Analysis and topology optimization structural design excavator bucket tooth using finite element method

Abstract

The Bucket tooth is one of the important parts of the excavator bucket. Bucket tooth functions as a splitting material which also functions to avoid wear and damage to the bucket. In this research, the author optimizes the bucket tooth design on the market so that it can produce a lighter design but has almost the same strength as the initial design. To find out the type of material used various tests were carried out, namely tensile test, chemical composition test, and micrography test. After that, a linear static simulation is performed to obtain the maximum Von-Mises stress value in the design to determine whether the design can be carried out by the topology optimization process. From the results of linear static simulation using the finite element method, the maximum value of Von-Mises stress of 653.17 MPa below the yield strength of AISI 4140 material is 1528 MPa so that the design is declared safe and can be optimized because it has a safety factor value of 2.2. From the results of topology optimization, it was found that the mass decrease in design variable 1 was 1.261 kg and in the design variable 2 was 0.466 kg. In addition, the maximum Von-Mises in the variable 1 design do not change while the variable 2 design increases by 5.55 MPa. The safety factor value of the design variable 1 is 2.34 and the design of variable 2 is 2.32 which can be said that the value of the stresses that occur in both designs is still declared safe.