Abstract

Fork’s related structural design and detail have a significant impact on the overall performance of a forklift. In this paper, the structural stress analysis and strength calculation of the fork were carried out firstly, and the rated load calculations considering dynamic and unbalanced conditions were performed. Also, the restraint conditions were analyzed. Then, a finite element model was established using ANSYS software. In particular, the structure of the fork was optimized by increasing the fillet radius of the fork root and the variation rules between the fillet radius and the maximum structural stress and minimum fatigue life were numerically studied, which was in accordance with the mathematical models of ExpAssoc and Logistic regression (the fitness R²= =0.99 and 0.96, respectively). Overall, the stress concentration issue of the fork root was improved and the structural strength perquisite was satisfied when using a fillet radius of 75 mm. Both the numerical calculations and theorized mechanical analysis show consistency, where the stress concentration was observed in the fork root’s fillet area, testifying the accuracy of the established finite element model. The numerous methods employed in this work lay an important theoretical basis for the structural design improvement of the target fork.