Fatigue life estimation of cold-worked components using multiaxial stress criteria based on the critical plane approach

The fatigue life of cold-worked components is strongly influenced by the multiaxial stress–strain fields generated in local stress concentration regions, particularly around holes and other geometrical discontinuities. This study investigates the fatigue life estimation of cold-worked aluminium components by combining three-dimensional finite element analysis with multiaxial critical plane-based criteria. ANSYS was used to simulate the cold-working process, interference fit, and subsequent cyclic loading, and the resulting stress–strain histories at critical locations were employed for fatigue assessment. The predicted fatigue lives were compared with experimental data reported in the literature to validate the numerical framework. The results show that cold working and interference fitting generate beneficial compressive residual stresses, but also induce local plastic deformation and multiaxial strain accumulation near the hole edge. Among the investigated critical plane-based criteria, the Fatemi–Socie approach provided the most accurate correlation with the experimental fatigue lives, as it successfully captured the governing shear and normal stress effects responsible for crack initiation. In addition, these criteria were able to identify the critical nodes and the most likely crack initiation location with high accuracy. The proposed numerical methodology offers a reliable tool for predicting fatigue performance and locating damage-prone regions in cold-worked and interference-fitted components under cyclic loading.