Advanced Fatigue Analysis
The material that an article is made of has specific structural properties and these have to be known to determine whether it is the appropriate material for the job. Where a component is going to be subjected to continual cyclic vibrational loadings, fatigue analysis is required to determine how many of these cycles it can withstand before structural damage occurs. D3 Engineering Solutions performs fatigue analysis to prevent premature structural failure of components. Fatigue is defined as the stage at which structural damage occurs.
A great many factors influence a component’s ability to withstand fatigue. The most important is of course the material it is made of. Nooks and crannies also create stress concentrations where cracks may start to appear. In fact, any irregular surface finish may provide a starting point for cracks, which is why metal components subjected to high stresses have a smoothly polished finish. Even microscopic stress concentrations may spell the start of a crack.
Manufacturing processes may also add what is referred to as residual stresses, which were not present in the component beforehand. Welds may suffer from these stresses and this should be taken into account when analysing the fatigue of the component. The casting process also affects the stresses a component can withstand. Differences in cross sections, especially where these differences occur, may also decrease fatigue strength. It is an engineer’s aim to design a component to withstand all the stresses that act on it for its entire projected service life without failing.
D3 Engineering Solutions are fatigue analysis specialists. Contact us today to obtain more information on any of the other services we offer.