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Trends in the automotive industry to develop better products, faster and at a lower cost create a need for simulation rather than testing prototypes. Modeling requires a laboratory to characterize rubber and high-end software to carry out nonlinear analysis typical to rubber applications (contact, large deformations and hyper-elastic material response). This paper describes some tests on rubber necessary to building quasi-static models. It also presents several analytical studies WIDL completed on behalf of molders of rubber components for the automotive industry. Computer predictions were within 5% of test results in most cases presented.

This paper summarizes crush test results of General Motors 4.3 liter Vortec V6 valve cover currently made at Joh, a division of Gecamex Technologies Inc., through injection-compression of 25% glass reinforced epoxy vinyl ester by Cytec Industries Inc. The test consisted of displacing the middle of three central bolts to 15% of cover's height, disregarding gasket and grommet which simulates worst cover conditions. One of the production molds was modified at Build-A-Mold ltd. to allow injection of thermoplastics from four suppliers, DuPont, BASF, GE Plastics and DSM Engineering Plastics. These were crush tested in a similar manner to production covers, Dry As Molded and after moisture conditioning to 50% Relative Humidity. While thermoset covers exhibited progressive cracking, covers made out of glass reinforced nylons sustained compression whereas polyethylene terephthalate covers cracked prematurely.