Applying Fracture Mechanics to the Design of Low-Alloy Steel Castings

摘要

A crawler shoe case study illustrates how designers can use fracture mechanics to avoid over-designing and over-specifying a casting, which will reduce part cost. Many times, castings are rejected because of a flaw that may not influence the performance or life of the part. They are rejected or repaired as a conservative way to make sure the part won't fail when in service. By analyzing fracture mechanics designers can not only optimize the geometry of a casting, they may also be able to determine whether a flaw is truly detrimental, possibly saving thousands of dollars on scrapping or repair.