Finite-Element Analysis on Lightweight Material of Drive Axle Housing

In actual engineering, the drive axle of vehicles is often enlarged to prevent it from being damaged. However, the enlargement will increase the weight of the vehicle, pushing up fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. This common practice is obviously detrimental to the environment and sustainable development. To meet the stiffness and strength requirements on the drive axle housing of Steyr heavy trucks, this paper carries out finite-element analysis on the stiffness and strength of the axile housing under different working conditions, in the light of its actual stress features. According to the production process of drive axle housing in truck, the authors reviewed the development of the materials for high-strength axle housing, which could be properly formed through hot stamping, cold stamping, and mechanical expansion, and briefly introduced the structural features of drive axle housing. Then, a drive axle model was established in the three-dimensional (3D) drawing software Pro/ENGINEER, and converted into a finite-element model in Pro/Mechanica by calling the meshing command. On this basis, the static load of axle housing was analyzed under four working conditions: maximum vertical force, maximum traction, maximum braking force, and maximum lateral force. Finite-element analysis was performed on the meshed model to obtain the displacement and stress cloud maps of the axle housing under each working condition. The results show that the drive axle housing satisfy the requirements on strength, stiffness, and deformation. To sum up, this research improves the design efficiency and quality of products through finite-element analysis on the stiffness and strength of drive axle housing.