FEM Analysis of an Amphibious Hydraulic Excavators Boom and Stick

TIAN Furun HAN Zichao CHEN zhihong

School of Mechatronics Engineering
Changchun Institute of Technology
Changchun, China

e-mail: jxxjz@ccit.edu.cn
AbstractForce conducted to boom and stick is analyzed by
complicated elements divide of FEM, it shows that the more
the box section is, the more load is, and Hinge points force is
much more than before. If size isnt be affected, it can be
reduced by increasing the sectional area. FEM analysis and
design comparison analysis results show that FEM analysis
method is feasible to amphibious hydraulic excavator. FEM
analysis of results to practical design provides a practical
way and means for the process of other construction
machinery design analysis.
Keywords-excavator; boom; stick; FEM; complicated
element divide

third or more of the world's total production[1].

Amphibious hydraulic excavator produced by China
takes pace with hydraulic excavator industry, The
following three key aspects will be conducted: (1) develop
special amphibious hydraulic excavator with special long
of high quality, more varieties, specifications,
multi-function the hydraulic excavator, which are able to
dig, scratch, lift and pile, (2) Specialized research and
development of special long arm (or scalable long arm) to
enlarge work range or dive in deep water, increase
buoyancy of the floating cases to ensure operation safety,
(3) to conquer some difficulty such as ambulating
resistance, low efficiency engine and has its crawler track
support rollers chain a shorter life span to improve
reliability, economy and use of security[2].

. INTRODUCTION
A hydraulic excavator is developed by traditional
excavators mechanical drive. Its working process includes
that blade shovels soil, shovels promotion after filling and
returns to its working position, move back its original
place. This kind of device is widely applied to architecture
engineering, hydraulic engineering construction survey,
railway and highway construction et al.
An amphibious hydraulic excavator plays an
important role in channel clean-out, marsh and coastal
beaches development, beaches development and removing
alkalis with slag or dredging engineering. Domestic
amphibious hydraulic excavators were imported from the
early 1980s and developed independently, such as
WY40ZR amphibious hydraulic excavator produced by
Fushun excavator factory, despite the Chinese
machinery industry construction has to take shape and
strength and is entering a period of rapid development, still
has not to form a mass production yet. At present, the
professional excavators manufacturers of mass production
are more than 350, most hydraulic excavators are
manufactured by the united states, Japan, Germany, France
and CIS, Japanese production occupies approximately one

. AN AMPHIBIOUS HYDRAULIC EXCAVATORS

OVERALL PLAN OF BACKHOE WORKING DEVICE
Most commonly used work device of an amphibious
hydraulic excavator is backhoe and face shovel, at the
same time it is also able to fit lifting, the grab bucket,
loading and loosening soil and drilling, shattering of work
units.
A. Backhoe Working Principle
Backhoe working device is a kind of main work
position; it is shown in Figure 1. It is consisted of moving
arm 1, hydraulic cylinder of moving arm 2, bucket rod
hydraulic cylinder 3, bucket rod 4, bucket hydraulic
cylinder 5, bucket 6, connecting rod 7 and joystick 8. Its
structure features are that all members are conjured by
hinge, and realize all kinds of motions by change hydraulic
cylinders stroke.

1- moving arm; 2- hydraulic cylinder of moving arm; 3- bucket rod hydraulic cylinder; 4- bucket rod;
5- bucket hydraulic cylinder; 6- bucket; 7- connecting rod; 8- joystick;
Figure 1. Backhoe working device of an amphibious hydraulic excavator

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Hydraulic excavator hinge working devices structure is

divided into two categories as the overall style and
knocked-down style.
The overall bending arm structure can increase
excavation depth, but also reduces the uninstalled height,
so a the whole bending or moving arm is widely used, its
structure is closed box beam which is welded by steel plate,
the isolating plates are added are to increase the strength
and stiffness, it is showed in Figure 2.

B. Structure of Amphibious Hydraulic Eexcavators

Wworking Device
Hinge type working device is the most common
hydraulic excavator structure. moving arm, bucket, bucket
rod and so on welded with steel sheet are conjured
togetherAll of rods rotate by hinge stress; realize all
motions by hydraulic cylinders action.
1) Whole bent moving arm
Moving arm is the main component which decides
the overall structure and features of other components.

Figure 2. The overall bending arm

2) Bucket rod
Generally, bucket rod is welded by steel plate; it is a
non-constant cross section box-type structure, the one is

hinged to moving arm, the other is hinged to bucket, its

outer contour is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Bucket rod

attribute: MP, EX, 1, 2.1E10; MP, PRXY, 1, 0.26; (3)

define uniform units/units, SI; (4) control dimension of
elements smart size-basic-7; (5) divide mesh:
mesh-volumes-free; it is shown in Figure 4; (6) apply
load(7) solution; (8) post results.

. FEM ANALYSIS OF MOVING ARM AND

BUCKET ROD
A. FEM analysis of moving arm
(1) define element attribute[3-7]8 node, 6 plane
element et al.ET,1, SOLIDE45 et al(2) define materials

Figure 4. Divided mesh of a moving arm

Figure5. The load and deformation of a moving arm

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(a) stress isopleth of X direction nodes

(b) stress isopleth of Y direction nodes

(c) stress isopleth of Z direction nodes

(d) stress isopleth of XYZ direction nodes

Figure 6. Node stress isopleth of a moving arm

Figure 7. Element stress isopleth of a moving arm

The finite element analysis steps of a bucket rod are

similar to that of a moving arm, so not too much
introduction is done here.

It is shown that node stress of a moving arm is less

than 50MPaelements stresscontact stressis up to
212MPa, heat treat can be adopted to improve its strength.
Main dangerous sections meet requirements and standards.
B. FEM analysis of bucket rod

Figure 8. Divided mesh of divided mesh of a bucket rod

Figure 9. Deformation of a bucket rod

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(a) stress isopleth of X direction nodes

(b) stress isopleth of Y direction nodes

(c) stress isopleth of Z direction nodes

(d) stress isopleth of XYZ direction nodes

Figure 10. Node stress isopleth of a bucket rod

Figure 11. Element stress isopleth of a bucket rod

It is shown that node stress of a bucket rod is less than

150MPaelements stresscontact stressis up to 235MPa,
main dangerous sections meet requirements and standards.

REFERENCE
[1] Kong D W, Zhao K L, et al, Hydraulic Excavator. Beijing:
Chemistry Industry Press, 2007.
[2] Zhou M L, Summary on Amphibious Hydraulic Excavators at
Home and Abroad. Machinery Products and Science & Technique,
vol.2, 1997, pp. 2127-2130.
[3] Yu S, Zhang J Z, et al, FEM Analysis of Hydraulic Excavators
Moving Arm, Construction Machinery, vol.11,2002, pp.8-10.
[4] Cao Sh H, Yu H, et al. Single Dipper Hydraulic Excavator. Beijing :
Chinese Architecture Industry Press, 1986.
[5] Fan Q S, Yin Y J. Materials Mechanicals. Beijing: Tsinghua
University Press, 2004.
[6] Liu K. ANSYS FEM Concise Explanation. Beijing: Defense Industry
Press, 2005.
[7] WANG F C, Zhang Ch H. ANSYS10.0 FEM Analysis and
Application in Engineering. Beijing: Electronic Industry Press,
2006.

CONCLUSION

It shows that the more the box section is, the more
load is to a moving arm or a bucket rod by FEM analysis,
so material utilization and cost should be decreased on the
assumption that meeting the demand.
FEM analysis and design comparison analysis results
show that FEM analysis method is feasible to amphibious
hydraulic excavator, and it shows that amphibious
hydraulic excavators design meets demand for strength
and stiffness.
FEM analysis of results to practical design provides a
valuable reference; and provides practical ways and means
for the process of other construction machinery design
analysis.

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1957- CAE
043185711309O85955715O13944133558M
E-mailjxxjz@ccit.edu.cn
395

130012

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