ANALYSIS AND OPTIMIZATION OF CONNECTING ROD USING ALFASiC COMPOSITES

Connecting rod is the intermediate link between the piston and the crank. And is responsible to transmit the push and pull from the piston pin to crank pin, thus converting the reciprocating motion of the piston to rotary motion of the crank. Generally connecting rods are manufactured using carbon steel and in recent days aluminium alloys are finding its application in connecting rod. In this work connecting rod is replaced by aluminium based composite material reinforced with silicon carbide and fly ash. And it also describes the modelling and analysis of connecting rod. FEA analysis was carried out by considering two materials. The parameters like von misses stress, von misses strain and displacement were obtained from ANSYS software. Compared to the former material the new material found to have less weight and better stiffness. It resulted in reduction of 43.48% of weight, with 75% reduction in displacement.