Deformation Analysis and Optimization of an Automotive Wheel Bearing Seal Lip

Wheel bearing seals are required to have strong sealing capabilities and low reaction forces because the bearing operates in extreme environments such as mud and water. And the design technology for wheel bearing seals is closely related to the efficiency and durability of the entire bearing. If the bearing seal performance can be estimated and used in the design procedure, more efficient and durable bearing seals can be produced. The bearing seal performance is strongly dependent on the shape of the bearing seal lip, so the optimization of the bearing seal design is more efficient if the design factors of the seal lip are known in advance. In this study, deformation patterns of seal lips are predicted by finite element analyses considering nonlinear characteristics of rubber material, and the shape is optimized using experimental design method applying parameters obtained from the analyses.