Optimización para el cambio de material de una llanta de vehículo pesado

This work studies the potential of ultra-high-strength steel for the manufacturing of wheels in the heavy transport sector, aiming to find a competitive alternative that improves operational efficiency and reduces vehicle mass. The study considers USIBOR®1500 press-hardened steel as a means to enhance the performance of conventional wheels. The geometric design of the wheel was defined based on strict mechanical and regulatory requirements. Lightweighting objectives were established to allow these steels to compete in weight with aluminum alloys and conventional Dual Phase steels, without compromising the load capacity required for commercial transport. The study strictly follows international testing standards, such as ISO 6892-1 for tensile characterization and SAE J267 for radial and rotary fatigue testing procedures. Subsequently, numerical simulations were performed in ANSYS®, where models were adjusted using S-N curves and mechanical properties to accurately reflect the component's service life. The tests were simulated with the highest possible fidelity to real-world conditions. The results demonstrate that while DP600 fails critically with a crown thickness of 4 mm, USIBOR®1500 not only withstands this reduction but also allows for an optimization of the disc thickness from 7.5 mm to just 5 mm. Consequently, the proposed design guarantees infinite life (107 cycles) by operating within the material's elastic limits. Finally, a comparative analysis of costs and operational benefits was conducted. The total mass reduction of 34.48% (from 44 kg to 28.83 kg) offsets the higher unit cost of USIBOR®1500. This optimization increases payload capacity and reduces fuel consumption, validating the use of ultra-high-strength steels as an efficient and sustainable solution for the transport industry.