Research on a Radiation Model for Bolt-Tightening Force Attenuation of Wheel-Type Parts

The tightening quality of bolts has a substantial impact on the overall assembly quality. Existing studies have analysed the quality of bolt assembly in terms of static factors such as the friction coefficient of the joint surface and the shape and structure of the assembly. However, there is a lack of research on the influence of vibration and vibration energy propagation in a bolt assembly on assembly quality. To comprehensively consider the coupling effect of static deformation and dynamic energy propagation on assembly quality, a coupled model of deformation and energy combining a near-field attenuation radiation model and wave propagation model was proposed to explain the attenuation effects of the bolt-tightening process on other bolts. Moreover, a weighting method based on determination coefficients was put forward to select the best fitting parameters of the coupled model. Finally, a wheel-type part test-bed was built, and a bolt tightening experiment was carried out to determine the evolution of bolt attenuation. The theoretical and experimental attenuation values of the tightening process were compared and the results are in good agreement. Therefore, this model can be used to predict the attenuation law of the bolt pre-tightening force in multi-bolt assemblies.