Rubber Bushing Designing for Automotive and Commercial Application

Course description
Time: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: 240 South Forge Street, Akron, Ohio 44325
Classroom 217 (Located inside the National Polymer Innovation Center)
Cost: $1,200 USD
CEU's: 1.6
Instructor: Mr. Karl Winkler

Course Overview

Rubber Bushing Design will focus on all areas of bushing design, compounding and performance testing. The course starts with a review of currently used polymers and includes a natural rubber recipe with detailed ingredient explanations. The main types of bushing designs, 3 piece silent bloc, center bonded, and mold bonded are then discussed along with guidelines for determining radial load carrying capacity, torsion angular capacity and how to size rubber wall thickness and bushing length.  Inner and outer metals are discussed with dimensional tolerance and crush testing. Detailed equations are provided for calculation of radial, axial, torsion and conical rates based on classical equations. Several bushing geometries are worked out for the student. Particular attention is paid to rubber modulus vs bushing compression. Finite element analysis is also discussed. Bushing static rate testing and dynamic testing is discussed with references to all four (TRAC) test directions. Fatigue failure modes as well as test methods are discussed with emphasis on block cycle type testing. Hydraulic bushing design and function are discussed as well as dual compound injection molding techniques. Vehicle development and rating techniques are included.

The course will be a combination of classical equations available in literature and independent research conducted in the instructor’s lab.

A detailed 300+ page binder with equations and references is included.

Instructor Biography:

Karl Winkler is President of Experimental Services, Inc., an independent testing lab specializing in the testing and development of engineered polymer products. He specializes in dynamic and fatigue test methods.

He was formerly employed at Teledyne Monarch Rubber Company as a product design engineer where he developed products including vibration dampers, hydraulic engine mounts, bushings and rubber to metal bonded suspension components.

Karl has authored papers for SAE concerning tuned vibration absorbers and conducted lectures on test methods for the Akron Rubber Group. He has provided in-house seminars on designing vibration absorbers at various divisions of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler.

Karl has taught classes focusing on “Dynamic Properties of Rubber and Product Performance” at The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education and The University of Akron.

Karl holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering (1983) and Chemistry (1979) from the University of Akron.
1990 – Current: Experimental Services Inc., President – Engineer
1983 – 1990: Teledyne Monarch Rubber, Product Development Engineer