Stress Concentration at Welded Joins of Bucket-Wheel Excavator

Abstract

Stress and strain distribution in welded joints zone is major influential factor to exploitation properties, safety and reliability of bucket-wheel excavators. Stress and strain distribution in zones of welded joints of bucket-wheel excavator is determined by stress concentration forced by geometrical discontinuities and heterogeneous of material. This paper deals with experimental determination of stress concentration influence to mechanical properties of welded joints models. The experimental procedure was done on welded joints models in static load conditions on samples made of commonly used steel strip profile. The experimental procedure involved determination of material properties and determination of strength parameters of butt joint welded samples with different configuration of stress concentrators. The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of welded joint properties to the resistance of bucket-wheel excavator’ welded structure. Stress concentration was analyzed by experimental approach objected to include as much influential factors as it is possible. This paper pointed out the necessity of analyzing the bucket-wheel excavator’ welded structure on different dimension levels. Further investigations in this area have to be continued trough development of precise numerical model of the bucket-wheel excavator’ welded structure which will, in involvement with adequate software simulation, complete the obtained results.