Air Damping
New technology suspension mounts to improve road handling and noise control.
Trelleborg Automotive has developed an innovative rubber suspension technology, known as “air mounting”, which is attracting considerable interest from the world’s car manufacturers. The new component takes the form of a rubber/metal or rubber/plastic bonding, similar to suspension mounts currently in use. There are dozens of these components in cars and the majority could be replaced by the new air mounts with benefits in terms of cost or performance – or both.
To date, there have been two types of rubber/metal bonded suspension components: conventional – in which the rubber is bonded to two rigid structures of metal or plastic, and the more complex “hydromount,” in which the rubber element in the sandwich also contains a hydraulic fluid. In both cases, the rubber forms a flexible “bridge” between parts of the suspension system, allowing a degree of movement but suppressing transmitted noise and vibration. All types have a vital role to play in ensuring not only a quiet, comfortable ride, but also in delivering predictably safe and stable handling.
The new technology developed at Trelleborg Automotive’s Technical Center in Höhr-Grenzhausen, Germany, offers a third type, using air pockets within the rubber rather than hydraulic fluid.
“The benefits are significant for the car manufacturer, driver and Trelleborg,” says Henry Winter, the engineer in charge of the project at Trelleborg Automotive Technical Centre. “Compared with conventional mounts, air mounts offer a much better ride at little extra cost. Moreover, they are significantly less expensive than hydromounts.”
For the suspension engineer, the key feature of the air mount is that it achieves a balance between resilience and softness, which makes it effective in absorbing noise and vibration and provides the stiffness required to give the vehicle good road-holding and stability. In addition, Trelleborg has developed a calculation tool enabling designers to predict the optimum combination of properties for any specific application, such as subframe bushings, engine and gearbox mountings, in the suspension of any vehicle.
Air mounts of various types have been rigorously tested on static and dynamic testing machines in the laboratory and in vehicles on the road in Höhr-Grenzhausen. The results obtained were excellent and the technology now features in development projects with General Motors, BMW, Porsche, Audi and Ford.
“Car makers are under intense pressure to make their products more environmentally friendly while also improving performance and quality to remain competitive. Trelleborg air mounts will help to achieve a better mounting and suspension system at little or no extra cost. This not only benefits European and US manufacturers, but also their Asian competitors that are growing fast and are looking for leading-edge technology, both for their home markets and to help them with their exports,” says Winter.
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