Improvements in component/system design is a daily challenge these days, always
looking for high performance, reduced mass and low costs. The source for the
best fit between these factors, coupled with adequate durability performance, is
crucial to the success of a given product and this is what motivates engineering
teams around the world. The demand for efficient projects with short deadlines
for validation and certification is huge and simulation tools focused on
accelerated durability and virtual validation are increasingly being used. When
developing a new spring for commercial vehicles, lessons learned from the actual
loads applied to the suspension are the “key” to a successful project. The
loads/stresses from the ground (vertical loads, lateral loads, longitudinal and
braking loads) are quite high and, consequently, relevant to the proper
definition of the design of the suspension components. The objective of this
work is to describe the main development activities faced during a completely
new spring development, passing through the design, considering all the limit
conditions related to the raw material, lamination process, tempering,
rhinestone/shot peening, prefixing and, finally, the load conditions for an
adequate fatigue life. The methodology adopted for the definitions of load and
fatigue in a bench test is part of this document and, in the end, all iteration
results, such as correlation with the application, the MBS and FEA models to be
fed again until final validation in a vehicle. This document is a joint
development made in partnership between Thyssen Krupp Springs and Stabilizer
Bars, Dana Corporation and Volkswagen Truck & Bus (VWTB).