Application of local concepts in the automotive industry

The automotive industry has been among the protagonists for the application of numerical simulation tools within the development process of new components and products for many years. Precision and quality of the simulations depend largely on the correct description of deformation and failure mechanisms of the materials under investigation. In this paper, two examples are presented which demonstrate the power of advanced simulation techniques. In the first example we focus on a concept for the evaluation of the durability of exhaust components under severe thermo-mechanical loading conditions. It is based on the application of local elastic-plastic fracture mechanics concepts to the growth of micro-cracks, the evaluation of the relevant crack tip loading requires the consideration of non-proportional, non-isothermal plastic deformations.