LAUSR

Abstract The fatigue limits of shafts and shaft-hub connections are subject to a probability distribution. This distribution can be described by the mean value and the scatter of the fatigue limit. The mean fatigue limit can be determined with very few samples, whereas the scatter cannot be determined precisely. In order to develop a reliable design of shafts and shaft-hub connections, it is certainly necessary to know the scatter of the fatigue limit. Parameters that may influence the scatter are investigated on the basis of evaluated test series from literature, for shafts with failure at the free surface and shaft-hub connections. The analysis focuses on the type of load, the highly stressed surface or the shaft-hub connection type. A calculation method for determining the fatigue limit for a given survival probability will be presented.