It is attempted to combine the method of approaching the problem of surface layer from the point of view of mechanics with that of production technology. The real layer formed by production engineers is described by considering the continuous elastic-plastic model with mixed type strain hardening. The theoretical results thus obtained make it possible to construct a computation program for the state of stress in an axially symmetric element with a surface layer under tension and torsion loading. An application of the model for the computation of the residual stress state produced in a real layer as a result of induction hardening and burnishing, for a stabilized loop of cyclic strain, has been shown.