Open Access

ARTICLE

Adaptive ensemble surrogate-based optimization and analysis of forklift pallet racks

Wei Zhang^1,2, Y. Lu¹, Liye Lv^1,3, Y. Mei³, Baochang Zhu³

1 School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310018
2 Zhejiang Sci-Tech University Longgang Research Institute Co., Ltd., Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China, 325802
3 Noblelift Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd., Huzhou, Zhejiang, China, 313000

* Corresponding Author: Wei Zhang ()

Revista Internacional de Métodos Numéricos para Cálculo y Diseño en Ingeniería 2023, 39(4), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.23967/j.rimni.2023.10.005

Accepted 17 October 2023; Issue published 27 October 2023

Abstract

As an important part of the lifting platform of pallet forklift trucks, how to reduce the deformation of the pallet rack under working conditions while reducing the mass to ensure the safety performance of forklift trucks is the most concerning issue in the design of forklift truck structure. The pallet rack structure is complex, and optimizing simulation using traditional high-precision simulation models takes much time and effort. Therefore, this paper takes the lifting platform of an unmanned AVG forklift truck as the research object and establishes a parametric model of the pallet rack using the 3D modelling software SolidWorks and the finite element analysis software ANSYS to carry out static analysis of it. Optimization design variables are selected, a single surrogate model and ensemble surrogate model are chosen for various surrogate model techniques, a small number of sample points are used to construct a low-precision model, and adaptive infilling technology is used to improve the model accuracy, and the structure is optimized, and the results show that, while the pallet rack structure meets the requirements of light weight and strength, the mass is reduced by 1.2%, and the morphology is reduced by 17.2%. Moreover, a global sensitivity analysis of each design parameter was carried out under the guidance of the surrogate model, highlighting the most influential design variable as the height of the channel steel and establishing the design variables that should be taken into account in the structural design. This paper compares the performance of the mainstream single-surrogate model and ensemble-surrogate model as well as the adaptive infilling strategy in engineering design and proves that the surrogate model optimization method has a certain guiding significance for the structural optimization design of pallet racking.

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