Abstract
This research focuses on performing a root cause analysis of the untimely shaft failure in a gearbox utilized at a steel mill industry. The shaft failure occurred unexpectedly after approximately one year of service, which is significantly shorter than the anticipated working life of 4–5 years. To understand the reasons behind the early failure, the investigation encompassed a range of activities, including field examinations, interviews with production engineers and operators, as well as metallurgical examinations. From the results, it was determined that the shaft failure resulted from a fatigue fracture, which was evident from the presence of beach marks and striations on the fracture surface. In conclusion, the investigation confirms that the shaft failure resulted from a fatigue fracture, and the early failure was cause of significant stress concentration at the keyway corner and the step diameter. These conditions ultimately led to the initiation of fatigue cracks around the heat-affected zone of the weld, their propagation from the welded area, and ultimately the final fracture. When modifying existing machines by replacing critical components, a thorough analysis of possible consequences must be performed. This process should be approached with great care to ensure careful consideration of the potential outcomes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A.H.V. Pavan, K.S.N. Vikrant, M. Swamy, G. Jayaraman, Root cause analysis of bowl mills pinion shaft failures. Case Stud. Eng. Fail. Anal. 1, 103–109 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csefa.2013.04.010
V.B. Bhandari, Introduction to machine design. (Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi, 2005)
S. Netpu, P. Srichandr, Failure analysis of a reducer gearbox shaft. In Proceeding of International Conference on Materials and Metallurgical Technology, 24–25 June 2009, Surabaya, FA10-3.
F. Berndt, V.A. Bennekom, Pump shaft failure: a compendium of case studies. Eng. Fail. Anal. 8, 135–144 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1350-6307(99)00043-6
B.A. Miller, R.J. Shipley, R.J. Parrington, D.P. Dennies, ASM Metals Handbook. Failure Analysis and Prevention, vol 11 (1996)
L.-H. Zhao, Q.-K. Xing, J.-Y. Wanga, S.-L. Lic, S.-L. Zheng, Failure and root cause analysis of vehicle drive shaft. Eng. Fail. Anal. 99, 225–234 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2019.02.025
M.S. Anoop, S. Dhanesh, Failure analysis and design optimization of alternator shaft used in rail coaches. Mater. Today Proc. 45, 1403–1410 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.07.093
R. Negru, S. Muntean, N. Pasca, L. Marsavina, Failure assessment of the shaft of a pumped storage unit. Fatigue Fract. Eng. Mater. Struct. 37(2014), 807–820 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1111/ffe.12187
B.J. Hamrock, S.R. Schmid, B. Jacobson, Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 2nd edn. (McGraw-Hill Science Engineering, Columbus, 2005)
W. Harris, K. Birkitt, Analysis of the failure of an offshore compressor crankshaft. Case Stud. Eng. Fail. Anal. 7, 50–55 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csefa.2016.07.001
N. Hou, N. Ding, S. Qu, W. Guo, L. Liu, N. Xu, L. Tian, H. Xu, X. Chen, F. Zaïri, C.-M.L. Wu, Failure modes, mechanisms and causes of shafts in mechanical equipment. Eng. Fail. Anal. 99, 225–234 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2022.106216
S. Seifoori, A.M. Parrany, M. Khodayari, A high-cycle fatigue failure analysis for the turbocharger shaft of BELAZ 75131 mining dump truck. Eng. Fail. Anal. 166, 104752 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2020.104752
S. Tsutsumi, R. Fincato, P. Luo, M. Sano, T. Umeda, T. Kinoshita, T. Tagawa, Effects to weld geometry and HAZ property on low-cycle fatigue behavior of welded joint. Int. J. Fatigue. 156, 106683 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2021.106683
N.W. Sachs, Understanding the surface features of fatigue fractures: how they describe the failure cause and the failure history. J. Fail. Anal. Prev. 5, 11–15 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1361/15477020522924
Yao Teng Steel Brand Company, Hardening of AISI alloy steel 4140 (2023). https://www.astmsteel.com/product/aisi-alloy-4140-steel-bar/. Access 7 Apr 2023
Sun Bright Steel Industries Company, Hardening of AISI alloy steel 4140 (2023). https://sunbrightsteel.com/alloy/SAE-4140. Access 7 Apr 2023
West Yorks Steel Company, Hardening of AISI alloy steel 4140 (2023). https://www.westyorkssteel.com/alloy-steel/oil-and-gas/aisi-4140/. Access 7 Apr 2023
G. Demeneghi, K. Rodgers, C.H. Su, W.M. Medders, S. Gorti, R. Wilkerson, Root cause analysis of premature simulated life cycle failure of friction stir welded aluminum 2219. Eng. Fail. Anal. 134, 106059 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2022.106059
M. Savković, M. Gašić, D. Petrović, N. Zdravković, R. Pljakić, Analysis of the drive shaft fracture of the bucket wheel excavator. Eng. Fail. Anal. 20, 105–117 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2011.11.004
O. Asi, Fatigue failure of a rear axle shaft of an automobile. Eng. Fail. Anal. 13(8), 1293–1302 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2005.10.006
T. Nguyen, M. Romios, O.S. Es-Said, Failure of a conveyor trunnion shaft on a centrifuge. Eng. Fail. Anal. 11, 401–412 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2003.05.017
D.A. Serie, E.E. Niebles, S.K. Lascano, Failure analysis of fan motor shafts of a tunnel dryer. J. Fail. Anal. Prev. 18, 1053 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-018-0523-4
M.R. Hermawan, H. Sonawan, CASE STUDY: failure analysis of induced draft fan after serious inspection by overlay welding. Eng. Fail. Anal. 118, 104855 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2020.104855
Acknowledgments
The authors express their gratitude to S.H.K. Engineering Company Limited and Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon for supporting this study.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Netpu, S., Buapool, S. Fatigue Failure of the Input Shaft Used in Gearbox. J Fail. Anal. and Preven. 23, 1958–1966 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-023-01735-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-023-01735-3