PSI - Issue 82

ScienceDirect Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2026) 000–000 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2026) 000–000 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

Procedia Structural Integrity 82 (2026) 146–152

© 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers Abstract Agricultural mowers are exposed to complex cyclical loading during their different operating modes. As cyclical loading can potentially cause fatigue damage, especially in the welded joints, it is of special interest to determine the complex loading occurring on the structures. In this paper, a framework for determining the loading occurring on an agricultural mower lifting arm has been developed. The framework utilizes a static digital twin finite element model and experimentally obtained strain values. By establishing the strain-force relationship in the digital twin as an influence matrix, the framework can estimate the loading based on measured strains using the linear least squares method. The framework has been validated on experimental data from an agricultural mower. The results show that the framework can accurately determine the equivalent finite element forces and moments required to obtain the measured strain values. © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers Keywords: Agricultural machinery; weld fatigue; load estimation; fatigue testing; digital twin 1. Introduction Agricultural machines, such as mower-conditioners, are subjected to highly complex dynamic loading throughout their operational lifetime. These loads vary depending on the mower’s operating mode, such as transport or work mode. Welded joints in agricultural machinery are particularly vulnerable to fatigue damage due to the cyclic nature of these dynamic loads (Gurney (1979)). Several methods exist for characterizing the loading on agricultural machines. These include approaches based on road and field surface profiles (Paraforos et al. (2016)), as well as techniques using acceleration measurements to derive load power spectral densities (PSDs) (Wen et al. (2020)). Abstract Agricultural mowers are exposed to complex cyclical loading during their different operating modes. As cyclical loading can potentially cause fatigue damage, especially in the welded joints, it is of special interest to determine the complex loading occurring on the structures. In this paper, a framework for determining the loading occurring on an agricultural mower lifting arm has been developed. The framework utilizes a static digital twin finite element model and experimentally obtained strain values. By establishing the strain-force relationship in the digital twin as an influence matrix, the framework can estimate the loading based on measured strains using the linear least squares method. The framework has been validated on experimental data from an agricultural mower. The results show that the framework can accurately determine the equivalent finite element forces and moments required to obtain the measured strain values. © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers Keywords: Agricultural machinery; weld fatigue; load estimation; fatigue testing; digital twin 1. Introduction Agricultural machines, such as mower-conditioners, are subjected to highly complex dynamic loading throughout their operational lifetime. These loads vary depending on the mower’s operating mode, such as transport or work mode. Welded joints in agricultural machinery are particularly vulnerable to fatigue damage due to the cyclic nature of these dynamic loads (Gurney (1979)). Several methods exist for characterizing the loading on agricultural machines. These include approaches based on road and field surface profiles (Paraforos et al. (2016)), as well as techniques using acceleration measurements to derive load power spectral densities (PSDs) (Wen et al. (2020)). 8th International Conference on Structural Integrity and Durability (ICSID2025) Approach for estimation of dynamic fatigue loading of an agricultural mower using strain gauges A.T. Andreasen a , K.S. Knudsen a, *, W.V. Stærmose a , L.D. Avendaño-Valencia a , M.L. Larsen b 8th International Conference on Structural Integrity and Durability (ICSID2025) Approach for estimation of dynamic fatigue loading of an agricultural mower using strain gauges A.T. Andreasen a , K.S. Knudsen a, *, W.V. Stærmose a , L.D. Avendaño-Valencia a , M.L. Larsen b a University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark b Kverneland Group Kerteminde, Tårupstrandvej 25, 5300 Kerteminde, Denmark a University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark b Kverneland Group Kerteminde, Tårupstrandvej 25, 5300 Kerteminde, Denmark

* Corresponding author. E-mail address: kknud22@student.sdu.dk * Corresponding author. E-mail address: kknud22@student.sdu.dk

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers 2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2026.04.023