Machinery Chassis Fatigue Testing Course
The Wind Tunnel Aerodynamic Calculation Course provides intensive training in the application of computational and experimental methods for analysing airflow over objects. It focuses on the use of wind tunnels and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques to evaluate aerodynamic performance, including the determination of lift and drag coefficients. It explores wind tunnel instrumentation and data analysis, the validation of CFD models and their application in the design of aerofoils and aerodynamic bodies, linking with aeronautical engineering and aerodynamic research.
The course includes practical work in wind tunnels, the use of specialised software for CFD simulations and the interpretation of results. It focuses on practical application for the design and optimisation of aerodynamic components, enabling participants to develop skills for analysing and improving the performance of aircraft, land vehicles and other structures exposed to airflow, in line with aerospace engineering standards.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Identify the fatigue failure mechanisms in welded machinery chassis.
Define test load spectra from service measurements.
Plan the set-up, instrumentation and control of a bench fatigue test.
Analyse results using S-N curves, cumulative damage and failure statistics.
Correlate tests with finite element models and life calculation.
Apply design and weld quality criteria that improve fatigue life.
Design a fatigue validation plan for a specific chassis.
Who it's for
- Fatigue and durability engineer who wants to specialise in Machinery Chassis Fatigue Testing.
- Structural calculation engineer who wants to specialise in Machinery Chassis Fatigue Testing.
- Dynamic testing laboratory technician who wants to specialise in Machinery Chassis Fatigue Testing.
- Product validation engineer who wants to specialise in Machinery Chassis Fatigue Testing.
- Welding engineer who wants to specialise in Machinery Chassis Fatigue Testing.
- Chassis design engineer who wants to specialise in Machinery Chassis Fatigue Testing.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to join construction machinery manufacturers.
What you'll work with
- EN 1993-1-9 (Eurocode 3: fatigue)
- IIW Recommendations for the fatigue design of welded joints
- BS 7608 (fatigue design of steel structures)
- ASTM E1049 (rainflow cycle counting)
- ISO 12107 (statistical planning of fatigue tests)
- ISO 5817 (quality levels for welds)
- ISO 3834-2 (quality requirements for welding)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Why chassis fail from fatigue rather than static loading1.2Critical areas: welded joints and section changes1.3Initiation and propagation mechanisms1.4Service loads and their variability1.5Severity of use and extreme applications1.6Design life requirements1.7Standards and assessment methods1.8Difference between validation and development testing1.9Cost of a chassis failure in service1.10Workshop: identifying critical points of a chassis
2.1Measuring loads in the field and from representative customers2.2Data reduction and cycle counting2.3Building the service load spectrum2.4Test acceleration and its risks2.5Omission of small cycles and its justification2.6Load blocks and test sequence2.7Safety factors applied2.8Equivalence between test and target life2.9Documenting assumptions2.10Practical: defining a test spectrum
3.1Test bench and actuator system3.2Chassis fixturing and boundary conditions3.3Load and displacement control3.4Instrumentation: strain gauges, load cells and displacements3.5Calibration and prior verification3.6Stop criteria and periodic inspection criteria3.7Non-destructive inspection during the test3.8Recording cracks and monitoring their growth3.9Test incidents and their management3.10Practical: set-up and instrumentation plan
4.1Locating the first failures4.2Comparison with the areas predicted by calculation4.3Life estimation from the test4.4Scatter between specimens and number of tests4.5Causes of discrepancy with simulation4.6Repair during the test and its validity4.7Design acceptance criterion4.8Test report and evidence4.9Decision on partial redesign4.10Practical: interpreting the results of a test
5.1Finite element model of the chassis5.2Modelling welded joints for fatigue5.3Transferring the spectrum to the model5.4Methods for evaluating welded joints5.5Calculating cumulative damage5.6Correlating measured and calculated strains5.7Model adjustment and its justification5.8Using the validated model for variants5.9Limitations and risks of extrapolation5.10Practical: correlating an instrumented point
6.1Constructional details favourable to fatigue6.2Welding sequence and quality6.3Treatments for improving the welded joint6.4Tolerances and their effect on life6.5Quality control in production6.6Change management and revalidation6.7Monitoring failures in service6.8Common errors in fatigue testing6.9Cost and timescales of the validation programme6.10Final project: fatigue validation programme for a chassis
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it easy to combine with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is HBM nCode DesignLife, Simcenter fe-safe, ANSYS Mechanical, MTS RPC Pro, MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real bench fatigue test procedures with servo-hydraulic actuators, acquisition of service loads with strain gauges, and correlation of results with simulation. Assessment is continuous, module by module, plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Identify the fatigue failure mechanisms in welded machinery chassis.
Define test load spectra from service measurements.
Plan the set-up, instrumentation and control of a bench fatigue test.
Analyse results using S-N curves, cumulative damage and failure statistics.
Correlate tests with finite element models and life calculation.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical standards documentation.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme comprises 300 hours in total, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
You will work with HBM nCode DesignLife, Simcenter fe-safe, ANSYS Mechanical, MTS RPC Pro and MATLAB. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor will indicate a free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM Institute own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. This is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised towards the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when enrolling.
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