Possibility Evaluation of Monitoring Areas of Local Plastic Deformation During Fatigue Wear of Metal Structures Using the Dynamic Instrumented Indentation Method

Due to cyclic loading of mining machines, such as excavators, stress accumulates in the metal structures of the excavator's operating equipment, such as bucket, arm, and boom. Maximum stress areas occur in similar regions of the operating equipment in different excavators. Critical accumulation of damage can lead to the formation of fatigue cracks, significantly increasing the risk of accidents. For in-time prevention of accidents, constant monitoring of the operating equipment's condition is necessary, which can be achieved by controlling the mechanical properties of local plastic deformation areas using the dynamic Instrumented indentation method directly at the machine's operating site. This study analyzed changes in the mechanical properties of steel samples at different degrees of deformation using the dynamic Instrumented indentation method, as well as other methods for monitoring physical and mechanical properties to compare measurement results. The results showed that as the sample deforms, hardness increases and the elastic modulus decreases, which can be accurately assessed by dynamic Instrumented indentation method, which confirms the possibility of monitoring the degree of fatigue wear in metal structures using portable devices implementing this method.