DESIGN OF A BENDING TEST DEVICE USING FINITE ELEMENT METHOD BASED ON SOLIDWORKS SOFTWARE

Abstract

Bending test equipment is used to measure the strength and flexibility of a material, especially in engineering education and research activities. However, test equipment available on the market is generally expensive and less flexible. This study aims to design a bending test equipment that is more efficient, economical, and can be tested first through simulations before being manufactured. The method used is a simulation based on the finite element method (FEM) with the help of SolidWorks software. Analysis was carried out on stress, displacement, strain, and the safety factor of the structure. The simulation results show that all stress and strain values are still within safe limits, the displacement is very small, and the safety factor value is very high (minimum FOS 391.8). These results are consistent with several previous studies. Based on that, the design of the bending test equipment is declared safe, strong, and feasible for production. This tool can also be a more affordable alternative for educational and research purposes.