Journals Proceedings

Abstract

In an excavator, a sprocket is a toothed wheel that engages with a chain or track to transmit rotary motion. Sprocket, track and idler form an assembly to cause the motion of excavator. Optimization is a methodology of making something (as a design, system, or decision) as fully perfect, functional, or effective as possible to maximize productivity or minimize waste. In this paper, sprocket weight optimization is done with reducing material to get optimized design which can perform well under torque condition keeping same constraints. For this purpose, an FEM tool is used for analyzing existing and optimized sprocket with different types of FEA techniques. Strain Gauging is done for correlation with FEA virtual strain to confirm the loadings. Conceptual Test rig is proposed to validate the optimized sprocket.