Dynamic impact response of minitype wheel loader FOPS subjected to drop hammer collision

In order to improve the impact resistance of minitype wheel loader FOPS, the breakage phenomenon when the FOPS was impacted by the standard drop hammer was discussed, and the method of explicit dynamic finite element was put forward to solve the impact response of minitype wheel loader FOPS. ZL15 wheel loader was taken as an example to illustrate the methods for establishing finite element model and applying boundary conditions. The impulse force waveform, the rule of impact deformation and the rule of energy conversion were analyzed to indicate that the impulse force waveform was different from the hypothesis of square wave. No FOPS components invaded DLV during being impacted; the FOPS met the standard of ISO3449. The FOPS absorbed 83% of energy at the first impact, and the impact thereafter can be neglected. The rule of the drop hammer height and the change of mass were analyzed given a constant impact energy. It indicated that the impact deformation became larger with the decrease of the hammer height and the increase of mass.