Design and development of polypropylene frame for remotely operated vehicle

Numerical model based finite element method is adopted to find the optimum thickness of remotely operated vehicle frame made of polypropylene having stress and displacement as a criteria. Frame is the base for remotely operated vehicle. Thin polypropylene plates are arranged to have the structure, which hold the components of remotely operated vehicle. The vertical and horizontal plates are connected through L-angle with bolted joints. Numerical analysis is carried out to capture the geometric and material non-linearity. The plates are subjected to compressive and bending loads. Material properties are represented through stress-strain curve obtained from uniaxial tensile test. Contact elements are defined between polypropylene plates and L-angles. Bolted joints are modeled using beam elements and constraint equations. The structure is subjected to loads during lifting and driving the vehicle in different directions. Analysis is carried out for both linear and non-linear models. Results are compared and frame is suitably modified to reduce the deflection. Remotely operated vehicle frame is designed to have a maximum strength and less weight. Remotely operated vehicle frame is designed, developed and tested under operating conditions.