Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Evaluation of an Autonomous Pallet Transport Vehicle Frame
Fatigue cracks were observed on multiple autonomous pallet transport vehicles after extended service, primarily recurring at the same structural locations. To evaluate a mitigation strategy, a comparative analysis between the Baseline and Reinforced designs was conducted. Static, fatigue, and 3D fracture mechanics simulations were performed under identical loading and boundary conditions. The geometry for the evaluation was based on measurements taken at the customer site.
- Field observation of recurring fatigue cracks at identical locations
- 3D geometry reconstruction based on on-site measurements
- Identification of critical loading conditions and post-damage scenarios
- Static structural analysis of baseline and reinforced design
- Comparative stress evaluation between Baseline and Reinforced configurations
- Fatigue life assessment under equivalent loading and boundary conditions
- 3D fracture mechanics simulations to evaluate crack propagation potential
Fabrika Brendov