Stress and fatigue life analyses are performed to enhance a fatigue life of a heating drum of the roller press for medium density fiberboard. The finite element method employing the submodel is used to analyze stress concentration in the journal of the heating drum. The fatigue life is evaluated by the stress-life theory. Two modified designs of the journal are suggested and evaluated to reduce the maximum stress and to increase the fatigue life Their structural reliabilities are verified in terms of the yield strength and the design life