Transient load simulation of forwarder rear frame

Abstract

One difficulty in the design of the load bearing components of mobile machines is the transient and non-linear nature of the loads acting on them. A common method for tracking these loads is to use strain gauges and force transducers on a physical test machine. An alternative method for determining the transient loads by means of a mathematical model that intends to describe the response of a John Deere 1010E forwarder as it crosses a test track is utilized in this study. The model is based on finite element method and it is solved using explicit time integration and LS-DYNA® software. As a result of this study a model capable of replicating the real world with a reasonable accuracy was obtained. The forces acting on tires, which can be considered the most important results of this work, can be used as boundary conditions in consequent analyses, such as fatigue simulation.