Evaluation of calculation methods for determining the fatigue strength of deep rolled press-fit connections
摘要
Press-fit connections are widely used shaft-hub connections in gearbox design. Rising power density and cost-efficiency requirements necessitate improved utilisation of load-bearing capacity in critical shaft regions. Deep rolling offers an effective means to introduce beneficial residual stresses and enhance fatigue strength while being easily integrated into manufacturing processes.
Designing deep rolled shafts commonly relies on integral approaches such as DIN 743 or the FKM guideline, which model strengthening through the surface hardening factor KV. Differentiated approaches, particularly the FVA guideline, incorporate the actual residual stress state and therefore promise higher predictive accuracy. This study evaluates these concepts through extensive experiments on deep rolled press-fit connections with and without undercuts under rotating bending, cyclic torsion, and rotating bending with superimposed quasi-static torsion.
The results show notable discrepancies between the calculation methods. The FVA guideline provides the most accurate predictions of component fatigue safety, whereas integral concepts exhibit systematic deviations due to their insufficient consideration of axial residual stresses—identified as the primary mechanism driving strength increases. Moreover, torsional loading yields significantly lower strengthening potential than rotating bending, reflecting the different effectiveness of residual stresses in the critical cross-section.
The findings demonstrate the advantages of differentiated approaches for assessing deep rolled press-fit connections and provide a robust experimental basis and supporting simulation models for improving future fatigue design methodologies.