Request: Customer needs to reduce the mass of weldment due to limited load capacity of a rotary indexing table. The 8 weldments are attached to the table.
Mass weldment reduction
Mass weldment reduction
Solution
- Weldment stress analysis to identify critical spots
- Geometry change to reduce mass
- Stress analysis validation of mass optimized weldment
- Drawings delivery to the customer
Weldment model shown in Figure 1 is supplied by the customer. Mass of weldment is 50 kg. Hydraulic cylinder with 8-ton working load is attached to the top part of the weldment. Cylinder press semi-finished product which is after welded by robotic welding system. The rotary indexing table has limited load capacity, therefore, customer needs to reduce weldment mass.
Fig. 1 – Original weldment design
Firstly, the static analysis is performed to obtain stress distribution across weldment as shown in Figure 2.
Fig. 2 – Weldment stress distribution
Secondly, the topology optimization technology modifies the weldment shape. Weldment mass decreased to 38.5 kg.
Fig. 3 – Optimized shape
The static analysis shows the stress distribution of optimized weldment in the end.
Fig. 4 – Stress validation of optimized weldment
The weldment mass decreased by 23%. It enables to use of 8 weldments on the rotary indexing table.
Mass weldment reduction
Request: Customer needs to reduce mass of weldments due to limited load capacity of a rotary indexing table. The 8 weldments are attached to the table.
Solution
- Weldment stress analysis to identify critical spots
- Geometry change to reduce mass
- Stress analysis validation of mass optimized weldment
- Drawings delivery to the customer
Weldment model shown in Figure 1 is supplied by the customer. Mass of weldment is 50 kg. Hydraulic cylinder with 8 ton working load is attached to the top part of weldment. Cylinder press semi-finished product which is after welded by robotic welding system. The rotary indexing table has limited load capacity therefore customer needs to reduce weldment mass.
Fig. 1 – Original weldment design
Firstly, the static analysis is peformed to obtain stress distribution across weldment as shown in Figure 2.
Fig. 2 – Weldment stress distribution
Secondly, the weldment shape is modified by topology optimization technology. Weldment mass decreased to 38.5 kg.
Fig. 3 – Optimized shape
The static analysis shows the stress distribution of optimized weldment in the end.
Fig. 4 – Stress validation of optimized weldment
The weldment mass descreased by 23% and it enables to use 8 weldments on the rotary indexing table.