Product Validation Using Customer Correlated Service Data

In the development of specialized off-highway vehicles only a limited number of prototype vehicles and components are available for structural validation. The nature of the loading is variable and uncertain. It is therefore difficult to determine realistic component loading sequences that are representative of the design service life and at the same time have a sufficient number of components to define accurately the component strength in a laboratory test.

A component and vehicle validation methodology is developed using one prototype vehicle and subjecting it to all known customer field operations. Components in one prototype vehicle are strain gauged at critical locations defined with the help of FE analysis. The field data are collected and analyzed statistically to determine the loads, such that the probability of occurrence of the 1% maximum load can be defined with statistical certainty. These data are then applied to a fatigue analysis to estimate the life of the individual components. The influence of material properties, weld type and process are studied to assess the variability of the component strength which is combined with the loading to validate the component with a predefined reliability.