Effects of tangential strains and shielding in large scale yielding in multi-layered architectures for bearings

Abstract

Multi-layered bearing systems used in the automotive industry show shielding and antishielding effects that reduce or amplify the crack driving force under large scale yielding conditions. Using finite element analysis, it is shown that shielding in such systems results in path deflection and bifurcation despite the absence of mixed-mode loading. As the crack approaches a stiff layer, the tangential strains measured around a blunted crack tip model show a maximum corresponding to teh direction of crack propagation. The asymmetric distribution of such strains indicates the effect of shielding and the likelihood of the tip to deflect or bifurcate. The suitability of bi-layer and tri-layer bearing architectures is assessed through crack path and respectie crack driving force predictions