NONLINEAR HYPERELASTIC ANALYSIS OF A RUBBER BOOT - CASE STUDY (Paper No. 83)

摘要

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study reviewing the finite element methodology used to design rubber parts. NRI Industries Inc. performed a nonlinear hyperelastic finite element analysis of an automotive rubber boot. A Mooney-Rivlin strain energy function and MSC. AFEA hyperelastic elements were used to simulate the elastomeric behaviour of the EPDM rubber material. Static displacement loadings representing the manufacturing process as well the part performance were applied in predermined manner. Resultant deformation data developed in a series of simulations were then validated by prototype testing. This paper describes the iterative process of designing, analyzing and verifying of a 3-D rubber part. A step-by-step analysis process is explained in details for two different loadings and the results are demonstrated.