Structural Optimization with Contact Constraints Applied to the Design of Automatic Transmission of Vehicles

A design process to improve the structural performance under contact conditions of automatic transmission of vehicles is presented.

The proposed process uses newly developed nonlinear contact optimization techniques. Additionally, useful structural optimization techniques such as 3D topography and the beta method are described. As a demonstrative problem, we consider the improvement of a 6- speed AISIN FWD automatic transmission which is subjected to static loadings and nonlinear contact conditions.