8th International Research/Expert Conference Trends in the Development of Machinery and Associated Technology TMT 2004, Neum, Bosnia

a Herzegovina, 15-19 September, 2004

FEM-AIDED EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF FATIGUE PROPERTIES OF THERMOMECHANICALLY PROCESSED 34CRNIMO6 STEEL

Bohuslav Maek 1+2, Uwe Mahn1, Ji Malina1+2, Klra Dalkov2, Hana Stankov1+2, Jaroslav Drnek3, L.W. Meyer1 1 - University of Technology, Chemnitz Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Chemnitz Germany 2 - University of West Bohemia in Pilsen Pilsen Czech Republic 3 COMTES FHT, s.r.o. Borsk 47 Pilsen Czech Republic

ABSTRACT The study is aimed at investigating the impact of the notch effect on fatigue properties of thermomechanically treated very fine-grained 34CrNiMo6 steel. FEM analysis has been conducted on the equivalent and normal stresses along longitudinal axis of test specimen during rotating bending fatigue test.The experimentally determined stress concentration factor K has been compared with results achieved by numerical modelling. The fatigue limit has been measured by means of the rotating bending test on unnotched and notched specimens. The results are shown as S-N curves. Keywords: Fatigue, Fatigue Properties, FEM Simulation, Thermomechanical Treatment. 1. INTRODUCTION The last decade has been marked with great emphasis on special thermomechanical treatment (TMT) techniques for high strength low-alloyed steels. Low concentrations of alloying elements may effectively promote grain refinement, strengthening and increasing the of ductility in steels. Forming at lowered temperatures utilizes higher formability of material, while preserving the accuracy of cold forming operations. Some manufacturing operations may thus be reduced to a certain extent or even omitted. That is why new technologies may be developed for use with common structural materials, widening the range of their application. This study focused on 34CrNiMo6 medium carbon steel. Samples have been thermomechanically treated by controlled forging on a press. Notched and unnotched fatigue test specimens have been made of these samples. The value of stress concentration K in the notch, which has been found by analytical techniques, was compared with results of numerical simulation. Thermomechanically treated specimens have been tested by means of a rotating bending test and the fatigue limit of notched and unnotched specimens has been measured. Determination of notch-related stress concentration factor made it possible to compare results of fatigue tests on both types of specimens. 2. EXPERIMENTAL 2. 1 Experimental Material: 34CrNiMo6 Steel The experimental material (Table 1), 34CrNiMo6 steel, contains a cost-effective set of alloying agents, being used mostly as hardened material for dynamically stressed components.

Table 1. Chemical composition of 34CrNiMo6 steel with upper and lower limit Chemical composition [wt. %] Steel C Mn Si Cr Ni Mo Pmax 34CrNiMo6 0.32 0.40 0.50 0.80 0.15 0.40 1.30 1.70 1.30 1.70 0.20 0.30 0.035

Smax 0.035

2.2 Thermomechanical Treatment Cylindrical samples with the following dimensions were processed by controlled forging on a hydraulic laboratory press: diameter of 53 mm and height of 46 mm. Samples were soaked at 1100C for 60 minutes in an electric resistance furnace. Controlled forming entailed five drawing-out reductions by flat dies to achieve a square cross-section of 30 30 mm. The axis of cylindrical samples was thus parallel with die surfaces and the samples were rotated by 90 between reductions, which took place at specified intervals. Upon obtaining the said cross-section dimensions, the sample body was upset and the Figure 1. Microstructure of the as-forged specimen drawing-out procedure was repeated in six steps resulting in the cross section of 30 30 mm. Subsequent cooling down to 500C by pressure air for 180 seconds led to phase transformation. The specimen has been reheated to 1100C with soaking time of 600 s. Subsequently, six reductions were performed whereby the finish-forging temperature of 700C has been reached, upon which the specimen was oil-quenched. Tempering at 570C for 4 hours resulted in fine-grained bainite microstructure (Figure 1).

Figure 2. Standard rotating bending test specimen

Figure 3. Adapted rotating bending test specimen

2.3 Fatigue Testing

2.3.1 Specimens for Rotating Bending Test Standard specimens for the rotating bending test of 3 mm diameter and neck-down radius of 18 mm (Figure 2). Were created this shape of specimens eliminates structural notch effects in specimen loading. Practical considerations led to testing of the second specimen type: 2.8 mm diameter with a notch of 1 mm radius (Figure 3). The notch represents a stress raiser, which brings the test closer to practical conditions, where similar notches occur in actual components.

At the same time, emphasis was placed on obtaining similar effects on surface to those occurring under industrial conditions, yet minimise formation of toolmarks, which might act as micro-notches and minimising depth of mechanical disturbance of subsurface layers. Precise turning has been employed, where the notch shape was machined in stages. A small-radius tool was used for gradual removal of material, rather than necking down by a tool with a tip of the notch radius. This procedure has been selected in order to avoid excessive deformation of the surface and strengthening of material due to repetitive bending of specimen. 2.3.2 Determination of True Stress in the Vicinity of the Notch Notches in mechanically loaded components raise values of stress in their vicinity as compared with the unnotched state. Magnitude of this increase is typically described with the stress-concentration factor K. The stress-concentration factor K is expressed as the ratio of stress present in the notched specimen and the stress in the unnotched specimen:

K =

max , n

...(1)

where max is the maximum stress in the notch and n is the nominal stress. The stress-concentration factor K may also be expressed as:

K = 1+
where the parameters of the rotationalsymmetric test specimen under bending load are as follows: A = 0.25; B = 1.80 ; notch radius rK = 1 mm; diameter of the part d = 2,8 mm; and notch depth t = 0.6 mm (see the drawing of the test specimen in Fig. 3).

1 A(rK / t ) + B(2rK / d)(1 + 2rK / d) 2

[-],

...(2)

Unnotched reference specimen-above Specimen with radius of 18 mm Specimen with 1 mm- radius notch

y max [MPa] 216 194 320

eqv.max. [MPa] 216 192 295

Figure 4. Nomogram for determination of stress-concentration coefficient K in a rotational-symmetric notched part under

Figure 5. Distribution of equivalent and tensile stresses in longitudinal section of specimen under bending load modelled by means of FEM.

bending load. [1]

Upon substitution

K = 1+

1 0,25(1/ 0,6 ) + 1,8(2 / 2,8 )(1 + 2 / 2,8 )

2

= 1,5

...(3)

As shown above, the maximum value stress at the notch is K times higher than the nominal stress present in the unnotched specimen. The nomogram in Figure 4 is a graphical depiction of the relationship in the equation 1-2. The stress concentration factor K in notched test specimens is 1.5. This result has been confirmed by means of FEM simulation of the behaviour of the test specimens with three different shapes (Figure 5). The highest value of the stress concentration factor has also been found in a notched testing body, where the maximum stress was 1.5 times higher than that in unnotched specimens. 2.3.3 Rotating Bending Test The testing machine was SCHENCK PUP G type, featuring variable loading frequence between 0 and 70 Hz. The number of cycles to fracture has been recorded, as well the stress amplitude (Figure 6). The horizontal part of the S-N curve in the stress vs. logarithm of the number of cycles graph represents the sought fatigue limit c.
34CrNiMo6 - all specimens
850 800 750

A notchless specimens B notched specimens

Stress [MPa]

700 650 600 550 500 10.000

100.000 1.000.000 Number of cycles to failure log N [-]

10.000.000

Figure 6. S-N curves of 34CrNiMo6 steel unnotched and notched specimens 3. CONCLUSIONS The value of stress concentration factor K, which had been determined by means of analytical methods, is 1.5. Numerical modelling of behaviour of test specimens with three different shapes has been performed for comparison. Its results have shown that the maximum stress in notched specimens is 1.5 times higher than maximum stress in unnotched specimens. The fatigue limit measured by means of rotating bending fatigue test was 580 MPa in both notched and unnotched specimens. The presence of notch had an impact on the slope of the S-N curve and slight influence on the point of slope discontinuity. REFERENCES
[1] Betz, A.: Htte des Ingenieurs Taschenbuch - Physikhtte, Mechanik; Verlag von Wilhelm Ernst & Sohn, Berlin-Mnchen-Dsseldorf, 1971, ISBN 3-433-005125