Investigations on the impact of the hole surface integrity on the fatigue life of a 2024‐T351 aluminum alloy drilled part

The influence of the hole surface integrity on the fatigue life of 2024-T351 aluminum drilled parts was investigated. Fatigue tests were conducted on open-hole specimens, and a large campaign was carried out to characterize the hole surface integrity (roughness measurements, hardness measurements, metallographic observations, and residual stress analysis). An innovative technique, the Hole Opening Comparative Technique, was set up in order to analyze the residual stress state of the parts. In this study, strain hardening of the hole subsurface seems to be the main factor influencing the fatigue behavior, associated with a residual stress state of the part.