Software for Plastic Deformation and Fatigue Analyses of Materials

Background

Plastic deformation is permanent deformation in a metal due to a sufficient load of stress, where fatigue is the weakening of a metal due to repeated loading. Mechanical components in machines are subjected to repeated forces over a desirable life time and fatigue failure is a major design concern. Methods to predict life and strength of a material are of great importance to engineering design.

Description

Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno have developed computer software to analyze the deformation and fatigue strength in the mechanical component to ensure its durability. The code implements a state-of-the-art cyclic plasticity model developed by the inventor as a user-defined subroutine for the finite element package ABAQUS. Post-processing software provides fatigue life predictions by implementing the inventor’s multiaxial fatigue criterion. Most of the current design methods for mechanical components are based on rough estimates of the stresses and strains and very simplified fatigue models.  The current software implements advanced deformation and fatigue models that allow for much more accurate analyses of material deformation and fatigue, which help optimize designs in machines and structures.

Advantages

• This code implements an advanced cyclic plasticity model that provides a more accurate cyclic plastic deformation  predictions of material compared to other commercially available software
• This code implements a robust multiaxial fatigue model for accurate fatigue life predictions of a structure
• This code can be incorporated into a larger software package for engineering design and evaluation of machine components with many potential users

Related Publications

• Jiang, Y. and Sehitoglu, H., 1996, "Modeling of Cyclic Ratchetting Plasticity: Part I---Development of Constitutive Equations," ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics, Vol.63, pp.720-725
• Jiang, Y., 2000, “A Fatigue Criterion for General Multiaxial Loading,” Fatigue and Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures, Vol.23, pp.19-32.
• Fan, F., Kalnaus, S., and Y. Jiang, Y., 2008, “Modeling of Fatigue Crack Growth of Stainless Steel 304L,” Mechanics of Materials, Vol.40, pp.961-973  

UNR18-008