Dynamic Contact Characteristics Analysis of Heavy-duty Track Rollers

Abstract

As an important component of the crawler walking device, the track roller needs to withstand strong impact and is prone to failure, which can lead to serious economic losses. This paper focuses on the track roller of the spreader as the research subject and investigates the dynamic contact characteristics between the track roller and the track plate. Using RecurDyn software, a virtual prototype model of the crawler walking device is established to analyze the variation in a vertical dynamic load of the track roller under different working conditions. Simultaneously, a finite element model of the contact between the track roller and the track plate is developed using Ansys Workbench, and its accuracy is verified using Hertz contact theory. Finally, the study discusses various influencing factors on the contact characteristics, including load, curvature of the contacting bodies, and material yield strength. The results indicate that the track rollers experience the highest dynamic load when climbing a slope, reaching a maximum load of 1191.44 kN. Moreover, the maximum contact stress is 1750.4 MPa, and the maximum Mises stress is 921.34 MPa during this operation.  Importantly, when the load reaches 1218 kN, the maximum Mises stress of the track roller is 930.2 MPa, which may lead to roller failure after prolonged use. These findings provide valuable insights for the design and optimization of heavy-duty track rollers and offer significant assistance for various tracked vehicles.