Energy Parameter Correlation of Failure Life Data between Cyclic Ball Indentation and Low Cycle Fatigue

Abstract

Material properties provide important information about the fatigue life which makes life extension of critical components in various industries possible. The conventional methods of determining tensile strength and fatigue life through ASTM or equivalent standard specimen have their limitations due to size requirements of test specimen. Automated Ball Indentation (ABI) is a semi-invasive technique that is useful for determining the material properties. A tungsten carbide ball of diameter 1.57 mm is used to load the test specimen and the force vs. displacement response is used to estimate material properties. Methods have been formulated in the past to predict the fatigue life of the specimen by correlating Cyclic Indentation and Low Cycle fatigue data. In this work, investigation of the role of plastic dissipation energy in failure and its correlation for the two processes by Finite Element simulations in ABAQUS is attempted. Results such as force vs. displacement response, residual depth and plastic diameter with Haggag’s [1] formulation and experimental results are validated first. Then, the plastic dissipation energy density, which is a comparable parameter, is plotted for both Cyclic Indentation and Low Cycle Fatigue. A reasonably good correlation is obtained which also validates the failure life predicted from knee-point approach. Dependence of the pile-up profile of variables such as method of loading and the friction between the contacting bodies is also discussed.