Regular Article

Fatigue life prediction of joggle weld joint using virtual strain gauge and its validation through experiments

¹ School of Mechanical Engineering, VIT University, Vellore 632014, India
² School of Mechanical and Buidling Science, VIT University, Chennai 600127, India
³ The Automotive Research Association of India S. No. 102, Vetal Hill, Kothrud, Pune 411038, India

^* e-mail: atulrdeshmukh@gmail.com

Received: 5 June 2017
Accepted: 26 November 2018

Abstract

This paper highlights fatigue life prediction and interactions between weld design parameters and their effect on joggle weld joint using the virtual strain gauging and its validation through experimental testing. Based on the concept of linear elastic fracture mechanics, the effects of weld geometry, load conditions and the boundary constraints on the fatigue strength of joggle weld joint are investigated using the finite element analysis. Response surface methodology is used to evaluate the influences of three weld joint parameters: plate thickness (Pt), root gap (Rg) and load (Ld) on normal stress (St) and fatigue life (Lf). Main effect plot shows that the plate thickness and the load are important parameters affecting the normal strain and fatigue life, whereas root gap influences the fatigue life only up to 2 mm, but no influence on fatigue life is observed after 3 mm of root gap. Experimental results show that the presence of secondary bending affects the experimental values of fatigue life. Contour plot and regression equation are used to study the effects of weld joint parameters on normal stress and fatigue life.