This invention discloses a
test bench and method for evaluating the structural optimization of a
loader boom based on the
Digital Image Correlation (DIC) method, belonging to the field of
engineering machinery structural design optimization technology. The
test bench includes a
fatigue testing machine, a reconfigurable fixture, a scaled-down model of the
loader boom, a high-speed camera, and an
image processing system. The reconfigurable fixture simulates boundary conditions under two typical working conditions of
loader propulsion and lifting by switching the linkage connection positions and component configurations. A
speckle pattern is prepared on the surface of the scaled-down model, and images are continuously acquired by the high-speed camera during
fatigue loading. This invention utilizes the DIC
algorithm to obtain the full-field
strain distribution of the boom, converts it into stress amplitude using Hooke's Law, and quantitatively evaluates the structural optimization effect by comparing the stress cloud map, maximum stress value, and fatigue life prediction results of the model before and after optimization. This invention solves the problems of traditional strain gauges having few measurement points, failing to reflect global
stress concentration, and the high cost and long experimental cycle of full-scale tests, providing a low-cost, high-precision
verification method for rapid iterative optimization of boom structures.