567 Jurnal Kejuruteraan 33(3) 2021: 579-591 https://doi.org/10.17576/jkukm-2021-33(3)-18 Numerical Evaluation of Contemporary Excavator Bucket Designs using Finite Element Analysis Khurram Hameed Mughal * a , Salman Abubakar Bugvi a , Muhammad Asif Mahmood Qureshi b , Muhammad Aamir Khan a , Khazar Hayat a a Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Technology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan. b Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering & Technology, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan. *Corresponding author:khurram.hameed@me.uol.edu.pk Received 8 July 2020, Received in revised form 06 October 2020 Accepted 10 November 2020, Available online 30 August 2021 ABSTRACT Bucket is key and primary component of heavy construction machinery such as excavators. It has to bear high impact loads during digging process, resulting in large stress and deformations. This research work has been focused on reducing stress and deformations produced in excavator bucket due to digging. For this purpose, diferent design patents of excavator buckets (including ornamental designs) were considered. Various models of excavator buckets were developed by varying geometrical parameters such as number of blade teeth/tips and bucket curvature. Finite element analysis of these models was carried out by using ANSYS in order to determine stress and strains. Maximum values of Von Mises stress, principal stress, factor of safety and total deformation were evaluated numerically for all three-dimensional geometric models. Excavator bucket with least values of stress and deformations, but largest factor of safety, was identifed through numerical computations. Mechanical performance of ornamental buckets having quarter circular curvature with 6 blade teeth was observed to be better as compared to designs having single blade strip or 5 blade teeth. Mass reduction up to 2.5%, while the stress reduction and factor of safety enhancement up to 9.6% was achieved by incorporating 6 blade teeth in ornamental design of excavator bucket. Keywords: Blade teeth; deformation; Excavator Bucket; Finite Element Analysis; Ornamental Design; stress INTRODUCTION The industry of mining, forestry, and construction involves the function of digging and excavation. Over the past few decades, substantial investment and efort has been made in developing the mechanical solutions for undertaking these tasks (Patel & Prajapati 2011; Hadi et al. 2018). Modern machinery in the form of hydraulic excavators is greatly assisting these industries. The excavator is a versatile machine capable of working powerfully in open, rough and challenging environment, as well as operating in confned spaces smoothly. It provides a fexible solution for digging earthen material (Chen et al. 2018). The labor, time, efort, impact, and quality are all afected positively by the use of excavators. The productivity level has multiplied through the use of these machines. The basic work principle steps of excavator are digging, elevation, swinging, and dumping the earthen material. The main frame rotates over rubber tires or crawlers through 360 degrees along a vertical axis. Other components of the excavator are the boom, arm, and bucket (Uzer 2008). The motion of each component is controlled through hydraulic actuators. Three-dimensional motion, stability, and the orientation of the excavator bucket can be controlled precisely through proper combination of actuators, mechanical links and joints. The bucket digs into the ground with toothed edges. Bucket is the component that face direct loading and stress, thus failure occur usually in this component. The material composition, capacity, volume, and vibration absorption