STUDIES ON ALUMINUM-MADE CHASSIS-TYPE FRAME MODEL OF A TRACTOR I: COMPARATIVE STATIC STRENGTH ANALYSIS AND MASS REDUCTION

摘要

In order to reduce tractor mass, an aluminum alloy was adopted for a tractor frame model instead of steel. To investigate its strength characteristics, numerical approach using the finite element method (FEM) and the experimental trial frame with a scale factor of 1:2 were conducted. The FEM results showed that the aluminum frame in this specific model, which is 20% lighter, is capable of providing higher strength than that of steel. In terms of stiffness, the aluminum model was 60% and 33% better compared with that of steel in lateral and torsional loading, respectively. Despite these data, however, it exhibited 12% higher deflection for vertical loading. These FEM results encouraged practical potentiality for design improvement as far as these loading tests are concerned.