Analysis of Failure in Automobile Spokes Manufactured Using Medium Carbon Steel Wires

Medium carbon steel wires are used to manufacture spokes for motor vehicles, and the integrity of the spokes is very important from the point of view of safety to the driver of the vehicle. In this paper, analysis of failure of one batch of spokes has been presented. The spokes failed during assembl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of failure analysis and prevention 2014-04, Vol.14 (2), p.152-159
Main Author: Giri, Sushil Kumar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Automobiles
Automotive engineering
Case History > -Peer-Reviewed
Characterization and Evaluation of Materials
Chemistry and Materials Science
Classical Mechanics
Corrosion and Coatings
Failure
Ferrite
Materials Science
Medium carbon steels
Microstructure
Pearlite
Quality Control
Reliability
Safety and Risk
Solid Mechanics
Spokes
Tribology
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Summary:Medium carbon steel wires are used to manufacture spokes for motor vehicles, and the integrity of the spokes is very important from the point of view of safety to the driver of the vehicle. In this paper, analysis of failure of one batch of spokes has been presented. The spokes failed during assembling on to the wheels and also during the field trials. In order to understand the root cause of these failures, metallurgical investigation of these spokes was done. It involved fractography, scanning electron microscopy, EDS analysis, optical microscopy, hardness testing, tensile testing, and chemical analysis. Chemical composition and tensile properties of the material were found to be within the values mentioned in the specification. The cause of failure is concluded to be the wrong microstructure that got developed in the material. The microstructure of the material is coarse lamellar pearlite with ferrite decorated along the grain boundary. Ferrite being softer is preferentially getting deformed in comparison with the rest of the microstructure i.e., pearlite. This preferential deformation in the material is leading to initiation of cracks during the manufacturing of spoke. Additionally, due to higher lamellar spacing in pearlite, ductility of the material has also decreased.
ISSN:1547-7029
1728-5674
1864-1245
DOI:10.1007/s11668-014-9791-9