Technical Lecture : 16 August 2019
Cyclic plasticity in bearing steels subjected to rolling contact fatigue
The smooth, uninterrupted operation of most heavy equipment or machinery requires appropriate control of friction between moving parts. Bearings, the machine element which facilitate this friction control, are associated with complex metallurgical challenges during design as well as during service.
Keeping in mind the importance of this subject, IIM Kalpakkam chapter organised a Technical Lecture on cyclic plasticity in bearing steels subjected to rolling contact fatigue during service conditions. The talk was delivered by Prof. Abir Bhattacharya, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Jodhpur on 16 August 2019, to a mixed audience comprising metallurgical engineers, design engineers, materials scientists and research scholars.(Find the abstract here)
The speaker highlighted the importance of rolling contact fatigue as a damage mechanism in bearing steels, and the need to accurately predict remnant life in these steels subsequent to rolling contact fatigue. The shortcomings of existing techniques and models was brought out, and the metallurgical mechanisms responsible for the same were elaborated upon.
The transition from elastic to elasto-plastic behaviour during fatigue exposure and its impact on the mechanical response of bearing steel was highlighted.
The lecture ended with a discussion on future research that can be carried out to address the issue in a holistic manner.