DESIGN PROJECT

MENG 375: Design III

Design and Analysis of crank arm of a bicycle

Date Released: 19th Oct 2021
Due date: 15th Dec 2021
Total available marks: 20 marks

Bonus marks: 10 marks (for exceptional work)

Description and requirements:

A bicycle crank arm is a critical component of the drive mechanism of a bicycle, as it transmits the force
applied by the rider to the crankshaft (pedal shaft). It also supports the rider weight. The failure of a crank
arm can cause injury to the rider's leg by contact with the broken crank or the rider can lose control of the
bike, fall and be injured. In 1997, Shimano American Corporation of Irvine, California received more than
630 reports of crank arm failures in North America resulting in 22 injuries, including cuts and fractures
leading to a recall of more than 1 million crank arms installed on bicycles in North America.

You can read more about Shimano crank failures in the following website.

https://www.bikeradar.com/features/shimano-crank-failure/

Replacement of these cranks was a significant cost burden to the company (potentially millions of dollars)
and highlights the importance of a good design. Therefore, the design of the left crank arm of a bicycle has
been assigned since it poses an interesting design problem from several viewpoints.

This project is about design and analysis of drank arm of a bicycle.

Objective of this design project competition is for a team (only) of three/four students to design and do
analysis of crank arm of a bicycle [light weighted, strong and stiff enough] that can carry the typical loads
from the weight of a rider and any other typical forces/moments/torques applied on a crank arm. You must
present the following in the design report.

1. Team record: (5 %)
a. This is recorded in peer-evaluation form on a weekly basis on each of the members in your
group.
b. Besides this, you will have to clearly write your contribution and update this form on a weekly
basis. No two persons can have the same topics as their contribution. This form must be
submitted with final report.
c. Please type clearly individual contributions. If two members in a team have same
contributions, the scores will reduce for those team members.
d. Please mention the roles you have assumed in your team with particular tasks you have
completed on the role. It is better that team members rotate these roles among the team.
i. Discussion facilitator
ii. Recorder of events in meetings
iii. Organizer/scheduler/coordinator of events
iv. Leader
2. Design specifications: (10 %) Consists of following
a. Size specifications
b. Load specifications
c. Material specifications
d. Manufacturing specifications
e. Failure modes
f. Cost
3. Design Constraints: (5 %)
a. Geometric constraints: shape and size constraints
b. Constraints related to operation, maintenance, manufacturing etc.
4. Kinematic/Kinetic analysis: (15 %)
a. Clear and complete free body diagrams (static and dynamic analysis).
b. Internal force calculations and diagrams (shear force, bending moment etc.).
c. Complete any deflection and/or twist analysis as required.
5. Stress analysis: (35 %)
a. Static analysis: (hand calculations)
i. 3D analysis (combined load, axial, bending, torsion etc.), failure analysis.
ii. Stress at critical locations of cross-sections as a function of crank orientation angle.
iii. Identify various shapes of cross-sections for crank-arm and identify optimum shape.
Shapes can be solid or hollow.
iv. Identify the most critical location for each cross-section (elliptical, rectangular
solid/hollow) and corresponding crank-angle for combined loads.
b. Dynamic analysis: Fatigue failure analysis for combined loads (hand calculations).
i. Identify critical locations for each cross-section and optimize shape for long life.
Cross-section size can vary for optimization of fatigue life.
ii. Show a comparison between various stress-life models.
c. Finite element analysis:
i. Select the optimized geometry based on hand calculations and perform FEA with
ANSYS student version.
ii. Static FEA: Complete static FEA analysis with ANSYS and identify critical
locations.
iii. Fatigue FEA: Complete fatigue analysis and identify critical locations.
iv. In parallel identify best materials for application.
6. Material selection: (10 %)
a. Identify material selection parameters, i.e. all relevant material indices.
b. Use Ashby’s charts to find best material for application.
c. Consider also manufacturing constraints for selection for material for crank arm.
7. Detailed Design: (5 %) Provide detailed drawings, 2D and 3D exploded view.
8. Concluding remarks: (5 %) Describe what you have achieved in this project with respect to design
and what possible improvements could be made.
9. Report writing skills:
a. Clarity in presentation of report. (5 %)
b. 15 minute video presentation of results. (5 %)
10. BONUS POINTS (10 %): Shape optimization of cross-section for static/fatigue conditions.
Design project consists of following two tasks:

Tasks: Submit a design report on the design of your chosen configuration. The report must consist:
• Objectives and constraints of design project
• Design and calculations, clearly mention the factor of safety for various members.
• Exploded and detailed drawings (2D drawings with proper views, dimensions, centerlines,
etc.) of the parts and final assembly and Bill of material using Solidworks and analysis
using ANSYS or any FEM/Drafting packages.
• Include various pictures of your design.
• References

Special Instructions:

• Number of Students per group 3-4.

• Project report must be numbered [ Report submission date: 15 Dec 2021] th
• Include project evaluation form as front page of design report
• Each student of the group will submit a Peer Evaluation Form (filled by each team member)
Consulting Material/Reference sources:
• Any Design of Machinery book
• Youtube and other Internet sources
• How it is made from discovery Channel
 www.learnengineering.org , etc.