Throttle pedal - Lightweight sheetmetal design

grabcad

The design features a metal stamping process for piercing and bending all parts, except the plastic cover and fasteners, from a 3 mm aluminium alloy or steel sheet. For small-scale production, laser cutting followed by bending is an alternative method. The current assembly weighs 464 g using 6061 T4 aluminium alloy and 1213 g with a 1023 carbon steel sheet; it's 728 g for the version with a 2 mm steel plate, swing arm, and 3 mm 6061 throttle pedal. The design utilizes a lever and pin-in-slot mechanism to convert 62 mm of pedal travel into 40 degrees of sensor rotation, with adjustable pedal travel by altering the slot dimension. The initial pedal position is 15 degrees from vertical, suitable for low seating sports cars. The asymmetrical throttle pedal has a rubber reinforcement on the left side, beneficial for "heel and toe" driving in manual gearbox vehicles. Models are specified with 6061 alloy; at least 6061 T4 grade is necessary to safely endure 250 lbs, while a variant with a 2 mm steel swing arm, bottom plate, and 3 mm 6061 throttle pedal is possible.