An extensive experimental and computational activity has been performed within GM Powertrain Europe with the aim of replacing a steel crankshaft with a cast iron one in a high-performance automotive Diesel engine. By means of preliminary finite-element (FE) simulation analysis, the critical sections of the crankshaft have been identified and subsequently strain-gauges have been installed, in such locations on a prototype crankshaft. Bending and torsion stresses in the selected points have been then measured on a firing engine, so to correlate and calibrate the crankshaft mathematical model outputs with actual results. A reliable mathematical model was therefore set-up and extensively applied for Virtual Validation, by means of DOE (Design Of Experiment), FLP (Fatigue Life Prediction) and DFSS (Design For Six Sigma) approaches. The activities described above, together with GM standard components reliability verification, demonstrated the feasibility of this technical solution and provided a powerful design and validation technique in the framework of the ongoing migration from 'road to rig to math'.
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