Week 1 Stress Concentration on a Plate with hole

Objective: To simulate the total deformation and the equivalent stress developed in

1. A plate with a hole at the center fixed at one end and loaded at the other end.
2. A plate with one hole at the center and two holes at same distance from the central hole fixed at one end and loaded at the other end.

Analysis:

Total Deformation:

1. Case 1
2. Case 2

Equivalent Stress:

1. Case 1
2. Case 2

Conclusion: From the analysis standpoint, design 1 (plate with one hole) performs better than design 2 (plate with three holes). This is because the maximum total deformation in design 1 is smaller than the maximum total deformation in design 2 and in automotive industry it is very essential that the components retain their shapes and sizes and do not undergo large dimensional changes. However, it should also be kept in mind that the maximum equivalent stress is lower in design 2 than the maximum equivalent stress in design 1. This implies that the maximum safety factor is higher for design 2 than for design 1. From manufacturing standpoint, design 1 is easier to manufacture than design 2 because design 1 requires just drilling one hole through a metal plate whereas design 2 requires drilling of 3 holes through a metal plate.