Finite Element Investigation of Axisymmetric Rubber Bumper

Abstract:

Many components in the automotive industry have rubber material in their composition, which makes the role of rubber critical in many systems of vehicles, particularly suspension systems, where it works as vibration isolators and energy absorbers to protect the system against impact loads. In the medium and heavy-duty vehicles, rubber bumpers are in the air spring assemblies, working as a secondary load-bearing element, ensuring the safe operation when the air spring reaches its maximum compression. Despite that, rubber’s complex, nonlinear, and hyperelastic behavior impacts the prediction of the bumper’s mechanical response, consequently being a big design challenge . The experimental test to understand rubber’s characteristics is often expensive and time-consuming, making Finite Element Analysis a good alternative for studying deformation and stress distribution under realistic constraints. This study investigates the finite element behavior of an axisymmetric rubber bumper exposed to compressive loads. The bumper assembly model was designed in CATIA V5 and simplified into a two-dimensional model to enhance computational effectiveness. The model establishment was done in ANSYS, where all the details necessary to replicate the exact operating environment of the bumper were taken into consideration. The post-processing focused mainly on the force-displacement response, with additional simulations that reviewed how some parameters affect the results. The investigation provides valuable information about the structural response of rubber bumpers and establishes an effective approach for future design and optimization of this suspension component.

• Periodical: Advances in Science and Technology (Volume 181)
• Pages: 95-105
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-88pHM4
• Online since: August 2026
• Authors: Kezia Lima Gascoigne*, Tamás Mankovits
• Keywords: Air Spring, Axisymmetric, Finite Element Analysis, Rubber Bumper, Suspension System

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