Beam_Tapered_Thickness.

xls
To determine stress, deflection, & spring constant of a tapered-thickness constant-
width beam
By Alex Slocum, 8/28/03, last modified 09/21/04 by Xue'en Yang
Enters numbers in BOLD, Results in RED
Schematic

L
te tb
x Side view

Top view

Beam dimensions and properties Values ProE Simulation

Force, F (N, grams) 0.5 0.5
Modulus, E (N/mm^2) 200000 200000
Width, b (mm) 0.5 0.5
Thickness at end, te (mm) 0.1 0.1
Thickness at base, tb (mm) 0.2 0.2
Length, L (mm) 5.0 5.0
Distance along beam (x=0=end), x (mm) 0.0 0.0
Thickness slope, m 0.020
Constant, c_1 9375
Max stress at base, maxs (N/mm^2) 750 763
Max strain at base (%) 0.00375 0.003815
Slope at beam end (radians) -0.1875
Deflection at beam end, defl (mm) 0.511 0.504
Spring constant, k (N/mm) 0.978 0.992
Comparative straight beam deflection 0.313
Ratio of tapered/straight beam deflection 1.636

Equations

12 F  t end − t base ln ( t end t base ) L ( 2t base − t end )  t base − t end

d =  3
− 3
−  m= 
bE  2 m t base m 2m 2t base
2
 L
bE
k =
 − ln ( t end t base ) L ( 2t base − t end ) 
12  t end 3 t base − 3
− 
 2 m t base m 2m 2t base
2

2t base − t end )  t − t end 6 FL
 m = base  max stress =
2m 2t base
2
 L bt 2

base− t end ) 
2 2 
m t base 
2t base − t end )  t base − t end 6 FL
 m=  max stress =
2m 2t base
2
 L bt 2

base− t end ) 
2 2 
m t base 