Virtual Brake Spider Validation Method Based on Theory of Critical Distance and Experimental Bench Tests 2021-36-0419

This study aims to present a numerical structural validation procedure for the drum brake spider component. To implement the procedure, the ANSA, ABAQUS, Fe-Safe, and Minitab engineering software were used for stress analysis, fatigue life calculation, and statistical validation using Weibull distribution. The results obtained from these tools allowed us to determine with acceptable error the spot failure of the component and the number of cycles until the occurrence of the failure. The input data to support the pre-processing of the numerical model and obtain the virtual results were determined from the application and analysis of the following methods: determination of the stress strain curve of the Spheroidal Graphite Iron (SG) material of the component, applied to Theory of Critical Distance (TCD) of fracture mechanics and evaluation of the behavior of Nodular Cast Iron under fatigue life. Given the non-linear characteristics under the conditions of use, the need for correction of numerical elastoplasticity was evaluated. The results of the virtual analysis were compared with experimental data collected in an accelerated durability bench, specific for the component under study, in order to validate the method. The procedure presented in this work proved to be effective, obtaining an error of -0.0039% in the fatigue life estimate compared to the experimentally defined target, and an error of 0.0476% in the maximum main stress estimated in comparison with the experimental stress, allowing the use of this procedure as a form of numerical validation of the component.