Abstract
A product’s reliability and durability can be ensured only when it is rigorously and appropriately tested considering the real usage conditions. Applications of a tractor are highly diversified and it becomes extremely difficult to generalize the test duty cycles. Conventional approach is to measure the load data for different applications as per RWUP and to derive the duty cycle based on the damage predicted from CAE analysis result. Accordingly, the non-damaging load cycles are eliminated and only damaging cycle are used for physical testing. But to conduct the damage analysis for each application and load case is highly time consuming and it requires a considerable amount of resource as well. In this paper, an attempt has been made to derive the duty cycle using stress life prediction approach for validating the top link of 3-point linkage system of a tractor model. The derived methodology has been used for lab testing after establishing correlation with respect to CAE result.