Chris Wachter | Portfolio

Fatigue analysis

  • Analyze a structure under repeated loading conditions using the Fatigue module.
  • Apply S-N curves to materials for repetitive loading analysis.
  • Apply correction factors for more realistic results.
  • View damage plots to analyze material life.

In this example, a basketball rim will be analyzed for predicted fatigue damage after undergoing 10,000 cycles of an applied load of 1000N in order to determine:

  1. the stress state of a single load
  2. how many cycles the basketball rim can withstand before the predicted onset of yield

Fixtures and loads

Mesh plot

Stress plot

The red area indicates a stress singularity at the sharp re-entrant corner of the 3D model. This is an artifact of the ideal geometry and is not representative of the real stress. When manufactured, this corner would likely be rounded by a weld, which would significantly lower the actual stress in that region.
Additional regions of stress concentration most likely to cause performance weakness
Stress plot range capped at 505 MPa yield strength

Displacement plot

The rim experiences a maximum deformation of more than 50mm.

Fatigue results

The maximum damage is about 143%*, indicating that the component will fail before reaching the total specified cycles (10,000).

Failure occurs at 7,000* cycles.

*These results appear to be caused by the aforementioned sharp corners on the 3D model. Adding fillets representing weld beads to the model would paint a more accurate picture. That said, the four regions where the rim and supports connect to the mount also appear to be weak points, suggesting the manufacturer should pay close attention to the joints and the welds.

Source

This content (including the analysis setup, simulation execution, and all resulting visual content—screenshots and videos) was individually performed and generated by me in SolidWorks Simulation, utilizing a combination of custom and existing parts provided by SolidWorks as guided by the MySolidWorks Training curriculum.