Abstract
Composite hydraulic cylinders are used to reduce the weight of construction equipment such as aerial work platforms or excavators. The weight is compensated by manufacturing hydraulic cylinders from Carbon Fiber Reinsforced Plastic (CFRP), but this is expensive. Therefore, this study investigated a hybrid hydraulic cylinder, which is a combination of CFRP and steel, considering both performance and cost. The conventional hydraulic cylinder rods are made of steel, which can prevent failure due to buckling under push load (Push) or failure under alternating push–pull load (Push–Pull) or pull only. In this paper, we discuss how the failure threshold for these two mechanisms can be increased by making the piston rod from a hybrid material. In order to develop this lightweight hybrid piston rod for hydraulic cylinders that meets the buckling strength requirements of the original steel rod, CFRP is used as a substitute, which has significant buckling strength against compressive loading and, most importantly, is lighter than steel. The substitution is done either by replacing steel completely with CFRP or by reducing the volume of steel and sheathing it with CFRP. Numerical and experimental studies are carried out to understand the strength and behavior of piston rods when they are replaced by different combinations of composite materials for the given load. For this study, two different piston rod designs with various design parameters were considered, and their respective behavior under loading was discussed. The effect of compressive loads on CFRP wrapped steel parts and buckling strength as a function of fiber orientation, stacking angle and number of CFRP layers was investigated using experiments. The study demonstrated the usefulness of steel-CFRP composites to reduce weight and their influence on buckling load in hydraulic cylinders.
Highlights
In recent years, the weight of construction and heavy industrial machinery is considered a problem, as it contributes to higher fuel consumption and more emissions and environmental damage
The objective of this study is to replace conventional steel hydraulic cylinder rods with cylinder rods made of a combination of steel and Carbon Fiber Reinsforced Plastic (CFRP) to reduce the weight of the piston rod without compromising its structural strength
Experimental analysis was carried out ling load in a steel rod with different diameters
Summary
The weight of construction and heavy industrial machinery is considered a problem, as it contributes to higher fuel consumption and more emissions and environmental damage. There is a continuous and progressive process of weight reduction in structural components This weight reduction in structural components reduces fuel consumption and increases the performance of the machine due to reduction in inertial forces. The objective of this study is to replace conventional steel hydraulic cylinder rods with cylinder rods made of a combination of steel and CFRP to reduce the weight of the piston rod without compromising its structural strength. This lightweight piston rod is to be used in a hydraulic cylinder, which in turn reduces the weight of the hydraulic cylinder. This is because a single machine uses more than 6 to 8 hydraulic cylinders which vary in size and function [1]
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