Examination of the causes of a bucket wheel fracture in a bucket wheel excavator

Abstract A bucket wheel excavator failure occurred in a brown-coal mine. The failure was caused by a fractured shaft of the bucket wheel. An attempt to determine the causes of the bucket wheel shaft fracture has been made. To that end, the character of changing loads and their maximum amplitudes has been determined by performing measurements on the excavator. A discreet model of the shaft was built and a numerical simulation of the shaft operation using the FEM method was achieved. An analysis of the materials in the fracture area was also implemented. Macroscopic and microscopic images of the fracture area are provided. The shaft fracture was mainly caused by a non-metallic inclusion located below the surface of the shaft as a result of its being rolled. Moreover, it was discovered that the shaft had not been heat-treated.