Failure Analysis of Base Plate Bolts of Radial Forging Machine

In this study, the failure analysis of base plate bolts of radial forging machine is investigated. Premature failure had occurred from the bolts shank-head fillet and threads zones. Hardness, impact and tensile tests are carried out to investigate the mechanical properties and spectrophotometer is used to evaluate the bolts chemical composition. Optical Microscope (OM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) are used for the investigation of microstructure, defects, fracture surface and failure causes. The fracture surface morphology shows that the crack growth consisted of bolts shank-head fillet and threads zones including the initiation zone, fatigue crack growth zone along with the beach marks and ratchet steps and the rapid final fracture zone. Stress analysis shows that the amount of pre-tightening selected lower than the proposed value leads to the joint loosening and shortens the bolt’s fatigue life. In addition, based on the paper results, the existing flowchart for component fabrication is analyzed and a flowchart based on research field is presented to enhance the quality of radial forging machine parts.