Fatigue life prediction of automotive steel wheel using damage mechanics

In automotive steel wheel fatigue tests, the dynamic bending fatigue life test is the most important durability test of wheel prototype verification. In this paper, an economic and practical method is proposed to simulate wheel bending fatigue test and to predict the fatigue life. The proposed method is based on finite element analysis and continuum damage mechanics. To simulate the actual fatigue test, bolt pre-tightening forces are realized by the combination of prets179 and nodes coupling, and rotating force is applied to the moment arm tip every 15 degree. Based on the fatigue damage accumulation model of damage mechanics, the bending fatigue prediction is carried through. By the comparison with bending fatigue test, it is shown that the numerical analysis results are good agreement with those of the actual test.