APPLICATION OF FEM IN THE ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURE OF A TRAILER SUPPORTING FRAME WITH VARIABLE OPERATION PARAMETERS WYKORZYSTANIE MES W ANALIZIE STRUKTURY NOŚNEJ RAMY NACZEPY

This work presents a numerical analysis of the structure of a trailer frame of adjustable length and an increased load capacity designed for the transportation of oversize loads. The study was aimed at developing adequate numerical FEM models which would allow identification of the effort of the structure and the state of strain under operating loads. The analysis was carried out using ABAQUS/Standard, a numerical tool which enables calculations in the geometrically nonlinear range with the use of the incremental–iterative Newton–Raphson method. As a result of the analysis, trouble areas in the frame were found in which dangerous stresses occurred. This enabled modification of the structure, leading to a reduction of the stresses to a safe level.