Structural Analysis And Lightweight Optimazation Design For Light Truck Driving Axle Housing

The drive axle housing is the important carrying and passing component of truck. It supports the weights of frame and assembly of the vehicle with the front axle housing. The drive axle housing in this paper as a widely applicable product not only supports the weights of the vehicle and transfer loads to cartwheels at the same time, but also withstands the opposite force of tractive force, braking force, lateral force and vertieal force as well as the counter-torque act on the wheels and transfer to the frame and body through suspension fork. Moreover, becuase of phantasmagoric road conditions, the axle housing could get deformed or broken under the affection of shocking loads which generate between wheel and ground, the drive axle housing must have enough intensity, rigidity and good dynamic performance. From what have been stated above, the reasonable design of drive axle housing is very important.This paper is based on Finite Element Method (FEM) static and dynamic theory, the 3D model of the drive axle housing is established in the Pro/E, on the basis of this model, the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is simulated in computer under the circumstance of ANSYS to get the results of stress distribution, deformation and the natural frequency and vibration shape under the free constraint. The FEA and experiment results shows the axle housing meets the strength demand, it is reliable under all kinds of driving conditions and can't cause resonance of the housing, then based on the FEA, to optimize the housing by use of ANSYS. As the result indicates that the weight of the axle housing is reduced and the maximum stress in housing approaches its breaking point which boost the utilization of the material, and the stress distributes reasonably. The paper also summarize relevant norms about establishing FEA models and relevant analysis and optimization conditions which can make analysis fast,gain useful conclusions.Low-cost,low-consumption,low-emission in area of vehicle design which deprived from lightweight design are in conformity with the principle of optimization design, while the improvement of lightweight design has been so difficult because of the traditional empirical design pattern as well as hysteretic assessment methods. The engineers will reduce their dependence on empirical design pattern and ignorance about projects'feasibility to a great extent if FEM which applied in this paper is used. Traditional mechanical calculation, experimental analysis and antitheses were synthetic applied in this paper to put forward a complete and rational lightweight design theoretical system based on FEM. At the same time, the stated method was used to solve the lightweight design of a light truck's rear axle housing successfully. It is a universal analytical means which could be applied to other auto parts.This subject is cooperated by Shandong University sustainable manufacture center and Shandong Wuzheng Automotive Group.