Lifetime Assessment of the Technological Equipment for a Robotic Workplace

Abstract

In technical practice, problems associated with material fatigue often arise. These problems can be caused by errors in the stages of design, production or use of the structure, e.g., by incorrect determination of service life, incorrect dimensioning of construction details, incorrect welds, etc. In the case of welds, such issues may be caused due to the fact that the base material is not welded through or due to the presence of a fistula inside the weld, the presence of slags or cracks inside the weld, etc. The task of the designer is to design a technological unit that meets all the requirements of future users. Components have to be designed for fatigue so that there is an acceptable level of probability that their operation will be satisfactory during their operation life. One of the most common causes of failure of welded joints is fatigue. Fatigue design life is understood to be the reference period of time during which the structure is required to serve safely and not to fail with an acceptable probability. This article deals with the assessment of service life of a welded supporting structure of technological equipment. The structure was subjected to strength analysis. The obtained FEA results were needed to plot the extreme amplitudes of the stresses. Based on the obtained stress vibrations and the welds used, the service life of the structure was assessed by means of the standard.