FAILURE ANALYSIS OF A TRACTOR FRONT AXLE

Abstract

Tractors, high-power, low-speed traction vehicles and power units are similar to trucks or automobiles but designed for use off-road. They are defined as motor vehicles with wheels that allow them to hold on to loose terrain and be fitted with trailers. Tractors operate in challenging operating conditions. Therefore, it is possible that they become damaged. In some cases the damage is due to disrupted engineering, but more frequently, it is due to failures in material processing and maintenance, raw material errors, design and manufacturing errors, and user-related errors. This study examined the fractured front axle of a tractor. Spectroscopic, metallographic and hardness measurements of the axle parts were made. Stress analyses were also performed using finite elements to determine the stress conditions in the renewed section. The finite element analysis showed that the broken region was exposed to maximum stresses. Stress analyses using finite elements were also carried out to determine the stress conditions in the repeated section. With the fracture surface analysis, mild fatigue was observed, and it was concluded that the fracture occurred suddenly.