An analysis of fretting-fatigue failure combined with numerical calculations to predict crack nucleation

Abstract

In order to better understand the problem of fretting-fatigue of components, a testing methodology to derive fretting-fatigue maps was developed and successfully established on a high strength steel under dry contact (cylinder pads against a flat specimen). These achievements have shed a new light on the interpretation of fretting-fatigue data and their transposition to industrial applications with the understanding of the accommodation mechanisms. As long as the fatigue resistance of a structural component is concerned, the crack nucleation and propagation regime is the most dangerous one. There is a need for quantitative guidelines to predict this regime. An approach using an elastoplastic finite element analysis with contact elements was undertaken for this purpose. This paper deals with this approach to simulate the mechanical contact conditions as evidenced by fretting-fatigue maps and describes how it handles Dang Van criterion to predict the failure of the specimens. The calculation results are in good agreement with the experimental fretting-fatigue maps.