DESIGN, MODELING, AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF AN AUTOMOTIVE ALLOY WHEEL RIM USING ANSYS

Abstract

The wheel rim is one of the most critical components of an automobile, as it supports the vehicle's weight, withstands dynamic loads, and ensures safe and efficient transmission of forces between the tire and the road surface. The increasing demand for lightweight, durable, and high-performance automotive components has encouraged the use of advanced Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) tools in wheel rim development. This project presents the Design, Modeling, and Structural Analysis of an Automotive Alloy Wheel Rim Using ANSYS by developing a three-dimensional CAD model of an automotive alloy wheel rim and evaluating its structural performance under static loading conditions. The wheel rim geometry is created using CAD software and imported into ANSYS Workbench for finite element analysis (FEA). Appropriate material properties of aluminium alloy are assigned, and suitable boundary conditions and loading conditions are applied to simulate actual operating environments. The analysis focuses on evaluating key performance parameters such as equivalent (von Mises) stress, total deformation, equivalent elastic strain, directional deformation, factor of safety, and structural stability. The simulation results are used to identify stress concentration regions and assess the mechanical strength of the wheel rim under design loads. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed alloy wheel rim possesses sufficient structural integrity while maintaining reduced weight compared with conventional steel rims. The study highlights that Finite Element Analysis significantly improves design accuracy, reduces prototype development cost, minimizes experimental testing, and accelerates product development. The proposed methodology provides an effective and economical approach for designing lightweight, safe, and reliable automotive wheel rims suitable for modern passenger vehicles. Keywords : Automotive Wheel Rim, Alloy Wheel, ComputerAided Design (CAD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), ANSYS Workbench, Structural Analysis, Von Mises Stress, Total Deformation, Aluminium Alloy, Mechanical Design, Lightweight Design, Automotive Engineering.