Lifetime assessment of the rear axle for an off-road vehicle in a fatigue test bench by means of the Peak Stress Method

Abstract In this study the Peak Stress Method (PSM) has been applied to fatigue assessment of welds an axle equipped in off-road vehicle. design welded joints, PSM is a FE-based method rapidly evaluate NSIFs relevant opening, sliding and tearing modes by means linear elastic peak stresses extracted from FE model. First, axle, which consists central body two lateral branches composed several plates tube, tested under vertical load test bench designed replicate frame-axle interface. Then, model calibrated simulate behaviour observed during test, where reaction forces strains at pre-defined locations have considered. Once calibrated, taking advantage automatic procedure, crack initiation location estimated. Finally, theoretical estimations compared with experimental datum.