Finite Element Analysis of the Residual Stress by Cold Expansion Method under the Influence of Adjacent Holes

Cold expansion of fastener holes is a mechanical process widely used in the aerospace industry. This treatment leads to an improvement of fatigue behavior due to the developed compressive residual stresses on the hole surface. Despite its importance to aerospace industries, little attention has been devoted to the accurate modeling of the process. This study is devoted to the modeling and simulation of the residual stress resulting from the cold expansion of two adjacent fastener holes. Simultaneous cold expansion of two adjacent holes lead to much higher compressive residual stress than sequential cold expansion.