Analysis of fretting fatigue initial crack path in Al7075-T651 using cylindrical contact

This paper analyses the initial crack path in a fretting fatigue test of Al7075-T651 alloy with a cylindrical contact and compares the capability of some multiaxial fatigue criteria to predict the crack initiation path. The experimental crack initiation paths obtained in the tests are optically measured along the fracture surface using a focus variation technique. The Fatemi-Socie (FS) and Smith-Watson-Topper (SWT) multiaxial fatigue parameters obtained from an analytical model, allow us to determine the controlling parameters of the crack initiation process observed in the tests and to estimate the crack path during the early stage of the crack growth.