Analytical and finite element predictions of residual stresses in cold worked fastener holes

Abstract

Two-dimensional finite element (FE) studies, for plane stress, plane strain and axisymmetric conditions, were conducted to simulate 4 per cent cold working of a 6.35 mm diameter hole in a 6 mm thick plate of 2024 T 351 aluminium alloy. The simulations were used to assess the influence of strain hardening, the role of reversed yielding and through-thickness residual stress distributions. Experiments were also conducted to determine the tensile and compressive stress-strain response of the aluminium alloy, revealing a pronounced Bauschinger effect and non-linear strain hardening in compression. The FE simulations and results from several earlier analytical models were compared and substantial differnces found in the region of reversed yielding. Approximations used to model the compressive deformation behaviour of the material overestimate the compressive residual stresses at the hole edge. From the axisymmetric FE model a residual stress gradient through the plate thickness was found. The plane stress and plane strain assumptions used in the earlier analytical models did not satisfactorily approximate the three-dimensional residual stress fields obtained from the FE simulations.