Optimization of the fatigue life test duration of passenger car rims

Passenger car rims are one of the most critical components that its safety factor also must be taken into consideration in the design stage as they are subjected to varying stresses under static and dynamic loads as well as the visual impact it creates. In today's world, aluminum alloy wheels are especially used as passenger car rims due to their advantages such as high impact resistance, low weight and high strength. Wheels are expected to pass a variety of mechanical performance tests standardized by automotive and wheel manufacturers to verify the design in the process. One of the most traditional and most timeconsuming performance tests of the wheels, the dynamic fatigue and life test is performed approximately 1500 times in a year. Within the scope of this study, it is aimed to improve the cycle time of the dynamic fatigue and life test by making use of the outputs to be taken from the finite element analysis program conditioned that the number of life cycles of the rim does not decrease and the amount of damage occurring on it does not increase. In this study, which is based on obtaining component S-N curve of the rim with experimental and numerical methods, two methods have been emphasized in order to improve cycle time. These methods include increasing the speed of the test machine and increasing the bending moment applied to the rim in a controlled manner and completing the life test in a shorter time. The effects of the increase in the speed of the test machine on the fatigue life of the rim were examined experimentally and the cycle time of the test was improved. At the same time, the bending moment was increased in a controlled manner by using component S-N curve of the rim. Due to the increase in torque, the rim has been damaged in the minimum number of cycles that the customer has set as a criterion and the fatigue life test is completed in a much shorter time.