Failure Analysis and Simulation Evaluation of an Al 6061 Alloy Wheel Hub
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TECHNICAL ARTICLE—PEER-REVIEWED
Failure Analysis and Simulation Evaluation of an Al 6061 Alloy Wheel Hub Weiwei Song . Jody L. Woods . Randall T. Davis . Jessica K. Offutt . Evan P. Bellis . Evan S. Handler . Charles K. Sullivan . Tonya W. Stone
Submitted: 23 February 2015 / in revised form: 28 April 2015 / Published online: 30 June 2015 Ó ASM International 2015
Abstract This paper details the failure analysis of a wheel hub from a student designed Formula SAEÒ race car that fractured at the roots of the rim finger attachment region. The wheel hub was identified to be manufactured from a rolled Al 6061 alloy. The experimental characterization included fracture surface analysis and microstructural analysis using scanning electron microscopy, as well as compressive stress–strain testing and micro-hardness testing to determine its mechanical properties. Analysis of the fractured surfaces of the hub revealed beach marks and striations, suggesting a fatigue failure. A kinematic model was developed to determine wheel hub loadings as defined by the car driving history. Detailed loads calculated from a kinematic equilibrium model and material properties obtained from the experiment results were used in a finite element model to simulate the stress distribution and fatigue life of the wheel hub. The wheel simulation results were consistent with the failure mode determined from the fractography study. Keywords Aluminum Fatigue failure Characterization Mg–Si precipitates Failure analysis Energy dispersive spectroscopy Striations
W. Song C. K. Sullivan T. W. Stone Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, Mississippi State University, 200 Research Boulevard, Starkville, MS 39759, USA W. Song J. L. Woods R. T. Davis J. K. Offutt E. P. Bellis E. S. Handler C. K. Sullivan T. W. Stone (&) Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mississippi State University, Box 9552, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA e-mail: [email protected]
Introduction In automotive industries, wheels are one of the most critical components and play a vital role in human safety [1]. Within the wheel component, the wheel hub is essential for attaching the wheels to vehicles. In past decades, wheel manufacturers have applied new materials and manufacturing technologies in order to improve the entire wheel’s esthetic appearance and design flexibility [1–3]. Aluminum alloys are widely used in automobile industries due to their excellent properties, such as lightweight, good forgeability, high wear resistance, and high mechanical strength [4]. As a result, greater than 50% of the new vehicles in North America are assembled with aluminum alloy wheels and hubs [5]. The stress distribution in a wheel hub is complex, and it depends on the wheel’s operating mode, assembly prestresses, and in-service stresses [1, 3]. The pre-stress is caused by the manufacturing process, such as pre-pressure applied to the hub. In-service stresses are the result of vertical static loads due to the weight of the vehicle and its passengers. Also dynamic loads c
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