The Problems of Fretting Fatigue Testing

Abstract

Fretting fatigue testing usually arises as the result of some failure which it is imperative to overcome either by a modified design or application of some surface treatment. In such cases the test rig is usually designed to replicate the actual situation as closely as possible (e.g., a press fit or riveted joint) with environmental conditions as near to those occurring in practice (e.g., high temperature or a marine atmosphere). In laboratory testing the purpose is much wider, and usually entails, for instance, the assessment of different materials for their susceptibility to fretting damage, or the effect of variables such as clamping load, amplitude of slip and frequency, in particular environmental conditions. The type of fatigue test is very relevant (i.e., whether the response is the same in rotating-bending, push-pull or torsion, and whether in the latter two cases, a mean stress is applied). The nature of the contact is also material (i.e., whether it is flat-on-flat or cylinder-on-flat, or even crossed cylinder). How is the clamping stress to be applied? If by a proving ring, then the pressure can change according to whether the debris is trapped or can escape; a dead weight method might be preferable. Surface finish and residual stress are factors which must be taken into account. All these matters must be considered in devising a recommended testing procedure.

Analysis of Widespread Fatigue Damage in Aerospace Structures

“…While experimental research into fretting fatigue has been conduced for decades [24,33], the debate over a standard for fretting fatigue testing continues unabated, as summarized by Waterhouse [32]. Driving this discord is the difficulty in devising a single test or apparatus to capture the complex mechanical and environmental conditions driving fretting damage present in even seemingly basic mechanical systems.…”

“…Wear 221 (1998) [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] Observation, analysis and prediction of fretting fatigue in 2024-T351 aluminum alloy …”

A fretting damage correction factor applicable to the McDiarmid criterion of plain high‐cycle fatigue

“…Since the 1970s and 1980s, the published experimental procedures and equipment have settled on a small number of geometrical combinations and load regimes. 3 Until now, the only available engineering standard for fretting fatigue testing has been developed by the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. 4, 5 One of the first criteria, which was applicable for fatigue prediction of dovetail joints, was published by Ruiz in the 1980s.…”

Investigation into relative slip during fretting fatigue under partial slip contact condition

“…Initiation and growth of the nucleated crack is accelerated by increased cyclic contact stresses. Unexpected and/or premature failures under fretting fatigue have been observed in many structural components at applied stress levels well below the plain fatigue performance of material 1,2 …”

“…Unexpected and/or premature failures under fretting fatigue have been observed in many structural components at applied stress levels well below the plain fatigue performance of material. 1,2 The process of crack nucleation and initiation is critical in understanding fretting fatigue behaviour, since fretting fatigue crack generally remains hidden under the contacting bodies until it starts growing away from them, only then it can be monitored with ease. A number of researchers [3][4][5][6][7][8][9] have suggested that relative slip is a key factor, which dominates the crack nucleation and initiation process.…”