Rolling Contact Fatigue Life Assessment of Induction Hardened Raceway

Abstract In this paper the assessment of the rolling contact fatigue life of an induction hardened raceway is presented. For determination of the equivalent subsurface stress distribution field in the raceway, 3D numerical model of the contact between the through hardened roller made of 100Cr6 steel and the surface hardened raceway made of 42CrMo4 was employed. The calculation of the contact fatigue life of the raceway was then carried out in the stress-life regime. Additionally, alternative HCF parameters for the 42CrMo4 steel in compression were experimentally determined with pulsating compression tests. For the experimental validation of computationally determined fatigue life of the induction hardened raceways, test specimens for RCF bench were manufactured and their testing has started.