PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF LEAF SPRING BY CONTACT MECHANICS APPROACH BASED ON THE NATURE OF MATERIAL PROPERTIES

In an automotive system, a curved leaf spring is used for the purpose of suspension and for reducing the transient vibration of the system. Composite materials are widely used in automobile industries as a replacement for steel to reduce the weight and to increase the strength of an automotive system. In this study, various materials have been considered for an analysis based on the Young modulus-to-yield strength ratio. The study has been carried out by considering the material properties. The contact analysis is performed with a curved beam of three leaves which is an equivalent to a semi-elliptical leaf spring used for an automotive suspension system. A comparison between analytical and simulation results shows that the material properties, such as the Young modulus and the yield strength, are very important in the design and development of a composite leaf spring. The composite material is compared with other materials, with the former showing good suspension function and better reliability.