Service Life Extension and Failure Prevention of a Washing Machine Spider Arm Using Flexible Multibody Analysis

Onur Çolak; Kübra Polat; Musa Uzun; Cahit Atagün; Mehmet Murat Topaç

doi:10.64808/engineeringperspective.1802545

Service Life Extension and Failure Prevention of a Washing Machine Spider Arm Using Flexible Multibody Analysis

Abstract

In this study, a failure-based parametric design study was carried out to extend the service life of the spider arm component used in washing machines while exploring potential cost savings. Representative loading conditions were determined using a washing machine test setup operating at full capacity, and the resulting unbalanced mass data were employed in a Flexible Multibody Dynamics (FMBD) analysis. Modal analyses were performed for the drum and tub assemblies, and the corresponding flexible body representations were incorporated into the multibody model. Based on the analysis results, regions exhibiting high stress concentrations were identified as critical regions, and three geometric design parameters were defined on the spider arm to reduce stress levels in these areas. A three factor, two level parametric design study was conducted to evaluate the influence of these parameters within manufacturable limits. Among the tested configurations, the best performing tested design within the investigated design space achieved an approximately 15% reduction in maximum stress, corresponding to an approximately 1.8 times increase in fatigue life. The potential economic implications of the observed fatigue life improvement were also examined using a scenario based cost analysis. Based on company specific production assumptions, the analysis suggests potential annual cost savings of €9.3–12.0 million under conservative assumptions and €21–27 million under optimistic assumptions. It is explicitly noted that this cost evaluation represents an assumption based business case rather than a field data driven economic assessment, as actual field failure rates and warranty data cannot be disclosed due to industrial confidentiality. Overall, the results demonstrate that structural improvements guided by failure analysis and parametric design evaluation can effectively enhance component durability. When interpreted within the stated assumptions and limitations, the presented approach highlights the potential technical and economic relevance of durability-driven design improvements for high volume manufacturing applications.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Beko WM R&D Department

Ethical Statement

not applicable

Thanks

The authors are grateful for the licensed software support of Beko WM R&D Department The test samples used in this study are also produced by Beko WM R&D Department. The authors are also grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments, which have been utilized to improve the quality of the paper.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Machine Design and Machine Equipment

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Onur Çolak
0009-0002-2556-1309
Türkiye

Kübra Polat ^*
0009-0004-7001-6291
Türkiye

Musa Uzun
0009-0009-3465-513X
Türkiye

Cahit Atagün
0000-0002-5153-4753
Türkiye

Mehmet Murat Topaç
Türkiye

Publication Date

February 5, 2026

Submission Date

October 13, 2025

Acceptance Date

January 23, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 6 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.64808/engineeringperspective.1802545

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA95PT82ZB

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Çolak, O., Polat, K., Uzun, M., Atagün, C., & Topaç, M. M. (2026). Service Life Extension and Failure Prevention of a Washing Machine Spider Arm Using Flexible Multibody Analysis. Engineering Perspective, 6(1), 43-56. https://doi.org/10.64808/engineeringperspective.1802545

AMA

1.Çolak O, Polat K, Uzun M, Atagün C, Topaç MM. Service Life Extension and Failure Prevention of a Washing Machine Spider Arm Using Flexible Multibody Analysis. engineeringperspective. 2026;6(1):43-56. doi:10.64808/engineeringperspective.1802545

Chicago

Çolak, Onur, Kübra Polat, Musa Uzun, Cahit Atagün, and Mehmet Murat Topaç. 2026. “Service Life Extension and Failure Prevention of a Washing Machine Spider Arm Using Flexible Multibody Analysis”. Engineering Perspective 6 (1): 43-56. https://doi.org/10.64808/engineeringperspective.1802545.

EndNote

Çolak O, Polat K, Uzun M, Atagün C, Topaç MM (February 1, 2026) Service Life Extension and Failure Prevention of a Washing Machine Spider Arm Using Flexible Multibody Analysis. Engineering Perspective 6 1 43–56.

IEEE

[1]O. Çolak, K. Polat, M. Uzun, C. Atagün, and M. M. Topaç, “Service Life Extension and Failure Prevention of a Washing Machine Spider Arm Using Flexible Multibody Analysis”, engineeringperspective, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 43–56, Feb. 2026, doi: 10.64808/engineeringperspective.1802545.

ISNAD

Çolak, Onur - Polat, Kübra - Uzun, Musa - Atagün, Cahit - Topaç, Mehmet Murat. “Service Life Extension and Failure Prevention of a Washing Machine Spider Arm Using Flexible Multibody Analysis”. Engineering Perspective 6/1 (February 1, 2026): 43-56. https://doi.org/10.64808/engineeringperspective.1802545.

JAMA

1.Çolak O, Polat K, Uzun M, Atagün C, Topaç MM. Service Life Extension and Failure Prevention of a Washing Machine Spider Arm Using Flexible Multibody Analysis. engineeringperspective. 2026;6:43–56.

MLA

Çolak, Onur, et al. “Service Life Extension and Failure Prevention of a Washing Machine Spider Arm Using Flexible Multibody Analysis”. Engineering Perspective, vol. 6, no. 1, Feb. 2026, pp. 43-56, doi:10.64808/engineeringperspective.1802545.

Vancouver

1.Onur Çolak, Kübra Polat, Musa Uzun, Cahit Atagün, Mehmet Murat Topaç. Service Life Extension and Failure Prevention of a Washing Machine Spider Arm Using Flexible Multibody Analysis. engineeringperspective. 2026 Feb. 1;6(1):43-56. doi:10.64808/engineeringperspective.1802545