Description of the Thesis

This thesis focuses on the impact of corrosion on bolted joints, which are often disassembled and reassembled during remanufacturing. The corrosion, caused by varying environmental conditions, affects the friction and load-bearing capacity of these joints, making standard procedures unreliable. Thesis proposes the setup of a test bench to examine how various types of corrosion affect the mechanical properties and behavior of corroded screws.

The main goal of the thesis is to design a test rig specifically for analyzing corroded bolted joints and to establish a reliable test methodology. This methodology will enable the quantification of the functionality and adaptability of various influencing factors. The design of the test rig will be based on existing research and preliminary findings.

The methodology will involve investigating certain influencing variables (IVs) that affect the conditions of the samples but are not recorded during the experiment. It will also record descriptive variables (DVs), such as the temperature of the specimen environment during the targeted corrosion process. The target variables (TVs) will represent the thread friction coefficient and load-bearing capacity of the newly bolted connection. These variables will provide a comprehensive understanding of the effects of corrosion on bolted joints.

Task:

Your primary responsibility is to first identify all the parameters that influence the bolted joints. Once these parameters are identified, you will design and construct a test rig to investigate these connections. A reference test bench already exists as part of the current research. Your task is to analyze this test bench and the state of the art, adapt its design for corroded bolted connections, and conduct a brief validation of its functionality.

Profile:

• You are studying mechanical engineering, mechatronics or a similar course of study
• You work purposefully and independently
• You are interested in the design

If you are interested, I look forward to hearing from you.

[1] Yu, Q. M., X. J. Yang, and H. L. Zhou. "An experimental study on the relationship between torque and preload of threaded connections." Advances in Mechanical Engineering 10.8 (2018): 1687814018797033.