Design of a device for measuring contact fatigue behaviour of materials

• Main Author: Tay, Lian Joo
• Other Authors: Liu Erjia
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/60953
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This report explored the design of an experimental setup for measuring contact fatigue behaviour of materials. Contact fatigue is a concern for many mechanical elements subject to contact loading, including many components in aerospace applications. Many components with contact loading are enhanced using surface coatings. This design aims to create a standalone testing device for measuring contact fatigue properties of metallic coatings, and facilitate future study into the quality and characterization of material coatings. The report reviewed the fundamental principles of Hertzian contact and the existing experimental set-ups used in contact fatigue testing. A systematic design analysis was conducted, starting from conceptual design and functional analysis to embodiment design and detailed design. Three concept designs were proposed and evaluated. The selected design was refined through several design iterations with key components specified and options identified for the next phase of implementation. This report included full engineering drawings of all the components and the design discussed in terms of its functionality, bill of materials and total cost for implementation. As the first stage of the project, a part of the design was prototyped and recommendations for the following phase of implementation were proposed.