Finite element analysis in wheel crushing tests: Correlating simulation and physical testing for Aluminum alloy wheels

Finite element analysis significantly enhances the efficiency, safety, and reliability of wheel crushing tests by providing valuable insights into the behavior of wheels under crushing loads. It is an indispensable tool in the design and optimization of wheels for various applications. Conducting physical crushing tests can be expensive and time-consuming. FEA reduces the need for extensive prototyping and testing by providing valuable insights into the behavior of the wheel under different conditions. The study of radial crush analysis for Aluminum alloy car wheels aims to determine their maximum load-carrying capacity relative to crushing displacement. This research involved conducting quasi-static crushing tests on physical 16-inch-diameter wheels using a uniaxial compressive testing machine. Additionally, the wheel geometry was reverse-engineered using a 3D scanner and CAD modeling in Creo, and subsequently converted into a finite element model for LS-DYNA simulation. The simulation utilized a tetrahedral element mesh with a MAT-224 material card to accurately reflect physical material properties and failure strains and to achieve a strong correlation with the physical tests. Two distinct wheel samples were evaluated. For the first wheel design, a numerical methodology was iteratively developed and achieved an 87.2% correlation with physical test results, exhibiting similar failure and cracking patterns. The same methodology applied to a second wheel achieved an 88.3% correlation, confirming its consistency. This approach offers the potential to streamline Aluminum alloy wheel testing processes, reducing both investment requirements and product development cycle times.