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One of the key aspects of designing a race car chassis is Torsion Stiffness (Roll stiffness). Designers strive to develop a chassis design with a high value of roll stiffness to counter the forces applied by the suspension during cornering while keeping the weight as low as possible. CAD and static analysis techniques are instrumental for virtual testing and validation in the initial stages of a project prior to experimental testing. This paper intends to encapsulate elementary analysis skills and their application in designing and developing tubular frame structures for amateur racing vehicles and simultaneously focusing on reducing the time for the design and development process.

Conventional motorcycle swingarm design includes steel tubing and sheet metal structures. Conventional swingarm are inherently over-designed as their design comprises of tubular structures of same cross section through the entire length of the swingarm, whereas the stress induced varies along the length (maximum near the frame pivot). An aluminum alloy swingarm design even when subjected to casting manufacturing constraints, has the potential for better material layout and weight minimization. But obtaining an ideal material layout for maximum performance can be a challenge as it requires a number of time consuming design iteration cycles. This paper aims to use concept based design methodology for design of aluminum alloy swing arm by application of topology optimization techniques to meet styling and structural targets and thus, obtain an end user product. This paper demonstrates the use of a concept based design approach in contrast to the conventional experience based approach.