Page 46 - eBook_Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Manufacturing V1

Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Manufacturing –
Volume 1

Table 6: Result of Analysis with Various Load

Load (kg) Force
Minimum Maximum
68.4 9.404 x 10 3.682 MPa
-6
MPa
-5
Stress 100 1.34 x 10 5.26 MPa
MPa
Experimental - 20.80 MPa
68.4 0 mm 1.243 x 10
-2
Displacement mm
100 0 mm 1.77 x 10 mm
-5
Experimental - 8.83 m

Stress Distribution Analysis

The FEA simulations indicated that under standard loading
conditions (68.4 kg), the highest stress concentration (3.68 MPa)
occurred predominantly at the junction between the recycled
HDPE seat and stainless-steel frame, attributable to their differing
stiffness and mechanical properties. This finding aligns with
recent studies that emphasise on the significance of stiffness
mismatches in composite structures, highlighting stress
concentrations at interfaces between materials with differing
mechanical properties (Almeida, Lopes & Fernandes, 2023;
Wang, Liu & Zhang, 2018).

Moreover, the observed peak stress values were notably below
the experimentally determined tensile strength of recycled HDPE
(20.80 MPa), derived from specimens optimally prepared at
150°C. Similar observations were made in recent studies,
underscoring the critical importance of precise temperature
control in optimising mechanical properties of recycled polymers
(Bolong, Saad, Asman, Heng & Roslan, 2024; Sharif & Aslam,
2023). Thus, the stool maintains a comfortable safety margin
under typical conditions.

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