CANCELLED: Influence of Manufacturing Parameters On the Properties of Elastomeric Vibration Isolators

Variations of the mechanical properties were observed in passive vibration isolators made from Polychloroprene rubber and produced through an injection molding process. The purpose of the work presented in this paper is to study in what way the different stages of the production (rubber mixing, part molding and testing) can influence the performance of the final product. Homogeneity of the rubber raw mixture used in the industrial process was verified by comparing stiffness measurements on cured blend samples collected at various locations of different batches. As temperature is known to be the most influent parameter of vulcanized rubber properties, a thermal numerical model of the mold was built in order to get better knowledge of the temperature distribution in the mold. Validation of the model was done through comparison with experimental measurements. The mechanical properties of rubber parts are determined using a uniaxial load frame. Accuracy of the measurements was evaluated by testing known metallic devices on the same apparatus; the tested devices had a similar design to the original rubber product and comparable dynamic behavior. Global results helped getting a better understanding of how noise parameters can affect the optimization process of elastomeric products. Improved production and control standards can be established from this case study.