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Procedia Engineering 74 (2014) 392 396

XVII International Colloquium on Mechanical Fatigue of Metals (ICMFM17)

Rolling contact fatigue life assessment of induction hardened

raceway
Peter Gncza*, Sreko Glodeb
a,b

University of Maribor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia

Abstract
In this paper the assessment of the rolling contact fatigue life of an induction hardened raceway is presented. For determination of
the equivalent subsurface stress distribution field in the raceway, 3D numerical model of the contact between the through
hardened roller made of 100Cr6 steel and the surface hardened raceway made of 42CrMo4 was employed. The calculation of the
contact fatigue life of the raceway was then carried out in the stress-life regime. Additionally, alternative HCF parameters for the
42CrMo4 steel in compression were experimentally determined with pulsating compression tests. For the experimental validation
of computationally determined fatigue life of the induction hardened raceways, test specimens for RCF bench were manufactured
and their testing has started.

Elsevier
Ltd. Published
Open access
CC BY-NC-ND
license.
2014
2014 The
Authors.
byunder
Elsevier
Ltd.
Selection
and peer-review
peer-reviewunder
underresponsibility
responsibilityofofthethe
Politecnico
Milano,
Dipartimento
di Meccanica
Selection and
Politecnico
di di
Milano,
Dipartimento
di Meccanica.
Keywords: roller slewing bearings, rolling contact fatigue, 42CrMo4 steel.

1. Introduction
Slewing bearings are mechanical components used to connect large structures, while allowing relative rotation
and transmission of external loads between them. Although there are standardized calculation procedures for
conventional rolling element bearings [1, 2], they are not directly suitable for slewing bearings [3, 4]. One of the
reasons for that is the use of different steels and heat treatments in case of slewing bearings. Thus, rings of slewing
bearings are machined from high grade steels, such as 42CrMo4 [5] and are case hardened. By this, higher load
capacity and wear resistance of the raceways is achieved. This also results in with depth changing mechanical

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +386-2-220-7671

E-mail address: peter.goncz@um.si

1877-7058 2014 Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Meccanica
doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2014.06.286

Peter Gncz and Sreko Glode / Procedia Engineering 74 (2014) 392 396

393

properties of these rings. Because of this, different numerical computational approaches are usually used for both
static and dynamic load capacity determination of slewing bearing raceways.
In this paper, a computational procedure for determination of fatigue life of a roller slewing bearings raceway is
presented. First, a quasi-static numerical simulation of the roller raceway contact was used to determine the
subsurface equivalent amplitude stress in the raceway. Then the stress-life or high cycle fatigue (HCF) approach was
used to assess the raceways service life. Additionally, alternative high cycle parameters for steel 42CrMo4 were
experimentally determined to directly take the effect of compression mean stress for contact fatigue into account.
Finally, the experimental setup for fatigue life on a rolling contact fatigue bench in presented.
Nomenclature
b
c
E
N
Q
R

a
eq
f
m
u

[/]
[/]
[GPa]
[/]
[kN]
[/]
[/]
[MPa]
[MPa]
[MPa]
[MPa]
[MPa]

fatigue strength exponent; fully reversed cyclic loading (R = 1)

subscript for pulsating compression cyclic loading (R = )
Young's modulus
number of loading cycles
contact force
load ratio; Qmin/Qmax
Poisson's ratio
alternating stress
equivalent stress
fatigue strength coefficient; fully reversed cyclic loading (R = 1)
mean stress
ultimate tensile strength

2. Fatigue life assessment

2.1. Numerical model of the contact problem
The first step in the fatigue life assessment was the determination of the subsurface equivalent amplitude stress
(eq,a) distribution in the raceway at given contact force (Q) (Fig. 1a). A numerical model of the contact between the
roller and raceway was used for this. A 3D solid 1/4th symmetry model of the roller and raceway segment was
prepared in FEA software ABAQUS [6]. In the contact simulation a partially-crowned roller (type ZB [7]) with a
nominal length and diameter of 25 mm and profile curvature of 475 mm was used. For both parts in contact a linearelastic material model ( = 0.3, Eroll = 201 GPa and Erace = 207 GPa) was defined, while a hexahedral mesh was
applied on them. A normal contact without friction was defined between them (Fig. 1b).

Fig. 1. (a) 3D numerical model of the roller raceway contact; (b) resulting equivalent amplitude stress (eq,a) field.

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Peter Gncz and Sreko Glode / Procedia Engineering 74 (2014) 392 396

2.2. Fatigue life calculation

In this paper the stress-life approach was used to calculate the service life of the slewing bearings raceway. In
this approach the Basquins equation (Eq. 1) is usually used to describe the relation between the alternating stress
(a) and the number of loading cycles (N) until failure [8]. As the fatigue parameters f and b are experimentally
determined at fully reversed cyclic loading (R = 1) [9], the effect of non-zero mean stress must be considered, e.g.
with Goodmans relation (Eq. 2) [8]. Mises equivalent stress theory was used to consider the multiaxial stress field.

a(c) = f(c) ' (2 N )b( c )

a =

(1)

eq,a u

(2)

u eq,m

2.3. Experimental determination of HCF parameters in compression

There are different ways for the equivalent mean stress (eq,m) consideration (Eq. 2). Thus, it can be calculated as
the equivalent Mises stress (eq,m) [8], as the equivalent Mises stress with a negative sign (eq,m) [10], etc. To
directly include the mean stress effect in fatigue parameters for steel 42CrMo4 at contact fatigue (fc, bc), special
specimens (Fig. 2a) were subjected to pulsating compression loading (Fig. 2b) on a servohydraulic fatigue test
machine (Fig. 2c). The results of experiments for different hardnesses are presented in Fig. 3, together with fatigue
curves calculated on the basis of standard fatigue parameters (f, b) [10] and two equivalent mean stress
considerations.

fc' = 1162 Nmm-2

bc = 0.0077
ac = fc'(2N)
r = 0.414

800
600

Nizi1
failure
no
brezfailure
poruitve
+
N (+
Mises)
eq,m

N (-eq,m
Mises)

400

200

102

103
104
105
Load cycles- N [/]

a)

106

bc

1600
1400
1200
1000

fc' = 929 Nmm-2

bc = 0.0116
ac = fc'(2N)
r = 0.742

Alternating stress - a [MPa]

1600
1400
1200
1000

Alternating stress - a [MPa]

Alternating stress - a [MPa]

Fig. 2. (a) Specimen dimensions; (b) fully reversed (R = 1) and pulsating compression (R = F\FOLFORDGLQJFexperimental setup.

bc

800
600
400

200

failure
poruitev
no
failure
brez
poruitve
+N(+
Mises)
eq,m

N (Mises)
eq,m
102

103
104
105
Load cycles- N [/]

b)

1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600

ac = fc'(2N)
r = 0.602

bc

400
fc' = 685 Nmm-2
bc = 0,0374

200
106

failure
poruitev
brez
poruitve
no
failure
+
N (+
Mises)
eq,m

N (-eq,m
Mises)

102

103
104
105
Load cycles- N [/]

c)

106

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Peter Gncz and Sreko Glode / Procedia Engineering 74 (2014) 392 396
Fig. 3. Experimental N diagrams for steel 42CrMo4 in pulsating compression loading at (a) 56 HRC, (b) 45 HRC and (c) 28 HRC.

2.4. Computational results

The raceways fatigue life can be calculated on the basis of subsurface equivalent amplitude stress (eq,a) profiles
at different critical positions (y) along the roller raceway contact line. This method also allows to consider the
influence with depth (z) changing material properties of the case hardened raceways on the fatigue life. Fig. 4 shows
the influence of two different depths of case hardened layers on fatigue life at contact force Q = 92 kN. For the
smaller case depth the shortest fatigue life is at the transition between the case and the basic material (Fig. 4a),
whereas for the larger case depth the position of the minimal fatigue life is expected in the case hardened region
(Fig. 4b).
0,0

0,0
center
R=-1 (
(S+)
f', b; +eq,m)

-0,5
-1,5

rob

transition

center
R=-1 (
(S-)
f', b; eq,m)

-2,0

center

-2,5

edge
R=-1((S-)
robeq,m)
f', b;

-3,0
-3,5

center
(fc', bc)
R=-8 center

-4,0

R=-8(rob
edge
fc', bc)

-4,5
103

104

105

106

107

108

Load cycles - N

a)

109

edge
R=-1((S+)
f', b; +eq,m)

case

-1,5

rob
center
(f', b; eq,m)
R=-1 (S-)

-2,0

center

-2,5

transition

edge
R=-1((S-)
eq,m)
f', b; rob

-3,0
-3,5

R=-8 center
center
(fc', bc)

-4,0

basic mat.
102

center

-1,0

edge
R=-1((S+)
f', b; +eq,m)

Depth - z [mm]

Depth - z [mm]

-1,0

center
(f', b; +eq,m)
R=-1 (S+)

-0,5

center

case

basic mat.
R=-8(rob
edge
fc', bc)

-4,5
102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

Load cycles - N

b)

Fig. 4. Fatigue life profiles N(z) of the case hardened raceway at Q = 92 kN: (a) dcase = 1.5 mm and (b) dcase = 2.5 mm.

3. Conclusion
In the presented paper a service life assessment method of an induction hardened raceway of a large roller slewing
bearing is demonstrated. Alternative fatigue parameters (fc, bc) for steel 42CrMo4 in pulsating compression
loading (R = ) were experimentally determined and used for computational determination of fatigue life.
Additionally, two ways of equivalent mean stress considerations (eq,m ,eq,m) were used in combination with
standard fatigue parameters (f, b). Case hardened rolling contact fatigue (RCF) specimens from steel 42CrMo4
were manufactured and their experimental testing on a RCF bench is currently being carried out to validate the
herein presented service life assessment method.
References
[1] ISO 76. Rolling bearings - Static load ratings. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, 2006.
[2] ISO 281. Rolling bearings - dynamic load ratings and rating life. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, 2007.
[3] P. Gncz, M. Drobne, S. Glode, Computational model for determination of dynamic load capacity of large three-row roller slewing
bearings. Engineering Failure Analysis (2013), vol. 32, pp. 44-53.
[4] P. Gncz, R. Potonik, S. Glode, Computational model for determination of static load capacity of three-row roller slewing bearings with
arbitrary clearances and predefined raceway deformations. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences (2013), vol. 73, pp. 82-92.
[5] Catalog 390. Slewing rings/turntable bearings. Kaydon Corporation, 2010.
[6] Abaqus/CAE User's Manual (ver. 6.12), 2012, Dassault Systmes.
[7] Zylinderrollen / Technische Information, 2013, TIS Wlzkrpertechnologie GmbH.
[8] R. I. Stephens, A. Fatemi, R. R. Stephens, H. O. Fuchs, Metal Fatigue in Engineering, 2nd Edition: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2001.
[9] DIN 50113. Testing of metals; Rotating bar bending fatigue test. Deutsches Institut fr Normung e.V., Berlin, 1982.

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Peter Gncz and Sreko Glode / Procedia Engineering 74 (2014) 392 396
[10] S. Glode, R. Potonik, J. Flaker, Computational model for calculation of static capacity and lifetime of large slewing bearing's raceway.
Mechanism and Machine Theory (2012), vol. 47, pp. 16-30.