Casting and spinning aluminum alloy wheel fatigue properties and life prediction study

To accurately predict the fatigue life of cast aluminum alloy wheels, based on the results of finite element calculation and simulation, this work selected the rim area, inner flange and spoke areas to conduct systematic tensile and high‐cycle fatigue tests. The results show that the tensile properties of A356‐T6 cast aluminum alloy wheels are similar in various areas, but the fatigue properties are significantly different. Plastic deformation can improve the fatigue strength of the aluminum alloy, but the fatigue properties are also affected by deformation uniformity and other factors. Based on the difference of mechanical properties in different areas, this study also selected the characteristic loading spectrum to predict the fatigue life of wheels. A linear and a nonlinear damage accumulation were employed. The above methods are not only applicable to the wheel, but also provides a new idea for the life prediction of key parts in the engineering field. Highlights Systematically test and characterize the difference of fatigue performance of each part of casting and spinning aluminum alloy wheel. The smaller the SDAS is, the better the fatigue performance is not necessarily. The coordinated deformation ability and plastic deformation will have a significant impact on the fatigue performance. Based on LBF load spectrum, the fatigue life of casting and spinning wheel is predicted, and the influence of different damage models on the fatigue life prediction results is analyzed.