Publicado en línea: 28 dic 2016
Páginas: 300 - 305
Recibido: 10 jun 2016
Aceptado: 02 dic 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ama-2016-0047
Palabras clave
© 2016 Bialystok University of Technology
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.
Neidhart type suspension units composed of metal-elastomer torsion springs can be a good alternative to steel helical springs in applications such as vibration absorbers or vehicle suspension systems. Assembling this type of spring requires initial preload of the elastomeric working elements, which determines their operating properties. The results of experimental tests and numerical simulations concerning the preload of elastomeric working elements in Neidhart type suspension units are presented in the paper. The performed research made it possible to propose a new calculation model for determining the preload force value acting on the elastomeric cylindrical elements applied in this type of suspension unit. The results obtained using the proposed model exhibit good convergence with FEM simulation results within the range of the tested geometrical and material properties.