Static Structural Analysis and Gusset-Based Geometry Optimization of a Smartphone-Controlled Mini Electric Forklift

A static structural simulation was performed on a smartphone-controlled mini electric forklift to determine whether its frame could withstand the 3 kg (30 N) payload that the lift drive was designed for. In the model, the original bent L-bracket in mild steel could not. It exceeded its yield strength at 2.5 N per arm, a payload of about half a kilogram. Alloy steel in the same bracket increased the usable payload to around 1.1 kg with a factor of safety of 1.02 at 5.5 N per arm. Adding two triangular side walls to form a box-like gusset plate reduced the peak von Mises stress at that load by 72.3% and the peak displacement by 80.9%. The improved design carries the 30 N design load with a factor of safety of 1.31 and a mast-top displacement of 10.58 mm, and reaches yield at about 20 N per arm, which is a total of roughly 4 kg. The geometry change was more worthwhile than the change of material and did not require thicker plate, which keeps the vehicle light. Based on these simulation results, a rated payload of 2 kg (factor of safety about 2.0) is suggested for routine use. The main limitations of the work are its static and linear nature, the lack of experimental validation, of a reported mesh-convergence study and of design calculations for the drive, lift and battery, and the lack of a tipping-stability analysis. Future work therefore will cover strain-gauge and deflection measurements on the prototype, fatigue and dynamic analysis of the improved bracket, a tipping-stability study, and possible electronic additions such as obstacle detection, load sensing, battery monitoring and IoT-based supervision, none of which is present in the current vehicle

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