Test Equipment for Physical Testing of Vibration Isolator

Abstract: Vibrations is a phenomenon that can cause problems to systems if not dealt with. In heavy duty trucks, vibrations are mainly caused by uneven roads and from the combustion engine. Vibrations can damage components, reduce their service life and cause discomfort for the driver. To manage the problem, vibration isolators can be used to absorb energy and thus reduce the vibrations. Rubber is a commonly used material for vibration isolators thanks to its viscoelastic properties. However, due to the characteristics of rubber, there are difficulties to make accurate simulation models of components such as vibration isolators. To improve the accuracy in simulations, physical testing can be performed to measure the material properties and characteristics such as hysteresis to get a better understanding of how the material and the component will behave. The purpose of the master thesis was to generate and develop concepts of a test rig for a specific vibration isolator from Scania where the force as a function of displacement in the component’s Z-direction should be measured as well as the force in the component’s Y-direction. Further, the component should be compressed in a vertical linear motion. Based on the background information, the following research questions were stated: - How can a hysteresis curve based on frequency input be found by performing physical testing? - How can a test rig be designed to test and measure the material properties of a rubber component in order to parametrize the material? The vibration isolator was investigated and analyzed. From the analysis, seven concepts were generated and were evaluated with a Pugh matrix. From the evaluation, two concepts were chosen to be further developed before a final evaluation using a desirability chart was made. The master thesis resulted in two concepts that were developed named Hinged beam and Guiding plates. Guiding plates was the concept that scored the best in the final evaluation, but the concepts had different strength and weaknesses. Both concepts fulfilled the requirement of compressing the vibration isolator in a vertical linear motion but the measurement of the force in the component’s Y-direction needs to be further investigated.