Applications for a New Production Technology: Analysis of Linear Flow-Split Linear Guides

Author(s):  
Ivan Karin ◽  
Nils Lommatzsch ◽  
Klaus Lipp ◽  
Volker Landersheim ◽  
Holger Hanselka ◽  
...  

Within the collaborative research centre 666 “Integral Sheet Metal Design with Higher Order Bifurcations” the innovative manufacturing technologies linear flow-splitting and linear bend-splitting are researched that allow the continuous production of multi-chambered steel profiles in integral style. The massive forming processes create an ultra-fine grained microstructure in the forming area that is characterized by an increased hardness and lower surface roughness compared to as received material. These properties predestine the technology to be used in the production of linear guides. Additionally, the multi-chambered structure of the linear flow-split and -bend components can be used for function integration. To design and evaluate linear guides that use the whole technological potential, the research is focused on a macroscopic and a microscopic point of view. The macroscopic approach is targeting the development of linear flow-split linear guides with integrated functions to provide additional performance values to the established machine parts. Continuously produced guidance systems with innovative functionality can be introduced to a new market with the technology push approach. Preliminary designs of linear flow-split guidance systems and integrated functions are promising. Therefore, an approach to develop new functions for linear flow-split linear guides basing on calculation models and property networks is shown [1]. With this approach, optimized solutions can be created and possible design modifications can be derived. In this contribution, the development and integration of a clamping function for decelerating the slide is presented. Calculation models for analyzing the functionality are presented and validated by finite element models and experiments. The microscopic examination of the profiles aims to investigate the material behavior, particularly of the formed areas. Beside the conventional mechanical and fatigue properties of linear flow-split material ZStE500 [2], the present work focuses on the rolling contact fatigue. This is necessary to evaluate linear flow-split components regarding their eligibility with regard to the rolling contact fatigue behaviour. The Hertz theory for rolling contact fatigue is only valid for homogeneous materials [3]. The flow-split material ZStE500 shows a non-homogeneous behaviour and has to be analyzed with the Finite Element Method in order to determine stresses and strains. In comparison to simulation results with unformed and therefore homogeneous material, the effect of linear flow-split surfaces on the rolling contact behavior is demonstrated. Based on these results, it is possible to start experimental investigations on rolling contact fatigue of linear flow-split components to validate the FE model and determine the performance of linear flow-split flanges for rolling contact fatigue.

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zamzam Golmohammadi ◽  
Farshid Sadeghi

A coupled multibody elastic–plastic finite element (FE) model was developed to investigate the effects of surface defects, such as dents on rolling contact fatigue (RCF). The coupled Voronoi FE model was used to determine the contact pressure acting over the surface defect, internal stresses, damage, etc. In order to determine the shape of a dent and material pile up during the over rolling process, a rigid indenter was pressed against an elastic plastic semi-infinite domain. Continuum damage mechanics (CDM) was used to account for material degradation during RCF. Using CDM, spall initiation and propagation in a line contact was modeled and investigated. A parametric study using the model was performed to examine the effects of dent sharpness, pile up ratio, and applied load on the spall formation and fatigue life. The spall patterns were found to be consistent with experimental observations from the open literature. Moreover, the results demonstrated that the dent shape and sharpness had a significant effect on pressure and thus fatigue life. Higher dent sharpness ratios significantly reduced the fatigue life.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Yuan Gao ◽  
Ping Wang ◽  
Yibin Liu ◽  
Jingmang Xu ◽  
Zhiguo Dong ◽  
...  

Flange bearing frogs are designed to provide continuous rolling surfaces for trains traveling on the through line, but the interaction between wheel and rail in a diverging line is more complex than that for a common crossing, especially including flange bearing mode and multipoint contact during the transition. The wheel load will be transited from tread to flange and back to tread, which will intensify the wheel-rail interaction. In this paper, a numerical procedure is presented for the analysis of wheel-rail rolling contact behavior and damage prediction for the flange bearing frog. The three-dimensional explicit finite element (FE) model of a wheel passing the flange bearing frog is established to obtain the dynamic wheel-rail interaction in both the facing and the trailing move. The evolution of contact forces, the distribution of adhesion-slip regions, and shear surface stress and microslip at the contact patch are revealed. Then, the competition relationship between RCF (rolling contact fatigue) and wear of a flange bearing frog is analyzed. The results of numerical simulations can contribute to an understanding of the mechanism of the transient rolling contact behavior and provide guidance in design optimization for flange bearing frogs.


Author(s):  
Mohamad Ghodrati ◽  
Mehdi Ahmadian ◽  
Reza Mirzaeifar

A micromechanical-based 2D framework is presented to study the rolling contact fatigue (RCF) in rail steels using finite element method. In this framework, the contact patch of rail and wheel is studied by explicitly modeling the grains and grain boundaries, to investigate the potential origin of RCF at the microstructural level. The framework incorporates Voronoi tessellation algorithm to create the microstructure geometry of rail material, and uses cohesive zone approach to simulate the behavior of grain boundaries. To study the fatigue damage caused by cyclic moving of wheels on rail, Abaqus subroutines are employed to degrade the material by increasing the number of cycles, and Jiang-Sehitoglu fatigue damage law is employed as evolution law. By applying Hertzian moving cyclic load, instead of wheel load, the effect of traction ratio and temperature change on RCF initiation and growth are studied. By considering different traction ratios (0.0 to 0.5), it is shown that increasing traction ratio significantly increases the fatigue damage. Also by increasing traction ratio, crack initiation migrates from the rail subsurface to surface. The results also show that there are no significant changes in the growth of RCF at higher temperatures, but at lower temperatures there is a measurable increase in RCF growth. This finding correlates with anecdotal information available in the rail industry about the seasonality of RCF, in which some railroads report noticing more RCF damage during the colder months.


Author(s):  
Christian Buzzi ◽  
◽  
Andreas Dutzler ◽  
Martin Leitner ◽  
◽  
...  

Railways can transport cargo and persons a great distance. The combination of high axle loads, and the rigid wheels and rails made of steel results in high stresses at the wheel-rail contact. These high stresses cause rolling contact fatigue. To prevent and to forecast the rolling contact fatigue, the knowledge of the stresses and their effect on the local damage are important. One possible way to achieve results of the stresses is based on a finite element analysis. The calculation of the rolling contact fatigue is conducted subsequently. This paper will present one possibility to implement the damage calculation into a finite element software and use the post-processing to enable a fast assessment of rolling contact fatigue on the surface and the adjacent volume of a rail.


2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditya A. Walvekar ◽  
Dallin Morris ◽  
Zamzam Golmohammadi ◽  
Farshid Sadeghi ◽  
Martin Correns

In this study, a new approach has been developed to simulate three-dimensional (3D) experimental rolling contact fatigue (RCF) spalls using a two-dimensional (2D) finite element (FE) model. The model introduces a novel concept of dividing the 3D Hertzian pressure profile into 2D sections and utilizing them in a 2D continuum damage mechanics (CDM) RCF model. The distance between the two sections was determined by the size of the grains in the material microstructure. The 2D RCF model simulates characteristics of case carburized steels by incorporating hardness gradient and residual stress (RS) distribution with depth. The model also accounts for the topological randomness in the material microstructure using Voronoi tessellation. In order to define the failure criterion for the current model, sub-surface stress analysis was conducted for the Hertzian elliptical contact. It was predicted that the high shear stress region near the end of the major axis of the contact is the cause of catastrophic damage and spall formation. This prediction was validated by analyzing the spalls observed during RCF experiments using a surface profilometer. The model was implemented to predict RCF lives for 33 random material domains for different contact geometry and maximum Hertzian pressures. The model results were then compared to the RCF experiments conducted on two different test rigs, a three-ball-on-rod and a thrust bearing test apparatus (TBTA). It was found that the RCF lives obtained from the model are in good agreement with the experimental results. The results also demonstrated that the spalls generated using the analytical results resemble the spalls observed in experiments.


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