Numerical modeling and experimental testing analysis of Assembled Rubber Metal Isolator

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Accurate stiffness analysis of Assembled Rubber Metal Isolators (ARMI) is crucial for predicting vibration isolation performance.
• Existing simulation models often lack precision due to neglecting prestressing conditions.
• Developing a robust numerical method is essential for reliable ARMI characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a detailed numerical model for analyzing the stiffness characteristics of ARMI under prestressing.
• To determine appropriate constitutive model parameters for rubber components.
• To provide an accurate simulation approach for vibration isolator design and analysis.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of constitutive models to select the Money-Revlon model.
• Determination of model parameters using rubber compression tests and the least squares method.
• Implementation of a step-by-step analysis incorporating rigid-flexible coupling theory, contact cutting algorithms, and the Newton-Raphson method.
• Validation against theoretical calculations and experimental data.

Main Results:

• The numerical model accurately predicts ARMI behavior under compression-torsion deformation, with a maximum assembly error of 3.97%.
• Simulated torsional curves under prestress conditions show good agreement with experimental results (max error < 8.43%).
• The proposed model demonstrates significantly improved accuracy compared to models ignoring pre-compression.

Conclusions:

• The developed numerical approach provides a highly accurate method for analyzing ARMI stiffness characteristics, especially under prestressing.
• The validated model offers a reliable tool for the design and performance prediction of vibration isolators.
• This research contributes to enhanced understanding and simulation of elastomeric vibration isolation systems.