| Issue |
Mechanics & Industry
Volume 27, 2026
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 3 | |
| Number of page(s) | 12 | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/meca/2025030 | |
| Published online | 24 February 2026 | |
Original Article
Fatigue lifespan of compliant planetary roller screws: multiscale modelling and stiffness measurements
1
Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France
2
Airbus Helicopters, Aéroport International Marseille Provence, 13725 Marignane CEDEX, France
* e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Received:
29
August
2025
Accepted:
5
November
2025
Abstract
Planetary roller screw mechanisms are rotation‐translation converters able to support high axial loads making them appealing for aerospace applications. Alternate loads but also rotation under constant load put a cyclic strain on the mechanism. In this context, fatigue failures may occur. A fatigue design strategy is proposed including mechanism compliance. The fatigue design is a modelling sequence that (i) analyses mechanism thread contact geometry, (ii) finds the non‐uniform load distribution at thread contacts along the mechanism axis, (iii) determines bulk and surface stress fields, (iv) computes the Dang‐Van's criterion for crack initiation. A minimal modelling of mechanism compliance is proposed for fatigue design applications. This modelling is validated with stiffness experiments on an inverted PRMS. Finally, the fatigue analysis of the considered PRSM shows that the mechanism compliance reduces the loading limits for infinite lifespan.
Key words: Planetary roller‐screw mechanism / PRSM / fatigue lifespan / load distribution
© J. Lepagneul et al., Published by EDP Sciences 2026
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