A Parametric FEA Study of Excavator Arm Deformation and Maximum Shear Stress during Excavation

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A Parametric FEA Study of Excavator Arm Deformation and Maximum Shear Stress during Excavation

Authors : Ashish Makdey, Dr Sachin K Kamble, Dr. Usha C.  Pawar

DOI : 10.46335/IJIES.2026.1.1.2

Abstract – Excavator arms are subjected to severe mechanical loading during excavation, and their structural performance plays a critical role in operational safety and durability. In the present study, a parametric finite element analysis (FEA) is carried out to investigate the deformation and maximum shear stress behavior of an excavator arm under varying digging pressure and bucket inclination conditions. A three-dimensional numerical model of the excavator arm–bucket assembly is developed and analyzed using ANSYS Workbench 18.2. To represent conservative operating conditions, the stick end of the arm is fully constrained. Distributed pressure loads ranging from 100 kPa to 500 kPa are applied on the bucket surface to simulate soil resistance during excavation. Additionally, the arm–bucket assembly is rotated such that the bottom surface of the bucket is inclined at 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, and 60° with respect to the global reference axis, representing different digging postures. The structural response is evaluated in terms of total deformation and maximum shear stress based on the Tresca failure criterion. Results indicate that total deformation increases consistently with increasing pressure for all inclination angles, reaching a maximum value of approximately 39 mm at the highest pressure level. The influence of inclination angle on deformation is moderate; however, a noticeable increase is observed around 30° inclination. In contrast, maximum shear stress exhibits strong sensitivity to bucket inclination, with peak values occurring consistently at 30° for all pressure levels. The maximum shear stress of 1.43 × 10⁹ Pa is obtained at a pressure of 500 kPa and 30° inclination, identifying this configuration as the most critical digging condition. The findings provide valuable insight into the influence of digging posture and load severity on excavator arm structural behavior and can assist in safer design and operational planning.