Abstract:
Currently used spring steel leaf springs have a higher weight, while composite material leaf springs face issues such as delamination and insufficient strength. Various researchers have studied these materials individually, but the present work utilizes both materials in different leaves within a single assembled leaf spring. The analysis of a sandwich composite material leaf spring has been conducted using analytical methods, experimental techniques, and CAE software tools, with the results compared to those of traditional steel leaf springs. Focuses on a composite material leaf spring sandwiched between steel plates, specifically designed for use in electric rickshaw suspension systems. The results demonstrate that the sandwich leaf spring offers equivalent stress, stiffness, strain energy, and deflection, in addition to a 56% reduction in weight and a higher factor of safety, making it suitable for practical applications. In this study, two leaves of glass fibre-reinforced composites (GFRCs) with various shapes, sandwiched between steel plates, were analysed for use in a mini-truck. Computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis was conducted on five different types of GFRC leaf springs: two flat strata leaf, hybrid geometry flat leaf with parabolic leaf, two parabolic (thickness gradient) leaf, two parabolic (thickness gradient) leaf springs with alloy of aluminium bushes at the eye-end, and 65Si7 multi-leaf springs. A damping absorber was incorporated in the parabolic (thickness gradient) leaf spring to reduce delamination and minimize vibrations at the contact points of the mating leaves. The different shapes and combinations of leaves resulted in varying parameters, such as deformation, maximum equivalent strain, maximum equivalent stress, and fatigue life. The CAE results demonstrated that, among the various combinations, the hybrid geometry (flat leaf and parabolic leaf) combination exhibited the highest values for maximum equivalent strain, maximum equivalent stress, and fatigue life.