Dynamic Analysis of Elastomeric Components using the Finite Element Method

Material characterisation is fundamental to the effective design and analysis of elastomeric components; as a result many static test procedures and constitutive expressions have been developed over the years and subsequently used in Finite Element code.

For many sealing applications quasi-static material properties have been used as an aid in design, typically for extreme and new structural configurations. Although it adequately captures the basic characteristics of a seal design it provides no information regarding the effects of dynamic excitation and how it affects the structural integrity of the seal.

As a first order approximation interconversion relations were used to study dynamic effects on designs typically modeled with quasi-static material properties. Under dynamic loading it is possible for the contact force to fall below design tolerances.