Fatigue analysis of automobile steering knuckle based on virtual iteration and reverse modeling

Abstract

To address the problems of long cycle, high cost and insufficient precision in traditional durability verification of automotive steering knuckles, a passenger car steering knuckle was taken as the research object. Combined with measured road load spectrum, virtual iteration, reverse modeling and finite element analysis, systematic fatigue life analysis and reliability verification were conducted. A high-precision geometric model was established via 3D scanning and reverse engineering, and its validity was verified by free modal test. Virtual iteration based on Adams-FEMFAT-Lab co-simulation was used to extract the fatigue load spectrum of key connection points. Fatigue simulation under multiaxial random loads was completed in nCode DesignLife based on the quasi-static method and Miner’s linear cumulative damage theory, and the results show that the fatigue life mileage of the steering knuckle is significantly higher than the design index. The integrated digital method proposed can provide technical support for fatigue reliability verification and intelligent manufacturing of key chassis components.