A method of fatigue strength testing of wheel rim fragments at the production process stage

The paper describes a method of accelerated fatigue strength testing of elements with the use of inertia forces. The presented test method is dedicated to the selected materials, constructions and joints used in the production of wheel rims for motor vehicles, tractors and special vehicles. The analysis of the fatigue process in machinery components and the evaluation of its state in terms of product quality control can be divided into: quasi-static analysis, resonance analysis, and the one generally used today – virtual fatigue analysis. Virtual analysis is applicable to new components and/or structures released to production according to the concept based on the interaction of theoretical and working models in the context of service life prediction. The purpose of this paper is to present a tool for examination, and a method allowing the identification of the beginning of the fatigue cracking process in structural components. The demonstrated method belongs to the destructive testing group. Cracking process analysis and identification is based on a multiparameter analysis of vibration signals in the amplitude-frequency domain. Inertia force is used in the test piece destruction process. The discussed method is applicable to a wide range of fatigue tests for structural components in the quality control process for materials and combinations of these materials. The method has been employed in the production of low-speed and special machinery wheel rims by Polkar Warmia Ltd.