Performance-Related Characterization of Forming-Induced Initial Damage in 16MnCrS5 Steel under a Torsional Forward-Reverse Loading Path at LCF Regime

Forming technology and in particular cold forward rod extrusion is one of the key manufacturing technologies with regard to the production of shafts. The selection of process parameters determines the global and local material properties. This particularly implies forming-induced initial damage in representation of pores. On this background, this study aims on describing the influence of these pores in the performance of the material 16MnCrS5 (DIN 1.7139, AISI/SAE 5115) under a torsional load path in the low cycle fatigue regime, which is highly relevant for shafts under operation conditions. For this purpose, the method of cyclic forward-reverse torsional testing was applied. Additionally, intermittent testing method and the characterization of the state of crack growth using selective electron microscopy analysis of the surface were combined. A first attempt was made to describe the influence of forming-induced initial damage on the fatigue performance and the crack growth mechanisms. The correlation of fatigue performance and initial damage was contiguous in the sense that the initial damage corresponds with a decrease of material performance. It was concluded that the focus of further investigations must be on small crack growth and the related material changes to identify the role of initial damage under cyclic loads.