Search Results

To investigate fatigue failure of motorcycle handlebars, fatigue analysis and durability experiments are conducted in this study. The finite element software, MSC.Nastran, was used to obtain the stress distribution of a handlebar subject to loadings in various directions. The results of FEM analysis were compared with those of static test to obtain optimum applied loading direction in the durability test. The strain history of the handlebar was measured when a motorcycle traveled on the Belgium (Pave) Road. The applied loading history in the durability test was obtained with remote parameter control technique. Three methods including “traditional S-N approach”, “BS 5400 approach” and “BS 5400 with Gurney thickness modification approach” were used to analyze the fatigue life of the handlebars. Rainflow cycle counting method and Miner’s damage accumulation rule were applied.

The purpose of this paper is to apply the concept of the frequency spectrum as derived from a Single Degree of Freedom (SDOF) system, establish the accelerated vibration specification, and investigate the specification under customer usage with reliability analysis. The main technique is to convert a time domain signal, which is derived from a Proving Ground or customer usage, to the frequency domain. An automotive headlamp was used in our research. The input signal from the Proving Ground was converted into an eight-hour bench test that is equivalent to a five-year/100,000 km field usage through the theory of Fatigue Damage Equivalence. The fatigue parameters of the materials were then estimated from various vibration conditions with the MIL-STD-810F standard. The benefit of this approach is that we could quickly obtain the material parameters of a complex structure made of composite plastics.