Design and fmea analysis of horizontal balancing machine support

The structural design and structural analysis of support legs, or chassis, of horizontal balancing machines, i.e., decanter centrifuges, are addressed in the current thesis. Support structures are considered primary components that are inherent for providing system stability for vibration control and dynamic load absorption under operating states. Three support leg design configurations were designed and assessed with the Finite Element Method (FEM). Stress behavior, deformation properties, and values of natural frequency were compared, and numerical results experimentally confirmed. For preliminary stage of thesis, an initial setup in hollow rectangular shape form had been investigated. Afterwards, from preliminary setup, complex setup of pinned weld configuration had been resulted again, converted into stiffened setup with vertical stiffeners fitted around lengthwise of profile to get highest rigidity. Each setup had been made from S235JR structural steel, and fabrication afterwards using gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process. In-house jigs were used to get precise dimensions as well as suppress thermal deformation during welding. Based on quantitative outputs, it became evident that design reinforced with stiffeners minimized maximum deformation by around 19% compared to base case, raised first natural frequency by 13%, and improved critical buckling load carrying capacity in every direction. Maximum Von Mises stresses in all stages of load were less than yield strength of material, and experimental confirmation showed excellent correlation (R² > 0.95) between simulated FEM displacement and experiment displacement. These details were directly related to enhanced vibration resistance, load-carrying capacity, and long-term durability. Numerical and experimental investigation were used to arrive at advantages and limitations of every design, and optimal design parameters were computed. Improvement of mechanical reliability in decanter centrifuge machines using vibration-resistant, stable support leg designs as vibration outcome is regarded as main focus of present investigation. Keywords: Decanter centrifuge, support leg, chassis design, finite element method, structural analysis, vibration