Mechanical properties optimization of the steering column based on multi-objective optimization design

Abstract

The mechanical properties of the steering column have a significant influence on the comfort and stability of a vehicle. In order for the mechanical properties to be improved, the rotary swaging process of the steering column is studied in this article. The process parameters, including axial feed rate, hammerhead speed, and hammerhead radial reduction, are systematically analyzed and optimized based on a multi-objective optimization design. The response surface methodology and the genetic algorithm are employed for optimal process parameters to be obtained. The maximum damage value, the maximum forming load, and the equivalent strain difference obtained with the optimal process parameters are, respectively, decreased by 30.09%, 7.44%, and 57.29% compared to the initial results. The comparative results present that the quality of the steering column is improved. The torque experiments and fatigue experiments are conducted with the optimal steering column. The maximum torque is measured to be 260 NM, and the service life is measured to be 2 weeks (40 NM, 2500 times), which are, respectively, increased by 8.3% and 8.69% compared to the initial results. The above results display that the mechanical properties of the steering column are optimized to verify the feasibility of the multi-objective optimization method.