Effect of contact geometry, loading, material properties and relative slip on the fretting fatigue behaviour of metallic components

Metallic structural components, placed in contact with other bodies while experiencing vibrations in operating conditions, are susceptible to fretting, which can have a significant impact on their fatigue performance. Although extensive research has been conducted over the past decades to analyze the effects of various fretting influencing factors (including loading conditions, friction coefficient, relative slip amplitude, contact configuration, surface finishing, material properties, and environmental factors), this area of study remains an active field of investigation. In this paper, an experimental campaign reported in the literature, involving Al-4Cu specimens subjected to a partial slip regime cylindrical fretting contact, is examined by means of an analytical methodology developed by the authors. The results obtained through the proposed methodology demonstrate good agreement with the experimental observations in terms of both fatigue life and crack propagation direction. Furthermore, a parametric analysis is carried out to assess the role of different parameters in influencing the fretting fatigue behaviour, providing valuable insights into their effects on crack orientation and component durability.