Development of a high-frequency and large-stroke fatigue testing system for rubber

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Current fatigue testing machines lack the capability for large-displacement amplitude and high-frequency tests on rubber.
• This limitation results in sparse data on rubber fatigue behavior under such extreme conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an advanced fatigue testing system capable of large-displacement amplitude and high-frequency tests on rubber.
• To analyze the performance and feasibility of the developed system for material testing.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel fatigue testing system utilizing a moving magnet voice coil motor (MMVCM) actuator.
• Application of finite element analysis (FEA) to determine the thrust characteristics of the MMVCM actuator.
• Conducting cyclic tension tests on vulcanized natural rubber specimens using the developed system.

Main Results:

• The developed fatigue testing system exhibits high precision, low noise, large stroke, and high-frequency capabilities.
• Finite element analysis confirmed the actuator's suitability for the intended testing parameters.
• Cyclic tension tests validated the system's performance for rubber fatigue analysis.

Conclusions:

• The novel fatigue testing system effectively addresses the limitations of existing machines for rubber fatigue studies.
• The MMVCM actuator-based load frame is a feasible and effective solution for material testing, particularly for large-stroke and high-frequency fatigue assessments.
• This advancement opens new avenues for researching rubber's fatigue behavior under demanding conditions.