Strength Comparison of Swing Tower Designs with Finite Element Method in Backhoe Loaders

Abstract

Backhoe-Loader construction machines are exposed to several different loads within the scope of their usage areas. The degree of freedom of the attachment is one of the elements that ensures the functionality of the excavating zone. The movement of the attachment on the horizontal plane is provided with hydraulic cylinders. The forces and moments that comes from the attachment area are transferred directly to the upper chassis. It is critical that the swing tower located between the upper chassis and the attachment, can withstand these transferred loads. In this study, static structural analysis of different designs of the swing tower in the attachment area for HİDROMEK backhoe-loader machines was carried out with the finite element package program MSC Marc. The forces and moments that the HİDROMEK construction machine is exposed to due to working conditions were evaluated and applied as input in the analysis. The accuracy of the analysis method was verified by the strain gauge test performed on a model selected from the designs examined. As a result of the study; the models were compared in terms of strength, and the effects of the changes made on the designs on the strength were interpreted.