Synthetic Prediction of the Endurance Limit of Automotive Materials

In the modern car industry the use of FE-software and fatigue analysis tools becomes more and more important. So basic data on the fatigue limit of materials are required for input. To reduce time and cost intensive fatigue tests it showed be developed a possibility to predict the fatigue strength of a metal using its static mechanical and metallurgical properties. Especially the influence of residual stresses obtained after different material treatments, the size of pores, inclusions and other microstructural defects showed be taken in consideration. One first step is the collection of cyclic material data for various metals from literature. Different statistical tools showed be used to increase the data quality and to reduce the scattering of the predicted fatigue strength. One main goal is the development of a data base containing stress- and strain-controlled material data for various materials (steels, aluminium alloys, magnesium alloys and thixoforming parts) which can be used to derivate the cyclic behaviour of a material related to its processing condition.