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Usually in Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) analyses, Computer Aided Design (CAD) data is meshed and analyzed with regard to displacements and stresses. So far, it is not common to account for residual stresses due to the manufacturing process in these analyses. This work proposes a methodology based on simplified abaqus Standard/Explicit models to evaluate residual stresses due to stamping and bending manufacturing process in truck rails and suggests a methodology to use this residual stress data in truck frame CAE durability analysis making it possible to compare how different a predicted fatigue life can be when residual stresses are considered.

This work aims to present procedures for developing a project tool that is able to generate parametric models of automotive wheels to be calculated through Finite Elements Method (FEM). The development of a parametric program that could, at the same time, control the geometry, the loading and the mesh associated to a virtual test of rotating fatigue, through the method of finite elements, was the main objective of this work and was successfully executed. In any type of structural analysis, calculation results must be compared with some available parameter in order to establish the adequacy of the structural behavior. Consequently, we should have results that represent a close estimate of what we believe to be the actual structure behavior, which are based on hypothesis adopted in theory, and we should also have the nominal acceptable limits which we expect any well projected structure to be compliant.

This paper treats the study case of semi-trailer structures by using Finite Element Method (FEM). It has the main proposal to stablish an automatic procedure for model preparation, that means: meshing generation, design loads and constraints applications, for a family of semi-trailer from 15000 to 35000 dm3 capacity, automatically built by the computer program GERTAP with a very few user interference. For this reason, the program does not demand any FEM expertise so that engineers can focus main construction problems without excessive concerning about model theoretical characteristics and model mistakes. At present moment, we are able to develop static analysis, with use of equivalent accelerations, in order to compute weighting, braking and turning loads. Soon, in a very near future, we are going to apply dynamics analysis that will simulate the actual bad conditions of Brazilian roads, so that fatigue-cracking problems could be prevented in design stage.