Abstract:
Structural optimisation has become an important tool in the field of Civil Engineering, but
there is limited research done on structural optimisation of specific structures and
components, especially for large construction machinery. By optimising construction
machinery components, it is possible to reduce the material usage and decrease the cost of
the machine, without compromising its strength.
This research study looks at a case study of optimising a wheel loader arm. Initially, the
critical load calculation and the static force analysis of the wheel loader arm were conducted
and the forces and reactions acting on the arm were obtained. Then a finite element
analysis was conducted by assigning the relevant loads and boundary conditions and the
results obtained deemed that the stresses and displacements of the arm were within the
acceptable limits.
The Solid Isotropic Microstructure with Penalisation (SIMP) for intermediate densities
method is used for the topology optimisation process considering the minimum
compliance as the objective function and the volume fraction as the constraint. Using the
Abaqus FEA software, topology optimisation models were obtained for different volume
fractions and the most optimum geometry comparing maximum von Mises stress,
displacement, and mass with the original design. After the completion of the topology
optimisation process, Computer-Aided Design models are generated by exporting the mesh
into SOLIDWORKS. Subsequently, shape optimisation is conducted considering the different
manufacturing constraints.
The final optimised model has a 20.3% reduction of mass compared to the original structure,
while stresses, displacement and strains are kept within the allowable limits in accordance
with codes of practice.
This case study demonstrates on how structural optimisation can be integrated into the
designs of different structures and components. By using a similar method, it is possible to
optimise different components of the wheel loader arm and other construction machinery
components. These optimisations will reduce the weight and material usage of these
components, which can help reduce the overall cost of the machines significantly.
