Structural Improvement of Vehicle Component Based on the Load Path and Load Distribution Analysis.

Load path as a new analysis tool has been widely used in structural design and assessment of load-bearing performance, but it still lacks effective guidance for structural improvement. In this paper, a new structural improvement method of vehicle component based on the load path and load distribution analysis is proposed. Firstly, according to the structural function and design requirements, the potential regions and parameters need to be optimized are identified based on the load path and load distribution analysis using Ustar and U*sum indexes. Secondly, taking the smoother Ustar on the load path and more effective use of the materials as the design criteria, the optimization suggestions are given. Then, as a case study, a safety hook on an automobile is redesigned and the new structure is compared with the original design. The results show that the Ustar becomes smoother and U*sum becomes more uniform. In addition, the stiffness and strength of the safety hook are improved by 25.29 % and 23.44 %, respectively. Finally, the failure tests show that the ultimate load of the safety hook is enhanced by 13.72 %. The method provides clear and effective guidance for structural improvement from the perspective of load path and load distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]