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Material analysis of the fatigue mechanism of rollers in tapered roller bearings

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Abstract

Rolling contact fatigue is the main failure mechanism of tapered roller bearings. This study investigated the fatigue mechanism of rollers in a tapered roller bearing that failed in a run-to-failure test. Roller microstructure and crack morphology were investigated through scanning electron microscopy. A microhardness test was performed to investigate the strain hardening of the roller material induced by rolling contact fatigue. Results showed that microcavities and holes are important influential factors of crack initiation and propagation. Crack propagation angle affects crack morphology and propagation mode. Material strain hardening accelerates crack growth. Furthermore, roller misalignment causes uneven hardenability and severe damage to roller ends.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, China

    Wei Guo, HongRui Cao, YanYang Zi & ZhengJia He

Authors
  1. Wei Guo
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  2. HongRui Cao
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  3. YanYang Zi
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  4. ZhengJia He
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Correspondence to HongRui Cao.

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Guo, W., Cao, H., Zi, Y. et al. Material analysis of the fatigue mechanism of rollers in tapered roller bearings. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 61, 1003–1011 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-017-9249-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-017-9249-2

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