On the estimation of fatigue failure under fretting conditions using notch methodologies

ABSTRACT According to experimental evidence, the early stages of fatigue crack propagation under fretting conditions are strongly influenced by the stress gradient generated in the material near the contact zone. This suggests that the crack growth process can be analysed using methodologies similar to those employed to predict the fatigue behaviour of notched elements. This paper assesses the applicability of a number of models originally developed for notched components to fretting fatigue problems. The ability of such models to predict fatigue failure is discussed and compared with experimental results for Al 7075‐T6 specimens that were subjected to fretting fatigue under spherical contact.     

Fracture mechanics based fretting fatigue life predictions in Ti-6Al-4V

A fracture mechanics based crack propagation analysis is developed to work directly with the output of a contact mechanics stress analysis for fretting fatigue. A series of remote load fatigue tests were conducted on specimens that had previously been subjected to fretting fatigue loading conditions. The growth of these prior fretting induced cracks were monitored and compared to results from the crack propagation analysis. A combined fatigue crack formation and propagation analysis was then applied to other fretting fatigue experiments with good success. The creation of fretting fatigue stress-life curves is also demonstrated.     

Prediction of non-propagating fretting fatigue cracks in Ti6Al4V sheet tested under pin-in-dovetail configuration: Experimentation and numerical simulation

This paper presents the results of fretting fatigue tests carried out on Ti6Al4V sheet specimens in contact with carbide rod in a cylinder-on-flat contact configuration. A new methodology of carrying out fretting fatigue experiments is proposed and successfully implemented using a pin-in-dovetail and pin-in-hole configuration. The advantage of this configuration is the simplicity and ease of application. The tests are carried out on MTS 810 at different loads, constant frequency (30 Hz) and ambient conditions. These tests reveal that the crack initiation and propagation are dependent on the applied load and the configuration of the contact. At low loads, non-propagating cracks are observed in the pin-in-dovetail configuration using metallurgical microscope. At high loads these cracks become longer but are still non-propagating. Numerical simulation using elastic–plastic material model is carried out to determine stress intensity factor and the mode of crack propagation. Maximum principal stress damage criteria approach is used to predict the crack initiation sites under different loads and a strong correlation with experimental results is observed. The crack propagation is simulated using XFEM, which successfully simulates the non-propagating crack length.     

Application of fracture mechanics to estimate fretting fatigue endurance curves

This paper presents approximations to fatigue curves in fretting conditions with spherical contact in the alloy Al 7075. The curves are defined for a specific contact geometry and loads applied in the tests (axial load on the specimen, the normal and tangential contact forces). In order to obtain a curve of this type it is necessary to fix all parameters except for one and analyse its influence on life. The method used to estimate life in fretting fatigue combines initiation with propagation. Different approaches to the growth of short cracks are employed and in some cases a fretting fatigue limit is predicted. Various groups of fretting tests have been analysed, evaluating the suitability of each approximation.     

Effects of shot-peening intensity on fretting fatigue crack-initiation behaviour of Ti–6Al–4V

The effects of shot‐peening intensity on fretting fatigue crack‐initiation behaviour of titanium alloy, Ti–6Al–4V, were investigated. Three intensities, 4A, 7A and 10A with 100% surface coverage, were employed. The contact geometry involved a cylinder‐on‐flat configuration. Residual stress and improvement in fretting fatigue life were directly related to shot‐peening intensity. The magnitude of compensatory tensile stress and its location away from the contact surface increased with increasing intensity. The relaxation of residual stress occurred during fretting fatigue which increased with increasing the number of cycles. An analysis using a critical plane‐based fatigue crack‐initiation model showed that stress relaxation during the fretting fatigue affects life and location of crack initiation. Greater relaxation of the residual stress caused greater reduction of fatigue life and shifted the location of crack initiation from inside towards the contact surface. Modified shear stress range (MSSR) parameter was able to predict fretting fatigue crack‐initiation location, which agreed with the experimental counterparts. Also, the computed parameter showed an appropriate trend with the experimental observations of the measured fretting fatigue life based on the shot‐peening intensity.     

A shear stress-based parameter for fretting fatigue crack initiation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the fretting fatigue crack initiation behaviour of titanium alloy, Ti–6Al–4V. Fretting contact conditions were varied by using different geometries of the fretting pad. Applied forces were also varied to obtain fretting fatigue crack initiation lives in both the low- and high-cycle fatigue regimes. Fretting fatigue specimens were examined to determine the crack location and the crack angle orientation along the contact surface. Salient features of fretting fatigue experiments were modelled and analysed with finite element analysis. Computed results of the finite element analyses were used to formulate a shear stress-based parameter to predict the fretting fatigue crack initiation life, location and orientation. Comparison of the analytical and experimental results showed that fretting fatigue crack initiation was governed by the maximum shear stress, and therefore a parameter involving the maximum shear stress range on the critical plane with the correction factor for the local mean stress or stress ratio effect was found to be effective in characterizing the fretting fatigue crack initiation behaviour in titanium alloy, Ti–6Al–4V.     

Fretting fatigue failure mechanism of automotive shock absorber valve

Fretting fatigue is a complex mechanical failure phenomenon, in which two contact surfaces undergo a small relative oscillatory motion due to cyclic loading. This study proposes a methodology to analyze the fretting fatigue failure mechanism of automotive shock absorber valve by means of experimental and numerical approaches. A servo hydraulic test set-up is used to simulate fretting fatigue under real working conditions. Moreover, a 3-D finite element model is developed to analyze the contact status and stress distribution at contact interface between connected components, i.e. washer-disc contact. The experimental test results depict that fretting damage appears at contact interface between washer and disc, which causes the initial crack nucleation and advancing the crack up to the final fracture of valve disc. Stress field, obtained by numerical simulation, is used to monitor some fretting fatigue features such as the distribution of relative slip amplitude, contact pressure and different stress fields at contact interfaces. Eventually, the crack initiation site is estimated by monitoring variation of equivalent multiaxial damage stress at contact interface.     

Multi‐axial fretting fatigue behaviour of 35CrMoA steel

The fretting fatigue behaviours in 35CrMoA steel were investigated under conditions of the various contact pressure and the same maximum equivalent stress of cyclic multi‐axial loading. The specimens were characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Results showed that the fretting fatigue life has complex variation with the increase of contact pressure. The different contact pressure also played very important role in fretting wear model and various wear scars were formed. The influence of them at the fretting surface on the fretting fatigue life was finally discussed by the comparison of the experimental and numerical analysis results.     

Fretting fatigue behaviour of shot-peened Ti-6Al-4V at room and elevated temperatures

Fretting fatigue behaviour of shot‐peened titanium alloy, Ti‐6Al‐4V was investigated at room and elevated temperatures. Constant amplitude fretting fatigue tests were conducted over a wide range of maximum stresses, σ_max= 333 to 666 MPa with a stress ratio of R= 0.1 . Two infrared heaters, placed at the front and back of specimen, were used to heat and maintain temperature of the gage section of specimen at 260 °C. Residual stress measurements by X‐ray diffraction method before and after fretting test showed that residual compressive stress was relaxed during fretting fatigue. Elevated temperature induced more residual stress relaxation, which, in turn, decreased fretting fatigue life significantly at 260 °C. Finite element analysis (FEA) showed that the longitudinal tensile stress, σ_xx varied with the depth inside the specimen from contact surface during fretting fatigue and the largest σ_xx could exist away from the contact surface in a certain situation. A critical plane based fatigue crack initiation model, modified shear stress range parameter (MSSR), was computed from FEA results to characterize fretting fatigue crack initiation behaviour. It showed that stress relaxation during test affected fretting fatigue life and location of crack initiation significantly. MSSR parameter also predicted crack initiation location, which matched with experimental observations and the number of cycles for crack initiation, which showed the appropriate trend with the experimental observations at both temperatures.     

Applications of crack analogy to fretting fatigue

In literature the most common approach to investigate fretting fatigue is based on contact mechanics. Crack initiation parameters of fretting fatigue are developed using elastic solution of two contacting bodies. Even though contact based parameters has been used extensively, they could not fully capture crack initiation mechanism due to the complexities of the fretting fatigue damage process, which depends on pad geometries, surface properties, material properties, and mechanical loading conditions. This has instigated fretting fatigue researcher to investigate other approaches. Recently, taking advantage of the similarities between contact mechanics and fracture mechanics lead to the development of crack analogy methodology (CAM), which defines the stress intensity factor as a fretting fatigue crack initiation parameter. CAM has shown a great potential investigating fretting fatigue. However, it has not been applied to wide range of fretting fatigue scenarios. The scope of this paper is not to focus on analytical development of CAM as much as validating its ability to analyze various fretting fatigue scenarios. Based on CAM, the present study introduces the crack analogy fretting parameter (CAF-parameter) to investigate crack initiation of fretting fatigue, which is equivalent to the change of mode II stress intensity factor at the contact surface, since the change in the stress intensity factor reflects the cyclic mechanism of fatigue. Further, a modification to the CAM is adopted to include various indenter-substrate geometries. Also, CAF-parameter-life curve, similar to the stress-life S-N curve, will be developed as a prediction tool to crack initiation for various geometric configurations using experimental data. This is consistent with presenting fatigue data. The results show similar pattern to plain fatigue with lower damage tolerance. It also shows scatter and dependency on the pad configuration as expected. Finally, the CAF-parameter shows potentials in effectively analyzing/predicting the complex mechanism of fretting fatigue.     

调质42CrMo钢的弯曲微动疲劳实验研究

针对循环软化材料调质42CrMo钢进行了常规弯曲疲劳实验和弯曲微动疲劳实验,分析了常规弯曲疲劳和弯曲微动疲劳之间的差异,并讨论了循环弯曲载荷对疲劳寿命的影响。通过分析不同弯曲载荷下弯曲微动疲劳试样断口的形貌和不同循环次数下微动损伤的情况,揭示调质42CrMo钢弯曲微动疲劳过程中的损伤特性。研究结果表明:同一循环载荷作用下,弯曲微动疲劳的寿命明显低于常规弯曲疲劳的寿命;随着循环弯曲载荷的增大,弯曲微动疲劳的寿命降低更明显;微动引起的局部接触疲劳和局部塑形变形促进了弯曲微动疲劳裂纹的萌生和进一步扩展。     

Prediction of fretting fatigue crack initiation in double lap bolted joint using Continuum Damage Mechanics

In fretting fatigue, the combination of small oscillatory motion, normal pressure and cyclic axial loading develops a noticeable stress concentration at the contact zone leading to accumulation of damage in fretted region, which produces micro cracks, and consequently forms a leading crack that can lead to failure. In fretting fatigue experiments, it is very difficult to detect the crack initiation phase. Damages and cracks are always hidden between the counterpart surfaces. Therefore, numerical modeling techniques for analyzing fretting fatigue crack initiation provide a precious tool to study this phenomenon. This article gives an insight in fretting fatigue crack initiation. This is done by means of an experimental set up and numerical models developed with the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software package ABAQUS. Using Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) approach in conjunction with FEA, an uncoupled damage evolution law is used to model fretting fatigue crack initiation lifetime of Double Bolted Lap Joint (DBLJ). The predicted fatigue lifetimes are in good agreement with the experimentally measured ones. This comparison provides insight to the contribution of damage initiation and crack propagation in the total fatigue lifetime of DBLJ test specimens.     

Stress gradient effect on the crack nucleation process of a Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy under fretting loading: Comparison between non-local fatigue approaches

This study focuses on the stress gradient effect regarding the crack nucleation of a cylinder/plane Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy contact under low cycle fatigue (LCF) fretting loading. Several local and non-local analytical approaches were compared to predict experimental results. The first part of the study presents fretting nucleation boundaries for three different cylinder radii in the partial slip regime. In the next part, the Crossland and Papadopoulos multi-axial fatigue criteria are computed and compared. Finally, local and non-local fatigue approaches are compared. Square constant volume, critical distance and weighted function approaches have been compared.The methodology used covers a large range of stress gradients. The impact of varying the stress gradients is that the larger the stress gradient, the larger the difference between experiments and local stress fatigue predictions. A Crossland local form was applied to confirm that a local stress fatigue analysis cannot predict the fretting cracking risk. Three non-local approaches were carried out, and the results allowed the proper prediction of the empirical thresholds with a 3–5% margin of error. The positive results obtained helped to select a multi-axial fatigue criterion and a non-local approach which take into account the gradient effect of contact fretting behavior.     

Experimental and numerical study on crack initiation under fretting fatigue loading

Press-fitted railway axles and wheels are subjected to fretting fatigue loading with a potential hazard of crack initiation in press fits. Typically, the resistance against crack initiation and propagation in press fits is investigated in full-scale tests, which procedure is both costly and time consuming. In this context, combined experimental and numerical approaches are of increasing practical importance, as these may reduce the experimental effort and, moreover, provide a basis for the transferability of experimental results to different axle geometries and materials. This study aims at evaluating stress–strain conditions under which fretting fatigue crack initiation is likely to occur. Experiments on small-scale specimens under varying fretting fatigue load parameters and their finite-element modelling to characterize the resulting stress–strain fields are performed. Subsequently, different multiaxial fatigue parameters are applied to predict crack initiation under fretting fatigue conditions.     

Finite element simulation of the mechanics of flat contact pad fretting fatigue tests

An understanding into the macro kinetic and kinematic behaviour of fretted surfaces is provided. Making use of a modified version of a previously developed in‐house two‐dimensional elastic–plastic finite element analysis numerically simulates flat contact pad fretting fatigue tests. Basic macro mechanics concepts are adopted to idealise two bodies with rough contact surfaces and loaded at two different sites with arbitrary axial loading profiles. A time scale factor is devised to recognise the earliest candidate out of the events possibly accommodated at each loading increment. The present analysis utilises a relevant experimental set up developed in the Structural Integrity Research Institute of the University of Sheffield as an application. Computational results accurate to within 1.2% and corresponding to one contact pad span and six constant normal loads acting individually with four amplitudes of two sinusoidal axial load cycles are presented. The present computations include (1) the development of the global and local normal and tangential reactions and relative sliding displacement acting along the fretting surfaces and (2) contact pad deformation, generated stress fields and plasticity development within the neighbouring region of the fretted area.     

STATIC AND CYCLIC FRETTING FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR OF SILICON NITRIDE

A cyclic fretting fatigue test machine was constructed. The piezoelectric bimorphs were used as actuators for cyclic loading and fretting motion at the resonance frequency of the system. Fretting fatigue tests under static and cyclic loading conditions were carried out using HIP-sintered silicon nitride. From the experimental results, it was found that fretting fatigue strengths under the two test conditions were identical and hence the effect of cyclic loading on fretting fatigue strength of silicon nitride was almost negligible. A fretting crack initiated in a very early stage of the fatigue life at the position of the maximum frictional stress in the contact area. Fretting fatigue life prediction based on fracture mechanics was also carried out. The predicted lives were in good agreement with the experimental results.     

Influence of contact pressure on fretting fatigue behaviour of AA 2014 alloy with dissimilar mating material

The effect of contact pressure on the fretting fatigue behaviour of 2014 Al alloy which has been solution heat treated and age hardened (T6 heat treatment) with dissimilar mating materials, was investigated. The fretting fatigue configuration involved bridge‐type contact pads on a flat fatigue specimen. Specimens were made of 2014 Al alloy and bridge‐type pads were made AISI 4140 steel. All the fatigue tests were conducted at a rotational speed of 5000 rpm with a rotating bending fatigue machine (R=?1), using S–N curves to evaluate the fatigue and fretting fatigue properties. The fretting fatigue strength of the material subject to a T6 heat treatment condition at 1 × 10⁷ cycles was dramatically reduced, as compared to that without fretting and with as‐cast. The fretting fatigue life exhibited a variable behaviour with an increase in the contact pressure. A scanning electron microscope was employed to observe the fretting scars and fracture surfaces of the specimens. This analysis showed that cracks originated at the contact surface and crack orientations were approximately ±56 ° from perpendicular to the loading direction.     

Wave propagation in coated cylinders with reference to fretting fatigue

Fretting fatigue is the phenomenon of crack initiation due to dynamic contact loading, a situation which is commonly encountered in mechanical couplings subjected to vibration. The study of fretting fatigue in high frequency regime has gained importance in recent years. However the stress wave effects at high frequency loading is scanty in the literature. The objective of present investigation is to study stress wave propagation in cylinders with reference to high frequency fretting. The case of a coated cylinder is considered since coating is often provided to improve tribological properties of the component. Rule of mixtures is proposed to understand the dispersion phenomenon in coated or layered cylinder knowing the dispersion relation for the cases of homogeneous cylinders made of coating and substrate materials separately. The possibility of stress wave propagation at the interface with a particular phase velocity without dispersion is also discussed. Results are given for two different thicknesses of coating.     

Fretting fatigue crack initiation mechanism in Ti–6Al–4V

Fretting fatigue crack initiation in titanium alloy, Ti?6Al?4V, was investigated experimentally and analytically by using finite element analysis (FEA). Various types of fretting pads were used in order to determine the effects of contact geometries. Crack initiation location and crack angle orientation along the contact surface were determined by using microscopy. Finite element analysis was used in order to obtain stress state for the experimental conditions used during fretting fatigue tests. These were then used in order to investigate several critical plane based multiaxial fatigue parameters. These parameters were evaluated based on their ability to predict crack initiation location, crack orientation angle along the contact surface and the number of cycles to fretting fatigue crack initiation independent of geometry of fretting pad. These predictions were compared with their experimental counterparts in order to characterize the role of normal and shear stresses on fretting fatigue crack initiation. From these comparisons, fretting fatigue crack initiation mechanism in the tested titanium alloy appears to be governed by shear stress on the critical plane. However, normal stress on the critical plane also seems to play a role in fretting fatigue life. At present, the individual contributions/importance of shear and normal stresses in the crack initiation appears to be unclear; however, it is clear that any critical plane describing fretting fatigue crack initiation behaviour independent of geometry needs to include components of both shear and normal stresses.