Fatigue Testing of Vehicle Components

Abstract

By far the greater part of the vehicle manufacturer's testing programme is carried out on components or assemblies operating under similar conditions to those of specific requirements in service. Accelerated test procedures can produce in a few days results which would otherwise necessitate running many thousands of road miles. This method of testing has resulted in the development of specialized equipment together with the more versatile rigs which can be used for a multitude of purposes.

To ensure true comparison and reproducibility of results, test procedures must be concise and based on service experience. Considerable attention must be given to failures which might either be reported from the field or occur during the normal course of the vehicle development so that a service background can be built up thus enabling ‘road miles’ to be closely related to ‘test cycles’.

The fatigue testing of a number of components and assemblies is discussed together with the development of test procedures and testing methods. The parts covered are in the main those that are the more highly stressed and therefore more likely to be subject to fatigue failure.