International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 07 Issue: 08 | Aug 2020 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

Design & Analysis of Ladder Frame Chassis

Yagyansh Mishra
Dept. of Automobile Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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Abstract - Automotive chassis is the most important part of any automobile onto which other mechanical parts like
engine, wheels, axle assemblies, etc. are mounted. It acts as the backbone of any vehicle. The chassis has to withstand the
shocks, vibrations, and any stresses induced in the vehicle. Hence the material and the design of the chassis decide the
overall strength and stability of the vehicle. On chassis, maximum shear stress and deflection under maximum load are
important criteria for design and analysis. It should be able to withstand these forces without much bending or twisting. In
this work, TATA LPT 1618 truck is used to create the chassis with different cross-sections namely – C, I, and Rectangular
Box (Hollow) type. The modelled chassis is taken for analysis with materials namely ASTM A710 Steel, ASTM A302 Alloy
Steel, and Aluminium Alloy 6063-T6 subjected to the same load. The problem to be dealt with for this dissertation work is
to Design and Analyse using suitable CAE software for ladder chassis. The report is the work performed towards the
optimization of the automobile chassis with constraints of stiffness and strength. The modelling is done using
SOLIDWORKS 2019 and the finite element analysis is done using ANSYS 2019 R3.

Key Words: Ladder chassis; modelling; structural analysis; C, I and Rectangular Box (Hollow) type cross sections;
SOLIDWORKS 2019; ANSYS 2019 R3

1. INTRODUCTION
A chassis is a load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and
function. Automobile chassis is used to mount the parks like wheels, tires, axle assemblies, suspension, etc. The chassis
provides the strength needed for supporting the different vehicular components as well as the payload and helps to keep
the automobile rigid and stiff. Automobile chassis ensures less noise, vibrations, and harshness throughout the automobile.
The chassis frame consists of side members attached with a series of cross members. It also decides the safety level of any
vehicle. Along with the strength, an important consideration in chassis design is to have adequate bending and torsional
stiffness for better handling characteristics. So, strength and stiffness are two important criteria for the design of chassis.
Stress analysis using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) can be used to locate the critical point which has the highest stress.
This critical point is one of the factors that may cause fatigue failure. Accuracy of this analysis helps in deciding the life
span of any chassis frame.

Types of chassis frame:

Cruciform frame:
It is a frame to carry torsion loads where no element of the frame is subject to a torsion moment and is made of two
straight beams and a center X shaped cross member. It will only have bending loads applied to the beams. This type of
frame has good torsional stiffness provided the joint at the center is satisfactorily designed.

Space frame:
In this type, the suspension, engine, and body panels are attached to a three-dimensional skeletal frame of tubes and the
body panels have little or no structural function. To maximize rigidity and minimize weight, the design makes maximum
use of triangles and all the forces in each strut are either tensile or compressive, never bending, so they can be kept as thin
as possible.

Ladder frame:
It is clear from its name that the ladder chassis resembles a shape of a ladder having two longitudinal rails inter linked by
lateral and cross braces. This design offers good beam resistance because of its continuous rails from front to rear, but
poor resistance to torsion or warping.

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 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
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2. OBJECTIVE

The objective of this work is to find the best material and cross-section type for the ladder frame of TATA LPT 1618 truck
with the constraints of maximum shear stress, equivalent (von mises) stress, and total deformation under maximum
loading conditions. At present, the most common types of ladder frame used for buses and trucks are of C and I section
type made up of Steel Alloy. The number of passengers traveling in these commercial vehicles is not fixed in countries like
India. Hence, frames must be strong enough to avoid any failure due to high loads. In this work, all the three types of
frames based on their cross sections are compared to each other to determine the best type of frame.
3. SOLUTION METHODOLOGY

The solution is done in three steps, namely – Theoretical Analysis, Creating 3-D model, and Finite Element Analysis (FEA).
Theoretical Analysis:
The ladder frame is considered as an overhanging beam with roller supports corresponding to the front and rear wheels.
The total load acting on the chassis is taken as the sum of the weight of the engine and body, and capacity of the chassis.
The load acting is considered to be uniformly distributed over the beam (UDL). With the concepts of Strength of Materials,
the reaction forces, shear forces, and bending moment are calculated.

Creating 3-D model:

The three-dimensional model of the chassis of different cross sections are created in SOLIDWORKS 2019, and then
imported to ANSYS 2019 R3 for Finite Element Analysis.

Finite Element Analysis:

There are three main steps involved, namely – pre-processing, solution, and post-processing. Pre-processing includes -
defining the geometric domain of the problem, the element type(s) to be used, the material properties of the elements, the
geometric properties of the elements (length, area, and the like), the element connectivity (mesh the model), the physical
constraints (boundary conditions) and the loadings.

The next step is the solution. In this step, the governing algebraic equations in matrix form and the unknown values of the
primary field variable(s) are assembled. The computed results are then used by back substitution to determine additional,
derived variables, such as reaction forces, element stresses, and heat flow.

In post-processing, the analysis and evaluation of the result are conducted. Examples of operations that can be
accomplished include sort element stresses in order of magnitude, check equilibrium, calculate factors of safety, plot
deformed structural shape, animate dynamic model behaviour, and produce colour-coded temperature plots.
4. SPECIFICATION OF MATERIAL USED

Property ASTM A710 Steel ASTM A302 Alloy Steel Aluminium Alloy
6063-T6
Mass density (gm/cm3) 7.85 7.79 2.8
Yield Strength (MPa) 450 340 220
Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa) 515 590 250
Poisson’s ratio 0.29 0.33 0.32
Shear Modulus (GPa) 80 78 26
Young’s Modulus (GPa) 205 210 69
Table –1: Properties of Materials used
5. DESIGN CALCULATION FOR CHASSIS

Material and Geometry of TATA LPT 1618 truck

Side bar of the chassis are made from “C” Channels with 285mm x 60 mm x 7 mm
Front Overhang (a) = 1185 mm

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Rear Overhang (c) = 1970 mm

Wheel Base (b) = 4225 mm
Modulus of Elasticity, E = 2.10 x 105 N / mm2
Poisson Ratio = 0.28
Capacity of Truck = 11.8 tons = 11800 kg = 115758 N
Capacity of Truck with 1.25% = 144697.5 N
Weight of the body and engine = 4.4 ton = 4400 kg = 43164 N
Total load acting on chassis = Capacity of the Chassis + Weight of body and
engine
= 144697.5 + 43164 = 187861.5 N
Chassis has two beams. So, load acting on each beam is half of the Total load acting on the chassis.
Load acting on the single beam = 187861.5/2 = 93930.75 N/Beam

A) Calculation for Reaction:

The beam is considered to be simply supported beam, with supports at points C and D and uniformly distributed load.
Load acting on the entire span of the beam = 93930.75 N
Length of the beam = 7380 mm
Uniformly Distributed Load = 93930.75 / 7380
= 12.73 N/mm

For getting the loads at reaction C and D, the moment about C is calculated.

Moment about C:

12.73×1185×1185/2 = (12.73×4225×4225/2) - (Rd×4225) + (12.73×1970×5210)

RD = 55701.35 N
Total load acting on the beam = 93930.75 N
RC + RD = 93930.75 N
RC = 38229.4 N

B) Calculation of Shear Force and Bending Moment:

Shear Force calculation:

FA = 0 N
FC = (-12.73×1185) + 38229.4
= 23144.35 N
FD = (-12.73×5410) + 55701.35 + 38229.4
= 25061.45 N
FB = 0 N

Bending Moment calculation:

MA = 0 Nmm
MC = (-12.73×1185×1185)/2
= -8937892.125 Nmm
MD = [(-12.73×5410×5410)/2] + (38229.4×4225)

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= -24772241.5 Nmm
MB = 0 Nmm

Fig. -1: Loading diagram, SFD & BM

6. MODELLING OF CHASSIS

The models of the existing chassis as per the dimension with different cross-sections are created in SOLIDWORKS 2019.
The three-dimensional model of the ladder chassis of C type cross-section, I type cross-section, and Rectangular Box type
cross-section is shown in Fig. 2(a), 2(b), and 2(c) respectively.

Fig. -2(a): 3-D Model of C Section Ladder Frame

Fig. -2(b): 3-D Model of I Section Ladder Frame

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Fig. -2(c): 3-D Model of Box Section Ladder Frame

7. FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF CHASSIS

This model is saved in IGES format which can be directly imported to ANSYS workbench. An example of C section model
been imported to ANSYS workbench is shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. -3: Model Imported to ANSYS Workbench

A) Meshing:
FEA software typically uses a CAD representation of the physical model and breaks it down into small pieces called finite
“elements”. This process is called “meshing”. Higher the quality of the mesh enhanced the mathematical representation of
the physical model. The meshing is done on the model using tetrahedral elements. An example of a model been meshed is
shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. -4: Meshing of Chassis Frame

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B) Loading and Boundary Conditions:

The truck chassis model is loaded by static forces from the truck body and cargo. The magnitude of the force acting on the
upper side of the chassis is 187861.5 N. This force is carried by two beams. Hence, the load carried by a single beam is
equal to 187861.5/2 = 93930.75 N. An example of load been applied to the chassis is shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. -5: Load Applied on Ladder Frame

C) Structural Analysis of Ladder Frame:

Structural analysis of the ladder frame with different cross-sections namely, C, I, and Box type was conducted with three
different types of materials namely, ASTM A710 Steel, ASTM A302 Alloy Steel, and Aluminum Alloy 6063-T6. The contour
plots of Total Deformation, Equivalent (Von-Mises) Stress, and Maximum Shear Stress for different cross-section frame
along with three different materials are shown in Fig. 6(a) to Fig. 8(c).

C-1) Structural Analysis of C type cross-section Ladder Frame:

Fig. -6(a): Total Deformation Contour of ASTM A710 Steel, ASTM A302 Alloy Steel, & Aluminium 6063-T6

Fig. -6(b): Von-Mises Stress Contour of ASTM A710 Steel, ASTM A302 Alloy Steel, & Aluminium 6063-T6

Fig. -6(c): Maximum Shear Stress Contour of ASTM A710 Steel, ASTM A302 Alloy Steel, & Aluminium 6063-T6

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C-2) Structural Analysis of I type cross-section Ladder Frame:

Fig. -7(a): Total Deformation Contour of ASTM A710 Steel, ASTM A302 Alloy Steel, & Aluminium 6063-T6

Fig. -7(b): Von-Mises Stress Contour of ASTM A710 Steel, ASTM A302 Alloy Steel, & Aluminium 6063-T6

Fig. -7(c): Maximum Shear Stress Contour of ASTM A710 Steel, ASTM A302 Alloy Steel, & Aluminium 6063-T6
C-3) Structural Analysis of Box (Hollow Rectangular) type cross-section Ladder Frame:

Fig. -8(a): Total Deformation Contour of ASTM A710 Steel, ASTM A302 Alloy Steel, & Aluminium 6063-T6

Fig. -8(b): Von-Mises Stress Contour of ASTM A710 Steel, ASTM A302 Alloy Steel, & Aluminium 6063-T6

Fig. -8(c): Maximum Shear Stress Contour of ASTM A710 Steel, ASTM A302 Alloy Steel, & Aluminium 6063-T6

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8. RESULTS

A) Results for C type cross-section Ladder Frame:

Material Total Deformation (mm) Von-Mises Stress (MPa) Maximum Shear
Stress (MPa)
ASTM A710 Steel 4.2588 233.41 133.39

ASTM A302 Alloy Steel 4.1667 231.4 132.54

Aluminium 6063-T6 12.675 231.92 132.76

Table -2: Results for C type cross-section

B) Results for I type cross-section Ladder Frame:

Material Total Deformation (mm) Von-Mises Stress (MPa) Maximum Shear
Stress (MPa)
ASTM A710 Steel 2.8014 182.17 105.14

ASTM A302 Alloy Steel 2.7386 177.62 102.51

Aluminium 6063-T6 8.3322 178.83 103.21

Table -3: Results for I type cross-section

C) Results for Box (Hollow Rectangular) type cross-section Ladder Frame:

Material Total Deformation (mm) Von-Mises Stress (MPa) Maximum Shear
Stress (MPa)
ASTM A710 Steel 2.2642 196.13 113.17

ASTM A302 Alloy Steel 2.2098 194.25 112.06

Aluminium 6063-T6 6.7263 194.75 112.36

Table -4: Results for Box type cross-section

D) Graph for Total Deformation, Von-Mises Stress & Maximum Shear Stress:

Total Deformation

25
20
15
10
5
0
C type cross-section I type cross-section Box type cross-section

ASTM A710 Steel ASTM A302 Alloy Steel Aluminium 6063-T6

Graph -1: Graph representing Total Deformation for different cross-section type & material

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Von-Mises Stress

800

600

400

200

0
C type cross-section I type cross-section Box type cross-section

ASTM A710 Steel ASTM A302 Alloy Steel Aluminium 6063-T6

Graph -2: Graph representing Von-Mises Stress for different cross-section type & material

Maximum Shear Stress

400

300

200

100

0
C type cross-section I type cross-section Box type cross-section

ASTM A710 Steel ASTM A302 Alloy Steel Aluminium 6063-T6

Graph -3: Graph representing Maximum Shear Stress for different cross-section & material
9. Conclusions

In the present work, the ladder-type chassis frame for TATA LPT 1618 truck was analysed using ANSYS 19 R3 software.
From the results, it is observed that Box type cross-section has more strength than the C and I type cross-section ladder
frame. The least Von-Mises Stress and Maximum Shear Stress are for Aluminium 6063-T6 for all the three types of the
cross-section. Finite Element Analysis is effectively utilized for addressing the conceptualization and formulation of the
design stages. Based on the analysis results of the present work, the following conclusions can be drawn:
1) The generated shear stresses are less than the permissible value so the design is safe for all the three materials.
2) Shear stresses were found maximum in ASTM A710 Steel and minimum in Aluminium 6063-T6 under given
boundary conditions.
3) The total deflection was found maximum in Aluminium 6063-T6 and minimum in ASTM A302 Alloy Steel under
given boundary conditions.
4) The least deflection is found to be in Box cross-section type of ladder frame.

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 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
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