Residual life forecasting and advanced surface damage remanufacturing processes for automotive drive axle shells

As a critical component of vehicles, automobile drive axle shells are susceptible to issues such as body cracks, half-shaft casing mating surface wear, and axle head thread damage during service. These problems not only degrade vehicle performance but also compromise driving safety. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a systematic approach combining residual life prediction and surface damage remanufacturing. X-ray diffraction technology is used to analyze the stress state of key areas of the drive axle shell, allowing for the prediction of its remaining life and identification of parts suitable for remanufacturing. For different types of damage, this study investigates surfacing, brush plating, and micro-arc deposition technologies to repair cracks, mating surface wear, and thread damage in the axle housing, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that this approach significantly enhances the quality and reliability of remanufactured drive axle shells. Specifically, the hardness of the overlay repair layer, prepared using ER50-6 wire, reaches HRC6; the grain size of the special nickel-based brush plating layer is approximately 15 nm; and the magnetic memory gradient change in the remanufactured threads, created by micro-arc deposition, is only 3.4 A/(m −1 mm −1 ). These outcomes satisfy the practical requirements for hardness, wear resistance, residual stress distribution, and thread joint performance. This paper establishes an efficient, precise, and sustainable repair system for automotive drive axle shells by integrating advanced inspection technologies and diverse remanufacturing processes. The proposed system offers novel solutions and technical support for extending the service life of automotive parts and promoting green manufacturing.