Finite Element Analysis - Crane Boom Error

By carrying out a study on the crane boom we have found out that the structure is not rigid and strong enough to lift the load without plastically deforming. The image below shows how much the boom would deform when loaded.



The red arrow on the scale indicates the yield strength of the material, in this case aluminium 6061 alloy. Every stress above this arrow would plastically deform the component. In the case of this boom, the failure point would in the green and red areas. To prevent this the structure was further developed so that it became more rigid. The material was also changed to alloy steel. This material was chosen because it has a higher value yield stress and a higher Young's modulus. The image below shows how these changes made a significant improvement on the component.



The red arrow not being on the scale, indicates that the stresses do not reach the yield strength of the material and therefore does not plastically deform.