C-Glass/Epoxy Composite Material- A Replacement for Steel in Conventional Leaf Spring for Weight Reduction
Mhaske Raman1, Parkhe Ravindra2, Shripad Nimbalkar3
1Mhaske Raman, Department of Mechanical Engg.,PREC, Loni, India.
2Parkhe Ravindra, Department of Mechanical Engg.,PREC, Loni, India.
3Shripad Nimbalkar,Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engg.,PREC, Loni, India
Manuscript received on February 11, 2014. | Revised Manuscript received on February 15, 2014. | Manuscript published on February 25, 2014. | PP:43-47 | Volume-2 Issue-4, February 2014. | Retrieval Number: D0661022414/2014©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Weight reduction is the prime focus of automobile manufacturer. In automobile leaf spring is potential item for weight reduction which accounts for 10-25 % of unsprung weight. Material with maximum strength and minimum modulus of elasticity is most suitable for leaf spring, and composite spring reduces weight of automobile without reducing the load carrying capacity. In present project work comparative analysis of c-glass/epoxy composite leaf spring and steel leaf spring is done by analytical, FEA using ANSYS 12. The result of FEA is also experimentally verified. Study demonstrates that the composite can be used for leaf spring for the light vehicle and meet the requirement, together with the sustainable weight reduction. The stresses induced in the C-glass/Epoxy composite leaf spring are 69% less than that of the steel spring nearly. This study leaves wide scope for future investigations. It can be extended to newer composites using other reinforcing phases and the resulting experimental findings can be similarly analyzed.
Keywords: Leaf spring, Composite Glass Fibre Reinforced plastic (GFRP)