To improve fuel economy, the automotive manufacturers have been gradually incorporating lighter gage, higher strength sheet steels. For the same fatigue loads, the operating stresses of these spot-welded lighter-gage sheets will be greater causing a concomitant reduction in fatigue life. This paper describes the results of a program using fracture-mechanics concepts to determine the fatigue life of spot-welded connections of various stiffness. A model is developed which predicts the fatigue life, and shows that life increases with increasing joint stiffness. Two types of fatigue cracking were observed and found to be competing throughout the fatigue life. The type of cracking dominating the final failure was also related to the joint stiffness.


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    Title :

    A fracture-mechanics and system-stiffness approach to fatigue performance of spot-welded sheet steels


    Additional title:

    Annaeherung an die Lebensdauer punktgeschweisster Stahlbleche ausgehend von der Bruchmechanik und von Steifigkeitsparametern


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1983


    Size :

    11 Seiten, 10 Bilder, 4 Tabellen, 17 Quellen


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English




    A Fracture-Mechanics und System-Stiffness Approach to Fatigue Performance of Spot-Welded Sheet Steels

    Davidson,J.A. / Imhof,E.J. / US Steel Corp.,Res.Lab.,US | Automotive engineering | 1983



    A Review of the Fatigue Properties of Spot-Welded Sheet Steels

    Davidson, James A. | SAE Technical Papers | 1983



    The effect of tensile Strength on the fatigue life of spot- welded sheet steels

    Davidson,J.A. / Imhof,E.J. / US Steel,US | Automotive engineering | 1984