Finite Element Analyses of a Car Door Under External Force and Pressing of Rigid Body

Finite Element Analyses of a Car Door Under External Force and Pressing of Rigid Body Abstract Using the powerful finite element program MARC, this paper discusses the finite element analyses of a car door under a large external static force and the pressing of a rigid cylinder. The pressing of a rigid body in the computer analyses simulates a strength test for car doors. The finite element nonlinear stress and deformation analyses of the door under the two loads are presented respectively. The nonlinear behaviors include large displacements, large rotations and large strains (elastic and plastic). Because of the complexity of the car door’s structure, the finite element nonlinear analyses under the two load cases have to deal with multi-contact problems. By the analytical results, the door's strength can be determined. Furthermore, the car door’s strength can be improved and optimized based on the results and further analysis. Key words: Finite Element Analysis, Contact Problem, Pressing, Car Door