Modeling an‎d Investigation of Various Parameters on the Mechanical Properties of Rubber Conical Springs

10/20/2025 12:00:00 AM

This research was conducted with the aim of analyzing an‎d modeling the mechanical behavior of conical rubber springs. These springs play a critical role in the suspension systems of railway vehicles an‎d transportation systems, as they absorb vibrations an‎d allow for displacement an‎d compensation of axle misalignments, thereby improving ride comfort an‎d the dynamic performance of the system. However, due to the nonlinear an‎d hyperelastic nature of rubber materials, predicting their response is challenging, an‎d conducting extensive experimental tests is both time-consuming an‎d costly. Therefore, the necessity of this study lies in employing numerical simulations an‎d the finite element method (FEM) to develop an accurate an‎d reliable model for the design an‎d localization of such components. In this regard, a three-dimensional model of the spring was implemented in the ABAQUS finite element software, an‎d the performance of three hyperelastic material models )Mooney–Rivlin, Yeoh, an‎d Arruda–Boyce( was compared under three types of loading: vertical, lateral, an‎d longitudinal. Furthermore, to better understan‎d the fundamental an‎d intrinsic behavior of the models an‎d to eliminate geometric effects, a stan‎dard uniaxial tensile test (based on coefficients extracted from reliable references) was simulated. Comparison of the simulation results with experimental data revealed that the Mooney–Rivlin model, due to its simultaneous dependence on the first an‎d second strain invariants, provided the most accurate agreement in all three loading conditions. This model successfully predicted complex phenomena such as the unexpected softness in the longitudinal direction, caused by material flow an‎d slip around the cavities, an‎d the higher stiffness in the lateral direction, resulting from the structural bending resistance of the geometry. In contrast, the Yeoh model overestimated stiffness under vertical loading, while the Arruda–Boyce model, due to improper calibration of its physical parameters, predicted unrealistically soft responses in all directions. In the final stage, the conical spring geometry provided by the manufacturer was redesigned in SolidWorks to investigate the influence of varying the thickness of the internal metallic rings on the overall behavior of the spring. In this redesign, the thickness of the two inner rings was reduced from 6 mm to 3 mm. The numerical analysis results indicated that this modification led to an increase in displacement by 94% in the vertical direction, 71% in the lateral direction, an‎d 47% in the longitudinal direction. This increase in displacement reflects a reduction in the effective stiffness of the spring an‎d an enhancement in its flexibility, which can play a significant role in optimizing the design of conical rubber springs an‎d improving the dynamic performance of suspension systems.

فنر مخروطي لاستيكي , مدل‌هاي هايپرالاستيك , بارگذاري چندمحوره , تست كشش تك‌محوره

Conical rubber spring , Hyperelastic models , Multiaxial loading , Uniaxial tension test

Mohammad Kamel Khodabandeh

Habibollah Moltafati