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Fatigue Failure of Hold!Down Bolts For A Hydraulic Cylinder Gland

The hold-down bolts for a hydraulic cylinder gland in an aircraft failed due to fatigue. Three of the four bolts broke during a trial run, causing the gland to leak. Examination of the fracture surfaces found that failure initiated at machining marks or assembly hole edges and propagated through the bolts. Stress calculations determined the maximum stress was below the material tensile strength. Remedial measures proposed included increasing the distance between assembly holes and shoulders, improving radii, using thread rolling instead of cutting, and forging the bolt shape.

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Luis Silva Navarro
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60 views

Fatigue Failure of Hold!Down Bolts For A Hydraulic Cylinder Gland

The hold-down bolts for a hydraulic cylinder gland in an aircraft failed due to fatigue. Three of the four bolts broke during a trial run, causing the gland to leak. Examination of the fracture surfaces found that failure initiated at machining marks or assembly hole edges and propagated through the bolts. Stress calculations determined the maximum stress was below the material tensile strength. Remedial measures proposed included increasing the distance between assembly holes and shoulders, improving radii, using thread rolling instead of cutting, and forging the bolt shape.

Uploaded by

Luis Silva Navarro
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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En`ineerin` Failure Analysis\ Vol[ 4\ No[ 2\ pp[ 130Ð135\ 0887

\ Pergamon
Þ 0887 Elsevier Science Ltd[ All rights reserved
Printed in Great Britain
0249Ð5296:87 ,08[99 ¦ 9[99

PII] S0249Ð5296"86#99924Ð5

FATIGUE FAILURE OF HOLD!DOWN BOLTS FOR A


HYDRAULIC CYLINDER GLAND

C[ TAO\ N[ XI\ H[ YAN and Y[ ZHANG


AVIC Failure Analysis Center\ PO Box 70!3\ Beijing\ 099984\ P[R[ China

"Received 11 September 0886#

Abstract*A hydraulic!cylinder gland system used in aircraft failed by leaking because the hold!down bolts
broke in the course of a trial run[ The metallographic examination of the fracture surface and the stress
calculations for the bolts are described in this article[ The investigation showed that the failure was caused by
fatigue and the reason for failure was considered in relation to the processing\ surface condition and assembly
of the bolts[ Measures to increase the fatigue strength of the bolts are proposed[ Þ 0887 Elsevier Science Ltd[
All rights reserved[

0[ INTRODUCTION

A hydraulic!cylinder gland system used in aircraft failed by leaking in the course of a trial run[ The
gland was _xed with one hold!down and four hold!down bolts[ Three of the four bolts broke in
service[ The bolts were manufactured by turning and threading from 06!3PH steel[ The nominal
composition of 06!3PH is 9CrÐ06NiÐ3CuÐ3Nb and typical mechanical properties are yield strength
s9[1  0199 MPa\ tensile strength sb  0299 MPa after solution heat treatment at 0939>C\ then
water quenching and tempering for 3 h at 384>C[ This paper describes an analysis of the nature and
the causes of fracture as well as preventive measures for avoiding fatigue failure of the hold!down
bolts[

1[ METALLOGRAPHIC EXAMINATION

A schematic drawing of the hold!down and bolts is shown in Fig[ 0[ The positions of the hold!
down bolts are indicated by 0è\ 1è\ 2è and 3è[ Each bolt head was cross drilled with two assembly
holes at right angles to one another[ The 2è bolt broke away in the middle of the threaded portion[
The 0è and 1è bolts broke away in the head between the assembly holes and the shoulder transition
radius[ General views of the fracture surfaces taken in the scanning electron microscope are shown
in Fig[ 1[
The fracture surface "Fig[ 1"a## of the 2è bolt was characteristic of a typical fatigue fracture\ i[e[
there was a crack initiation zone\ a fatigue crack propagation zone and a _nal ductile fracture zone[
The fatigue crack initiated at one position in the thread root at a machining mark[ The crack
propagated towards the far edge of the thread[ The origin zone was rough "Fig[ 2# and had many
radial lines[ The propagation zone was smooth and there were distinct fatigue striations "Fig[ 3#[ In
comparison with the fatigue surface\ the _nal ductile zone was smaller and was around 19) of the
total cross sectional area[ According to the above!mentioned features\ the fracture surface is
characteristic of fatigue[ The _nal ductile fracture zone was typically dimpled[ No material defects
were found in the fatigue origin zone[
The fracture surfaces of the 0è and 1è bolts initiated at the edges of the assembly holes\ as shown
in Fig[ 1"b# and Fig[ 1"c#[ A schematic of the fatigue fracture sites is shown in Fig[ 4[ The cracks
obviously propagated towards the root of the bolt until the remaining cross section became unable
to support the load and failed by fast fracture[ In comparison with the macro!fracture surface of 2è

 Author to whom correspondence should be addressed[

130
131 C[ TAO et al[

Fig[ 0[ Schematic of hold!down and bolts "numbered 0Ð3#[

Fig[ 1[ Fracture surfaces of bolts[ "a# 0è^ "b# 1è^ "c# 2è[ Fracture origins are marked with an arrow[

bolt\ the fracture surfaces of bolts 0è and 1è were rather rough with propagation radial lines\ but
no fatigue beach marks[ However\ the photographs of the fracture surfaces taken in the SEM at
high magni_cation showed that there were fatigue striations "Fig[ 5#[ Mixed zones between the
dimples and the fatigue striations existed in the fracture surfaces of bolts 0è and 1è[
Fatigue failure of hold!down bolts 132

Fig[ 2[ Fatigue origin zone of 2è bolt[

Fig[ 3[ Fatigue striations in fatigue propagation zone of 2è bolt[

Fig[ 4[ Schematic of fracture position of 0è and 1è bolts[


133 C[ TAO et al[

Fig[ 5[ Photographs of the fracture surfaces taken in the SEM[ "a# 0è^ "b# 1è[

2[ STRESS ACTING ON THE BOLTS

Consider that the platform and the shell of the hydraulic cylinder are rigid because of su.cient
thickness[ The forces acting on the bolts "Fig[ 6#[ are tensile stresses produced by the changes of oil
pressure in the working condition[

Fig[ 6[ Forces acting on the bolts[


Fatigue failure of hold!down bolts 134

Fig[ 7[ Stress acting on the fracture surface for 0è and 1è bolts[

2[0[ Stress "sth# actin` on the thread root


First\ the e}ect of stress concentration was not considered[ The stress acting on the minimum
section of the bolt\ i[e[ the minor diameter\ d0  3[023 mm\ was the maximum[ The oil pressure
transmitted by the hold!down platform "d1  33[06 mm# was borne by four bolts[ The maximum
oil pressure Pmax was 2[31 MPa[ Take the static estimation as follows]
d 11 33[061
Pp Pp
3 3
sth    17[4P\ "0#
d 10 p3[0231
3p
3
giving
sth[max  17[4Pmax  86[4 MPa[ "1#
The fatigue strength of the alloy is much greater than sth[max and the bolts should not fail from
the thread root if there is a good surface _nish\ low stress concentration and absence of tensile
residual stress[
The result of tensile tests for the same group of bolts showed that sb was around 0159 MPa[ This
showed that the maximum stress was about 0:02 of tensile strength of material even in the minimum
section[

Fig[ 8[ Comparison of fracture surfaces for "a# tensile fracture\ and "b# 2è bolt fatigue fracture[
135 C[ TAO et al[

2[1[ Stress actin` between assembly hole and bolt root


It is known from Fig[ 4 that 0è and 1è bolts fractured at the location between the assembly holes
and the bolt root[ Assume that the fracture surfaces were circular cones and were acted on by a
uniform tensile stress s "Fig[ 7#[
On this basis\ smax is comparable to the value obtained above for sth[max[ However\ the load!
bearing area is reduced by the presence of the assembly holes\ and there are appreciable stress
concentration factors at the various changes in cross!section[ However\ a tensile test to fracture of
the bolt showed that the threaded portion was still the weakest element with respect to static loading
"Fig[ 8#[

3[ REMEDIAL MEASURES

"0# Increase the distance between the shoulder and the assembly holes "dimension h in Fig[ 4#[
"1# Increase the radius of the _ller between the head and shank of the bolt[
"2# Use thread rolling instead of threading for manufacturing the thread form[
"3# Consider the use of forging for producing the basic bolt shape[

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