Assessment via finite element analysis: Cable cart system elements manufacturing feasibility

Urban transportation systems, such as Metro de Medellín’s aerial cableways, play a key role in improving city connectivity. This study presents a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of critical mechanical components that connect cable cars to ropeways, specifically focusing on the Connection and Suspension assembly, referred to as the J-H assembly. The primary aim was to identify potential operational vulnerabilities. The analysis follows the BS EN 13796-1:2017 standard, which provides design guidelines for cable car structural components, and evaluates cases 8, 9 and 10 as benchmarks. FEA results indicate safety factors ranging from 1.62 to 2.24, with case 9 exhibiting a 31.3% deviation from the standard’s reference values. Stress concentrations were consistently found at the J-H assembly connection across all cases.