Fatigue Failure Analysis of a Speed Reduction Shaft
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Background and Information of the Failure
3. Experimental Methods
4. Failure Analysis and Experimental Results
4.1. Visual Observation
4.2. Chemical Analysis
4.3. Fractographic Analysis
4.4. Metallographic Analysis
4.5. Mechanical Properties
4.6. Metallurgical Deffects
5. Conclusions
- The fractography revealed the presence of beach marks and crack nucleation on the fracture surface. The SEM analysis showed ratchet marks, secondary cracks, and fatigue striations. All this evidence confirmed that the shaft was fractured by fatigue.
- The shaft material was similar to the standard of chemical composition of AISI/SAE 4320 steel; however, the tensile tests revealed that the ductility, expressed by the elongation of 17.5%, was less than the range of variation of the specification (21–29).
- The material presented a huge number of inclusions present in the metallic matrix of the fracture surface. Specifically, the study found the length of the inclusions to be above the value of the critical inclusion size parameter, which indicates that the inclusions acted as nucleation points of cracks. The EDS analysis gave evidence that these inclusions were manganese sulfide (MnS) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and that they were responsible for the decrease in the ductility of the alloy.
- The hardened surface was not uniform and thick enough along the section of the shaft, presenting a thin layer of bainite followed by a low resistance ferrite banded structure up to the phase boundary line, indicating an inadequate heat treatment. In view of the great difference in the hardness of the microstructures, a high possibility of crack growth occurred at their interfaces.
6. Recommendations
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Shaft Diameter (mm) Input/Output | Transmission Ratio | Speed (RPM) Input/Output | Power (HP) Reducer/Required |
---|---|---|---|
50.8/101.6 | 16 | 1170/73.1 | 119/94 |
Element | Surface, (%) (Hardening Surface) | Core, (%) | Specification AISI/SAE 4320 [22] |
---|---|---|---|
C | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.17–0.22 |
Si | 0.23 | 0.23 | 0.15–0.30 |
Mn | 0.55 | 0.55 | 0.45–0.65 |
P | 0.009 | 0.009 | 0.030 Max |
S | 0.004 | 0.006 | 0.040 Max |
Cr | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.40–0.60 |
Mo | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.20–0.30 |
Ni | 1.77 | 1.78 | 1.65–2.00 |
Cu | 0.077 | 0.077 | 0.35 Max |
Al | 0.006 | 0.006 | |
Fe | Balance | Balance | Balance |
A (Sulfide) | B (Alumina) | C (Silicate) | D (Globular Oxide) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thin series | Heavy series | Thin series | Heavy series | Thin series | Heavy series | Thin series | Heavy series |
0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Spectrum | Mn | Si | S | Cr | Ni | C | O | Ti | Al | Fe |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 27.32 | 20.45 | 1.31 | 0.24 | 0.32 | 0.53 | 1.50 | 3.30 | 45.04 | |
2 | 1.13 | 0.77 | 0.21 | 0.45 | 7.16 | 90.27 |
Heading | Yield Strength (MPa) | Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa) | Elongation (%) | Reduction of Area (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Shaft steel | 591.3 ± 24.47 | 747.3 ± 9.11 | 17.5 ± 1.64 | 56.4 ± 1.36 |
AISI/SAE 4320 [22] | 430–460 | 570–790 | 21–29 | Min 51 |
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Miranda, R.S.; Cruz, C.; Cheung, N.; Cunha, A.P.A. Fatigue Failure Analysis of a Speed Reduction Shaft. Metals 2021, 11, 856. https://doi.org/10.3390/met11060856
Miranda RS, Cruz C, Cheung N, Cunha APA. Fatigue Failure Analysis of a Speed Reduction Shaft. Metals. 2021; 11(6):856. https://doi.org/10.3390/met11060856
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiranda, Rodrigo S., Clarissa Cruz, Noé Cheung, and Adilto P. A. Cunha. 2021. "Fatigue Failure Analysis of a Speed Reduction Shaft" Metals 11, no. 6: 856. https://doi.org/10.3390/met11060856