Optimal Design And Software Development Based On Finite Element Analysis For Main Girder Of Double-trolley Overhead Traveling Crane

Hoisting machinery is important for modern production as auxiliary equipment and widely used in various industries. As a new type of hoisting machinery, the double-trolley overhead traveling crane with excellent stability and safe performance improves the work efficiency largely, especially for longer objects with large spacing between two lifting points. The main girder is considered to be the major component that affects the mechanical performance largely. For the moment, the cumbersome deadweight and serious material waste for the main girder always exist which hinder seriously the development and application of the double-trolley overhead traveling crane.In this paper, the structure analysis and optimal design of the main girder of the double-trolley overhead traveling crane is performed.(1) The parametric finite element model is established based on the concept of parametric design. To verify the correctness of the finite element model, the in-situ test of crane is carried out. The static analysis of the main girder under various loading conditions is conducted. Then the elastic-plastic stress analysis of the main girder under the most dangerous loading position using the arc-length algorithm and non-linear stabilization algorithm is performed respectively to predict the limit load-bearing ability of the main girder. The finite element analysis results show that the safety margin of the main girder is too large(2) The optimal calculation on the main girder is conducted based on the strength analysis by considering the girder weight as the objective function, and the allowable stress and deflection as the state variables. The numerical results indicate that the load-bearing ability of the structure can be made full use of and the weight of the crane decreases by about16%by optimization.(3) The software platform of the finite element analysis and optimal design for double-trolley overhead traveling crane is developed to reach the integrated parametric design interactively and efficiently using MATLAB GUIDE.This work in this paper is demonstrated to provide an important reference and technical support for the optimal design of generic crane.