Chassis Plate Analysis
Chassis plate thickness, Figure A.7, determines the minimum thickness of the plate if the material is 6061 T6 Aluminum. It was assumed that the plate acted as a simple beam with a 150 N force being applied at one end and fixed at the other. The bending stress is the driving factor because of the maximum moment caused. After calculations, the minimum thickness found was 2.37 mm but a 4.8 mm plate was used.
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The critical buckling load was found in Figure A.8 to confirm the plate thickness would withstand the force of the car hitting a wall. The impact of the car hitting a wall was 403.2 N assuming a maximum weight of 4.54 kg. The critical buckling load was found using Johnsons method and it is greater than the force of the car hitting a wall. The critical load found was 56 kN.
Chassis Plate Thickness
Figure A.7: Analysis of minimum allowable chassis plate thickness.
Critical Buckling Load on Chassis
Figure A.8: Analysis of the critical buckling load of the chassis plate.