Structural durability assessment of a developed prototype is one of the last stages before an agricultural machine reaches the market. Agricultural machinery manufacturers are trying to reduce the required time and the financial resources of this stage. Accelerated structural testing using real-life measurements and test facilities can help towards this aim. In this paper a number of strain gages were attached at critical points on a four-rotor swather. Measurements were acquired under all possible operating modes of the machine. Combining the rain-flow cycle counting algorithm with Palmgren-Miner linear damage rule, the accumulated fatigue damage was evaluated. Since it was not possible to acquire all types of loads that the swather will face during its service life, the most damaging rainflow matrices were extrapolated. The test facilities of the German Agricultural Society were utilised to conduct the accelerated testing. A test design optimisation method was used based on the accumulated damage values of the measured points. Following the presented methodology, a time acceleration factor of almost 3.5 was achieved.
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