The Prediction of Stress and Safety Factor of Shock Absorber Based on Cyclic Loading Using Finite Element Method

The aim of this study was to predict the strength of shock absorber under cyclic loading, with the goal of supporting the development of suspension components for electric vehicles. Shock absorber was designed with specific material specifications to effectively dampen vibrations and dissipate kinetic energy. The process began with the initial drafting of the geometric structure, followed by the determination of boundary conditions using cyclic loading forces. Furthermore, mesh grid independence and convergence tests were carried out to assess the accuracy of the simulation, using Finite Element Method (FEM) with ANSYS software. The simulation was conducted to analyze deformation, von Mises stress, and safety factor. The results showed that the mesh grid independence test and convergence test assisted in determining the appropriate mesh size for model optimization and efficiency. Additionally, FEM simulation provided stress and deformation values that could identify critical areas within the components. Another important result was the gradual decline in safety factor value, starting from the sixth second and continuing until the end of the simulation under cyclic loading conditions. This transient behavior of safety factor value should be taken into consideration for design safety.