Study on Applicability of Finite Element Method for Mechanical Design of a Small Ditch-cutting Side-disk

Abstract

The validity of three dimensional finite element analyses for the mechanical design of a small ditch-cutting side-disk was investigated. The analytical model was created using a three dimensional finite element mesh with 8-node hexahedral elements. The loading test apparatus was developed for the real side-disk in order to evaluate the validity and accuracy of the proposed model, and the strain variation of the disk and frame was measured at the prescribed loading levels. A comparison between the analytical and measured strain revealed that the predicted analytical strain was less than the measured strain, whereas both the deformation patterns were in good agreement. In addition, the effects of specification changes were investigated via sensitivity analyses for the loading angle to the disk and for the stiffness and shape of the hub section.