Fatigue Analysis and Rapid Design Process of Anti-vibration Rubber Parts for Automobiles 2024-01-2255

In recent years, an increase in vehicle weight due to the electrification of automobiles, specifically EVs, has increased the input loads on anti-vibration rubber parts. Moreover, the characteristics of these loads have also changed due to the rotational drive of electric motors, regenerative braking, and other factors.

When designing a vehicle, in advance it is necessary to set specifications that take into account the spring characteristics and durability of the anti-vibration rubber parts in order to meet functional requirements. In this study, the hyperelastic and fatigue characteristics (S-N diagram and Haigh diagram) of Rubbers which is widely used for anti-vibration rubber parts, were experimentally obtained, and structural and fatigue analyses using FEM (Finite Element Method) were conducted in conjunction with spring and fatigue tests of anti-vibration rubber parts to determine the correlation between their spring and fatigue characteristics. Parameter studies were conducted by performing structural and fatigue analyses on anti-vibration rubber parts of various shapes and sizes, and it was shown that the volume of rubber in an anti-vibration rubber part is largely related to its spring and fatigue characteristics. A “performance catalog” was then constructed to store various information linking the spring and fatigue characteristics of the parts and their dimensions as design data. By utilizing this catalog during the planning stage of vehicle development, when detailed part geometry has not yet been determined, it is now possible to instantly derive the volume and dimensions of the rubber part that can help ensure durability against the required input load through reverse engineering, thereby enabling evidence-based performance design.