Abstract:
Chassis is the “backbone” of every vehicle. It is the main component of vehicle in keeping the
structural integrity. Ethiopia currently is far behind in vehicle manufacturing, with the
capability of only assembling parts imported from foreign nations. The study focuses on the
ZK6118HGA model bus, currently assembled in Ethiopia using a chassis imported from China.
The research employs Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to evaluate the structural performance
of the existing chassis design and explore modifications that accommodate the carbon steel
and manufacturing capabilities of Ethiopia. The analysis considers four modified chassis
designs that involve cross-sectional variations and addition of stiffeners. The results reveal
that the use of RHS cross members, particularly in conjunction with stiffeners, significantly
improves stress distribution and deformation control. The 4th case emerges as the most
promising, demonstrating reduced stress of 158.12Mpa acceptable deformation of 5.1863mm,
11.48% weight decrease and comparable torsional and bending stiffness to the original design.
The 4th case cross members are all RHS which are able to be produced here in Ethiopia. And
the material used for this chassis is carbon steel produced in Ethiopia so the study concludes
that the 4th case has a potential to facilitate local chassis production.
