trade and Industry has redressed some of the
inadequacies of the older test methods, a list of
papers and tests will be included in the
bibliography at the end of this paper.
EQUIPMENT
Although any equipment can satisfy the “easy to
treat / little need” category, only the best
equipment with optimum force / frequency
characteristics and maximum “g” tolerance
successfully treats the most challenging end of
the range. As examples and research show, it is a
range that spans the entire materials and
engineering spectra. Gone are the days when
heat treatment contractors took an adversial
attitude to vibratory stress relieving. Some have
purchased their own VSR equipment; and many
others use an on-site service. As well as enabling
them to treat parts hitherto too large for their
furnace, vibratory stress relieving opens up
completely new areas of business. However, for
coded components such as pipework and
pressure vessels etc. thermal stress relief must
be used as only this gives the required
metallurgical benefits. There have been many
requests to include vibratory stress relieving into
the various codes but the reluctance to do so is
still dominant in the industry
Stability is the main requirement for which
vibratory stress relieving is applied. When VSR is
used stability more than matches that of thermal
stress relieving. Stability can be improved by re-
applying VSR to components in near finished
condition thus saving components that might
otherwise have been scrapped. Vibratory stress
relieving does not reduce rigidity or affect
material properties or fatigue life.
There are various VSR systems, some effective
some less so. The only common denominator
being that the component to be treated is placed
upon rubber isolators and subjected to a cyclic
force. Recent research has identified the
successful and not so successful processes.
The three main VSR approaches are resonant (R-
VSR), modal sub-resonant (SB-VSR) and sub
harmonic (SH-VSR).
The British “VCM series” is the only equipment
range that is specifically designed for R-VSR. It
has superior frequency/force ranges and a
remarkable tolerance to high “g” forces. The
formula 62 and Fouriermatic systems claim to be
successful for resonant VSR but research
mentioned below cast’s doubts on their
effectiveness – possibly because of poor
frequency range, “g” tolerance etc. Practice
seems to support this.
RESONANT VSR
This has evolved over a 40-year period. For the
VCM series mid 1997 saw major research-led
changes in both approach and equipment
specification. In well defined areas of application.
R-VSR is now 100% successful in its main
objective stress relief-component stabilisation.
The treatment of components from less than 1kg
to in excess of 100 ton is commonplace.
Procedures stipulate a progression up the peaks
to resonance, consisting of a pause at the foot to
allow any critically high stresses to diminish, prior
to treating at the mid height region and then a
short defined number of cycles at the actual
peak. As long as the mean stress is allowed to
float the resulting cyclic imposed, strains
progressively add to the residual strains in the
material to cause stress reduction and
distribution as with TSR. For the most uniform
stress relief and stability, as many as the natural
frequencies as possible are reached. The greater
the equipment’s range and the more complex the
loading pattern then the better the treatment.
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Research and over 40 years of application have
shown that there is no damage due to high
resonance. This is because critically high-imposed
stresses are impossible to achieve as damping
increases dramatically with high cyclic strain.
R-VSR is normally applied before machining,
ideally though it should be applied after rough
machining as it then also reduces machining
stresses. Application before final grinding
achieves even closer tolerances. Treatment at
this or the finished stage eliminates micro
movement occurring between leaving the
customer or in service. The most accurate and
stable components are R-VSR treated. In general,
even using old style R-VSR, where suitable
components have been excited at one or more
resonant frequencies, the results have been
stress reductions of 30% or more depending
mainly on the equipment used. Meanwhile an AC
vibrator system with a ‘g’ tolerance of over 80g
can obviously be expected to be the most
efficient means of stress relief Strachen showed
an 80% reduction with mild steel welded
specimens and a 60% reduction in stainless steel
welded pieces. Zveginceva found over a 40%
decrease and Zubchenko showed a 73%
reduction with large mild steel welded bedplates.
Treatment at a succession of modes, each having
a different strain pattern was shown by Polnov to
cause substantial reduction and redistribution of
stresses. At the limit 1% stress relief makes the
difference between instability and stability.
With the advent of the 5-220Hz range of VSR
machines, Jesensky Bonthuys Ohol and
Sagalevich have shown reductions of 40-80%
using resonant frequencies. The higher
percentage figure will not be achieved if the
researchers did not invoke the cyclic properties of
the material. Much is to be learned from the
excellent research by Walker, Waddell &
Johnstone .
Manufactures of vibrating plant use R-VSR for
stress relief and fitness for purpose testing and
thereby extend warranties on screen, deck
support frames, moulds etc.
MODAL SUB-RESONANT VSR
If when attempting R-VSR, only the base of the
peak is achievable (due to the peak being just out
of range). Treatment would be classed as modal
sub-resonant VSR i.e. the mode shape would be
evident, but the peak not achievable. Optimum
results are obtained if up to 10 times the number
of cycles required for R-VSR are applied in
inverse proportion to the magnitude of the cyclic
response.
Where only modal sub-resonant treatment is
possible Waddell has proved that, given sufficient
cycles, considerable stress relief occurs with no
reduction in fatigue life.
Practice supports this. The time for treatment
varies from equipment to equipment.
Strain measurements have indicated that modal
SR-VSR is most effective against high tensile
stresses, whereas R-VSR works well either on
both high tensile and high compressive stresses.
For stability after machining and in service, both
tensile and compressive stress peaks must be
lowered if they are approaching yield value. After
all, stability is the main requirement for which R-
VSR or modal SR-VSR is applied.
When resonance is used, stability more than
matches that of thermal stress relief, as it can be
re-applied near finished machine size.
It is best carried out with the equipment used for
R-VSR processing because of its superior
frequency range.
VCM 90/905 machines which have twice the
range of any other equipment.
SUB-HARMONIC VSR (MetaLax)
If neither of the above conditions are met (due to
resonant responses being way beyond the range
of the equipment), conventional wisdom indicates
that no stress relief is possible. This seems to be
the domain of sub-harmonic VSR. Treatment is
said to take place at the foot of a minute sub-
harmonic of a true resonant peak. Sales literature
states that the process depends on energy
absorption being at a maximum near the foot of a
sub-harmonic peak. Because exciter force
increases with the square of the speed one might
logically expect the highest sub-harmonic peak to
be the most effective for treatment, however the
manufacturers, actually advocate treatment at a
low one. This possibly indicates that their
equipment has poor ‘g’ tolerance. The
mechanism by which SH-VSR is said to work has
no connection with either R-VSR or modal SR-
VSR.
The diagram used to promote the process and its
mechanism appears unconvincing if drawn to
scale. SH-VSR claims to vibrate the atoms and
move them relative to one another in the
strained crystal lattice of the material. This
seems farcical, as the energy used is so low that
the vibration usually cannot be either felt or
heard.
RESEARCH
Researchers have investigated aspects of VSR for
over 40 years. Some were legitimately exploring
its boundaries but others have toyed with test-
pieces and procedures not remotely connected
with VSR resulting in some misconceptions. All
the research reported below was conducted with
actual VSR equipment, assisted by the equipment
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manufactures or their direct agents. Whereas
historically research projects in the mid/late
nineties have consistently disproved the
effectiveness of American dc resonant, non-
resonant and sub harmonic equipment. A 2-year
Dutch/German EU project tested two dc types of
equipment – SRE Co, Formula 62 and VSR Eng
Martin LT120/MX800 re: stress reduction and
fatigue of components. Little or no benefit was
found. British EU and later DTI projects tested two
other dc types; both automatic Bonal Meta-lax
sub harmonic system and VSR Eng. KD16
Fourier scan re stress reduction and stability. The
projects lasted nearly six years and little or no
benefit was found. Particularly difficult
components were tested as an adjunct to the DTI
project.
They were treated using the Meta-lax and
VCM 90 equipment. The results showed that
Meta-lax brought about little change
whereas the VCM 90 was on par with
thermal stress relief (see bar diagram).
Sumarising recent research, it clearly shows that:
• VSR can be as effective as TSR given
the best R-VSR equipment.
• A cyclic version of a simple stress
overload is one mechanism that is at work
given sufficient amplitude.
• Given sufficient energy, a beneficial effect
on the distorted crystal lattice of the
material occurs.
• No reduction in fatigue life occurs
using any form of modern VSR
equipment.
INDUSTRIAL EXAMPLES
The widespread use of, and the general
satisfaction with vibratory stress relieving has
been shown by the extent to which it has been
accepted by virtually all sectors of industry; so
extensive in fact that it is impossible to truly
represent the entire spectrum here.
No specific example of mild steel fabrications or
cast iron / cast steel castings is given here as it is
well accepted that where no metallurgical
changes are required, vibratory stress relieving is
as good as thermal stress relieving for stabilising
and stress relieving beams, bases, columns,
gearboxes, bedplates etc.
But it is quicker, cleaner and cheaper as
witnessed by thousands of regular users over the
last 45 years in virtually every applicable
engineering field. The acceptance and usage of
VSR in South Africa alone has increased by an
average of 69% annually since 1992.
Fan Impellors and Rotating Equipment:
Vibratory Stress Relieving is used to stabilise fans
and impellors ranging in size from 800mm
diameter x 100mm to 2m diameter x 900mm in
fabricated mild steel and stainless steel.
Sometimes these are repaired components, and
sometimes replacements. After fabricating, but
prior to dynamic balancing, the components are
subjected to VSR. Since introducing this
treatment, no fans or impellors have gone out of
balance in service, even under hot conditions –
hitherto a troublesome area. Installations are now
much quieter and last longer between overhauls.
Novenco Aerex, the UK’s largest fan and impellor
manufacturer, have had their own VSR unit for
many years and endorse the benefits stated
above. Their Canadian plant also uses VSR. In
both cases the system paid for itself in 4 – 5
months. Rubber coated, steel fan blades have
been treated to overcome instability.
Picture Courtesy Rotary Machine Equipment
South Africa
Rolls, bars and shafts:
Bowing of shafts whether during machining, weld
depositing of worn items or in service had proved
to be a virtually insurmountable problem.
Particularly difficult materials such as duplex
stainless steel, nitronic50, E4340PQ etc. are
stabilised using this method, saving companies a
fortune in material, time and labour costs.
The following photograph shows one of twenty-
four unstable EN19 steel, forged drive shafts,
being VSR treated and monitored using surface
strain gauges. The results showed that VSR
reduced surface stress to safe limits, stabilising
the component while not reducing fatigue life or
altering material properties. Also, VSR and strain
measurements clearly identified the shafts which
had been correctly TSR’d and those which had
not.
4
 20 off EN19 Shafts treated prior to final
machining
Machine Tools and Baseplates
Vibratory stress relieving being carried out on a
cast iron precision machine bed.
Some twenty three years ago, Dean Smith &
Grace became disillusioned with thermal stress
relieving when cast iron saddles, consistently in
tolerance on final inspection in the UK, were 20%
out on arrival in the USA, necessitating rework.
VSR solved the problem and today, DSG rely on it
solely to stabilise saddles, beds, etc.
Before that time QA records showed that, using
thermal stress relief 98% of beds were reworked
in-house after final machining due to movement
during handling. Subsequently, only one of 533
beds was reworked – 0.2%. Dean Smith & Grace’s
subcontract machine shop also finishes mild steel
fabricated beds up to 10m long and 1m x 900mm
section, basically in 12mm plate, but with
sideway sections up to 100 x 300mm and weight
up to 12 tons.
A 10m bed has a welding time of approximately
50 hours. The fabrication is solely VSR treated.
Operation procedure is to fabricate, apply VSR,
inspect, rough machine removing up to 35mm to
produce sideway profile, ship to Dean Smith &
Grace, apply VSR and finish machine to five
microns in 6m by grinding. No machinability
problems are encountered at any stage, despite
extensive machining of flame cut edges up to
100mm thick.
Treatment of fabricated pump and gearbox
bases.
Gearbox Casings
In this example the manufacturer had a
reclamation problem involving the rewelding and
finish machining of lightweight gearboxes already
in a part machined condition. The components
had already undergone one heat treatment prior
to the reclamation operation, during which
distortion had taken place sufficient to indicate
that a further thermal treatment would render
them suitable only for scrap. After consultation
VSR was attempted on a reclaimed sample of the
weakest component, the gearbox hood, following
a rigorous dimensional check. The hood was
satisfactorily crack detected and finish machined
and all other items successfully treated, thereby
avoiding complete remanufacture. VSR is used
extensively for this type of fabrication which
requires close machining tolerances.
Picture courtesy Sasol Synthetic Fuels South
Africa
Treating the parts that thermal stress
relieving cannot treat
There are thousands of components in need of
stabilising that cannot be thermally stress
relieved but can be treated using a VSRS.
Here follow some typical examples:
(a) Precision conveyor rolls for nuclear waste
disposal, having an outer 304L stainless-
steel shell, of 819mm diameter x 884mm
face, welded to 789mm-diameter mild-
5
 steel end plates and bosses with integral
En8 120mm-diameter shaft. AC-VSRS was
specified by Sandvik, approved by British
Nuclear Fuels and NIS based on Sandvik’s
twelve years of complete satisfaction with
the AV-VSRS.

(b) Mild-steel rolled hollow-section (RHS)

fabricated ‘A’ Frames with reinforcements
for a vehicle front chassis, with integrally-
welded cast steel “Rose’ universal joints,
are manufactured in a jig to tight
tolerance. Prior to VSRP being applied,
106 sets were produced and all distorted
in service, causing wear. For over 1000
sets, VSRS treating at three resonances
between 35 and 180Hz has rendered all
completely stable.
(c) Three designs of steel armour-grade
investment casting, one with a welded-on
tie-bar in the fully heat-treated and final
metallurgical condition, were found to be
grossly unstable during machining. The
largest had a 300 x 400mm picture-frame
face, associated bore and pad faces
400mm apart, in the first batch of four,
movement continued for two months after
machining. TIR allowable in all planes is
better than 3 microns. A special VSRP was
applied, prior to machining, by mounting
the component at its center of gravity on
a small pad on a 400 x 400mm jig table
with a vibrator mounted on the underside.
Treatment: 11 modes of vibration between
5 and 220Hz, which has rendered all
subsequent batches completely stable.
(d) A VCM80 AC-VSRS was specified by Short
Bros. For this work at their subcontractors
and they have used their own VCM80 for
stabilising mild-steel and aluminum
composite fabrications for many years. A
VCM90 system was ordered in January
1991.
Vibrating Screen VSR after assembly
(g) Typically, screens are mild-steel
fabrications from 1m x 3m to 3m x 10m
and 100 to 200mm deep – usually a
complex lattice of RHS, angle and tubular
members. If thermally stress relieved,
they usually distort badly and need
mechanical or thermal straightening, often
defeating the object of the original
thermal treatment. When no stress relief
or thermal treatment was used, butt welds
that lacked preparation and had their
bead ground off, leaving a weak joint,
failed in service. Now, with the
introduction of VSRP, welders know that a
poor joint will break in the weld shop so
they ensure good joints. This ‘fitness for
purpose’ testing is regarded by Goodwin
Barsby, Parker, Kue Ken, Pegsons,
Babcock Power, etc. as a good reason to
use the VSRP, as in-service life has, on
average, tripled.
(h) Beams, 5m long x 140 x 300mm section,
fabricated from RTQ60 material, bowed
2mm during rough machining. Thermal
stress relieving was not permissible on
metallurgical grounds. The VSRP has
completely solved the problem for British
Steel.

(e) A failure rate of approximately 40% has

been reduced to zero on parts of mining
and quarrying equipment since Trellex
(Trelleborg Group) and Skega introduced
the VSRP to complex mild-steel fabricated
components, often only 14mm x 2mm in
section x 4m long.

(f) In the same industry, some vibrating

screens now carry a three-year guarantee,
thanks to the AC-VSRP. Treatment of crusher support beams

(i) Deloro Stellite use an AC-VSRS at both

their UK and Canadian plants to stabilise
6
 carpet knife blades. These are typically mild-
steel bar, 5m x 150 x 10mm, grooved out and
deposited with stellite along one long edge.
This edge is ground to expose the stellite and
form a cutting edge. The mild-steel section
behind is slotted to give adjustments for the
holding screws. Up to ten year ago, it was
common for 50% of the wear tolerance to be
lost due to movement taking place during
transport (typically UK to Italy). Since
introducing the VSRP, no movement has
occurred and tighter tolerances are
maintained.
Hundreds of examples are on file: large copper
plates fully machined, screwed and dowelled;
flow-brazed aluminum instrument frames;
powder-coated enameled 25mm x 25mm mild-
steel angle instrument frames for Marconi;
mixed-metal fabrications for Helio tank turrets
and a wide variety of materials such as Inconel,
Zeron, duplex stainless steel, Ferraliu, titanium,
P20 (1.7% Cr steel), aluminum in TF condition,
composite metal / plastic, metal / rubber
fabrications, etc. for these and many other
applications, the VSRP is invaluable.
However, it must be remembered that the VSRP
cannot be used on pressure vessels, pipework or
any parts where metallurgical change is
necessary. To its benefit VSRP can be used on all
non-ferrous materials and on the hardened
materials that are commonplace on most mining
and quarrying components. No reduction or
softening of material properties occur with the
correct treatment
Treatment of Large Fabrications
119,000kgs Tippler cage VSR after welding prior to
machining
Treatment of the above tippler cage and its
associated components was carried out on behalf
of Saldanha Steel at DCD Dorbyl. The tippler cage
weighed 119,000kgs and treatment was in the
range of 2 hours at resonant frequencies, the
complete assembly including the end rings was in
excess of 400,000kgs all of which was VSR
treated. A modern VSR system has the capacity
to treat a singular component of up to 200ton.
Opencast dragline buckets with weights of up to
70,000kgs are treated on a regular basis. Many
are treated after a major repair some are treated
after fabrication at the OEM suppliers. VSR has
been proven to reduce cracking and some
manufactures in the USA are claiming an increase
in service life of 400% a figure suspected to be
grossly exaggerated although published in a
leading welding publication.
Feedback received from mines in South Africa
would suggest a figure of around 45% to be more
realistic as VSR could in no way influence the
(wear and tear) characteristics of a bucket with
the exception of no softening of the materials
occurring during the stress relief process
VSR treatment of a dragline bucket after repairs
CONCLUSIONS
Based on hitherto attained research results and
experience in practical use of VSR weldments the
introduction of VSR into practice can be
recommended. The Vibratory stress relieving can
be employed for stabilisation of the size of
suitable weldments prior to their machining and
servicing as a replacement of stress relief
annealing. The VSR process is used for lowering
of residual stresses and stabilisation of the size of
different weldments such as frames of forming
machines, machine frames, grey cast iron
castings, etc. which were up to now subjected to
stress relief annealing.
VSR does not negatively affect the static dynamic
strength of welded joints and weldments, fracture
and notch toughness and homogeneity of welded
joints.
Based on the attained data the
implementation of VSR procedures as a
replacement of stress relief annealing for
the stabilisation of weldments, castings and
forging leads to high savings of production
costs to our national economy. The saving
7
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Oostende, 1970-71.
• Claxton, RA. ‘Vibratory stress relieving of metal
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