Automotive
Automotive systems are complex and require a wide variety of materials including polymers, rubbers, metals, glass, and composites. One of the critical areas where experimental measurements are desired is in the determination of displacement and strains in components such as clutches, brakes, tires, body panels, support structures, batteries, and engine components when subjected to complex loading and environmental conditions. Today, Correlated Solutions’ VIC-3D systems, developed by the scientists and engineers that pioneered the technology, are being used to characterize the static and dynamic behavior of these components, to increase longevity and safety. Replacing stain gauges with a non-contact solution reduces instrumentation time and lowers cost. Some examples of how the VIC-3D system can be used in automotive applications are shown below.
Application Examples
Brake Rotors & Operational Deflection Shapes
Braking systems are subject to extreme and constant compression, thermal, and vibration forces. Understanding the operational deflection shapes of a brake rotor by measuring the frequencies and corresponding amplitudes improves the overall design to ensure performance, safety, and longevity standards are met.
Improving Tire Vibration Measurements with VIC-3D
Images excited with a modal hammer were acquired at 4,000 frames per second using the VIC-3D Vibration Analysis (FFT) system and post-processed to compute 3D displacement fields U, V, and W. The FFT module was used to compute and animate the ODS frequencies with corresponding amplitudes and accelerations.
Strain Measurements on Plastic Gear Assembly
Plastic gears are essential components in vehicles due to their lightweight and relatively high-strength properties. In this example, a plastic gear was measured during quasi-static loading to better understand strains on the gear teeth. In addition to strain measurements, it was desirable to obtain deflection data in 3D.