Landing Gear Model K

Landing gear manufacturing and overhaul/maintenance processes alter surface material properties that influence fatigue life.  Many landing gear components currently in service have been overhauled or re-worked numerous times.  The effect of these processes has not been accurately quantified in existing USAF landing gear fatigue models.  As aging aircraft in the USAF fleet continue to be pushed beyond their originally designed service life, it has become increasingly more critical to develop fatigue analysis methods that characterize specific surface processing conditions. To address these issues, Select Engineering Services (SES) is developing the Material Assessment and Predictive Analysis (MAPA) tool. The MAPA tool integrates with current fatigue analysis software/procedures and provides for accurate predictions of the fatigue life reduction associated with landing gear material surface treatments. The current MAPA prototype is designed to function as a setup and execution tool for fatigue life simulations to bridge the gap between FEA software (e.g., Ansys) and the HBK Prenscia nCode DesignLife solver. Positive outcomes resulting from MAPA tool use include increased accuracy in fatigue life predictions, reduced risk in service life extensions for aging aircraft landing gear components, and the potential for improvements to overhaul processes that will reduce their negative impact on fatigue life.