Nowadays, press-fitting is widely used in the manufacturing industry because it allows easy and fast installation and is repetitive, strong, and inherently reliable. The quality of a press-fitting assembly can be verified from the press-fitting curves and forced monitoring. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of the press-fitting curve with various interference railway wheelset models and determine the interference limit that axles can withstand at the maximum holding torque without slipping and without plastic deformation. A three-dimensional finite element analysis examined the maximum press-fitting force and stress distributions using Abaqus FEA software. The press-fitting curves of the railway wheel and axle assembly obtained from finite element simulation were classified following European Standard EN 13260. The press-fitting curves showed whether they fell within the boundary limits in the EN standard to allow their practical application. This study also showed when plastic deformation would occur, within the recommended interferences in the EN standard. Moreover, the effect of interference was numerically simulated for the maximum holding torque capacity within the EN standard interference range. Numeric simulation was compared with the theory: the deviation was 15–6%.

Press fitting is one of the common fastening methods used to assemble mechanical components. It has also received considerable critical many industrial applications, for example, railway wheel and axle are usually assembled by press-fitting. This process generates high stress on the axle-fillet area and fatigue is generally initiated due to the stress concentration. This paper attempts to propose the stress distribution and deformation of a railway axle. Various interference clearances were analyzed using finite element method. The contact pressure at the axle wheel seat along the axial direction was examined as it significantly influences the press-fitted components life. The analytical results from Lame’s theory [1] were compared with finite element analysis results for the wheel and axle press-fitting process. The results obtained from both methods were in good agreement and the maximum relative error of the contact pressure is by 11.08 %. Additionally, the results show that the Von-Mises stresses on the axle wheel seat and fillet areas were found to be increased if the interference increased.

Ensuring safety in the design of railway infrastructure and rolling stock is a critical aspect of railway operations. Railway axles are subjected to fluctuating bending and torsion loads, which often lead to the development of plastic stresses in the vicinity of fillets and notches, even though they are designed to withstand nominal elastic loads. This study aims to provide an accurate fatigue-life prediction for a motor bogie axle, taking into account the braking effects in conjunction with press fitting and the influence of masses in motion on the axle. Initially, the stress and deflection of the axle under combined loadings are calculated in accordance with the EN 13104 standard. Subsequently, a comparative simulation analysis is conducted using ABAQUS commercial software, with particular emphasis on specific loading conditions. A strainbased approach is employed to estimate fatigue life under multiaxial loading and variable amplitude overloading scenarios, utilizing fe-safe commercial fatigue analysis software. The results reveal a strong correlation between the theoretical and finite element analyses. The braking effects are found to reduce fatigue life by 50% compared to the influences of press fitting combined with masses in motion. This research highlights the significance of considering braking effects in fatigue-life predictions of railway axles to ensure safe and robust design.