Considerations on geometric modelling and finite element analysis for a trolley travel mechanism of an overhead crane

Abstract

Overhead cranes are complex lifting machines that have one or more mechanisms by which they perform the displacements of the loads. Overhead cranes move on high-rise ways without disturbing the activity that takes place on the ground. The trolley is one of the main components of the overhead crane and houses the wheels on which the crane moves. In this paper it was realized the 3D modelling of a trolley for an overhead crane, which was based on a real example of such a displacement mechanism and was made in the Autodesk Mechanical Desktop software. Next, the paper proposed to perform an analysis of stresses and deformations in static conditions of the trolley-type displacement mechanism under the action of its own weight. Finite element analysis was performed in Algor V23 software. This software gives the user ease in modelling but at the same time offers complete and particularly powerful analysis tools. Based on some simplifying hypotheses, a relatively simple model was obtained to analyze, but which led to obtaining results that can be a starting point for specialists in the domain of designing such equipment.