Abstract:
The metal of the wall of the part (13a) in a zone which includes defects such as cracks is melted, over a defined depth, by moving over the surface of the part with the aid of a melting device (21), and then solidified. Next, a surface layer of the metal of the wall of the part (13a) which has been melted and then solidified is subjected to compression by repeated impacts of solid particles. The melting is preferably performed by a transferred-arc plasma (22) and the compression by balls set into motion by a vibrating part. The invention applies in particular to the repair of a tubular adaptor (13a) penetrating the head (1) of a nuclear-reactor vessel.