Engineering Applications

The main functions of Engineering & Product Design Unit are to carry out R & D in areas related to rubber in engineering applications and to provide technical advisory and testing services to rubber products manufacturers. The common denominator in all these activities is the use of finite element analysis (FEA) and computer-aided-design techniques in the design and evaluation of the properties of rubber components. There are four main focused areas of R&D that are currently being undertaken in the Unit and they are in the following applications:

(1) Seismic and vibration isolation
(2) Marine
(3) Railways Industry
(4) Automotives

Seismic and vibration isolation

High damping rubber bearings (HDRB) - innovative devices for effective protection of structures from earthquake damage - were jointly developed by MRB and the University of California, Berkeley in the 80s and have been accepted and successfully used worldwide. Unlike the conventional strengthening technique, HDRB protects not only the structures but also the contents and therefore the technology is invaluable to critical buildings such as hospitals, military installation and emergency centres which must continue to function after a major earthquake. In recent earthquake, this technology has been proven to be very effective in the earthquakes of Los Angeles (1994) and Kobe (1995) and this led to a dramatic increase in the application of the technology worldwide especially in Japan. Today more than 8000 structures in earthquake-prone countries such as the US, Japan, China, Taiwan, New Zealand and Italy have adopted the technology. Recently, MRB was able to convince the Iranian government to adopt HDRB in the construction of 150 blocks of 8 to 12 storey building for a new town of Parand, located in the south of Tehran. The construction is currently in progress and this is the world's largest application of seismic rubber bearings in a single project. MRB is actively involved in the design, fabrication and testing of these bearings.

With regards to R & D activities, the work concentrates on aspects related to cost reduction in the fabrication of the bearing. In addition work is also being carried out with regards to the optimisation of the characteristics of HDRB.

An artist impression of a section of the new township of Parand where 150 blocks of buildings on rubber bearings are being built.	The first seismic rubber bearing for the Parand project was installed on the 9th November 2007.

Bearings being tested at MRB laboratory and subjected to simultaneous compression and shear loadings.	Optimum curing conditions of the seismic bearings are analysed using FEA
Structural dynamic analysis for structures with and without seismic rubber bearing

Marine

The world insatiable demand for the rapidly depleting oil and gas compel their exploration and production to deeper water and distant fields. Due to hazardous environment, it is more economical and effective to carry out the fabrication of the platforms onshore and transport them on barges to the required offshore locations. It is during the installation of the platforms that rubber shock cells are necessary to protect the costly structures from being damaged. Over the years MRB have successfully carried out a number of projects for shock cell design. The normal loading capacity for the rubber shock cell is on average about 2000 tones. However, recently the offshore industry is demanding higher loading capacity up to 10,000 tones. In fact in 2007, MRB was successful in developing a new generation rubber shock cell which had a loading capacity of 5,000 tones. MRB is now looking at a new design and a specially formulated rubber compounds to increase the loading capacity to 10,000 tones

Construction of oil platform legs	Barges are used to transport the platform to the legs and mating between the platform and legs will normally take about 24 hours to complete.	A completion of the mating process and the platform is ready for operation.

Another area which is being actively pursued is the use of rubber fenders for protection of both the ship and the harbor. A cell fender is widely used for large ships and the former could be as high as 2m and weighs as much as 2 or 3 tones. R & D is being carried out in areas related to optimization of the fender configuration, curing conditions and reduction in cost.

Cell fenders being used to protect harbor and large vessels

FEA is used to evaluate characteristics of the fenders

Railways

There are many applications of rubber in the railway industry. One of the most common is the use of rail pads - located between rails and sleepers - in the reduction of noise and vibrations. FEA is being used in the R &D of the optimization of the design of rail pads. Rubber pads for floating slab track (FST) system are also being investigated. FST system is increasingly being used because of its superior noise and vibrations isolation using rubber pads.

Work is also being carried out to develop new rubber components for the new generation of monorail.

KL Monorail uses many rubber components such as lateral and pre-torsional suspensions.

The lateral suspension was developed using FEA.

A new bush is being designed.

FEA analysis of rail pads

Two FST pads are undergoing cyclic tests - being subjected to simultaneous compression and shear

Automotives

With respect to automotive applications, the main activity of the Unit is to carry out testing on automotive rubber components manufactured by the Malaysian manufacturers. Technical advisory is also given in terms of the design and compound formulation. The servo-hydraulic equipments available can undertake static, dynamic and endurances tests and the details are:

(1) MTS 830
Frequency range: 0.1 to 300 Hz
Maximum force: 10kN
Maximum dynamic amplitude: ±25mm

(2) MTS 810 - biaxial test equipment
Vertical frequency range: 0.1 to 50 Hz
Maximum vertical force: 500kN
Maximum dynamic amplitude: ±80mm
Horizontal frequency range: 0.1 to 100 Hz
Maximum horizontal force: 50kN
Maximum dynamic amplitude: ±80mm

(3) MTS Multiaxial equipment
Rotational actuator frequency range: 0.1 to 300 Hz
Maximum torque: 5500kN
Maximum rotation amplitude: ±50º
Linear actuator frequency range: 0.1 to 300 Hz
Maximum force: 2.5 and 250kN

(4) Maximum dynamic amplitude: MTS 830
Frequency range: 0.1 to 1000 Hz
Maximum force: 25kN
Maximum dynamic amplitude: ±25mm

(5) MTS 810 - biaxial test equipment
Vertical frequency range: 0.1 to 50 Hz
Maximum vertical force: 500kN
Maximum dynamic amplitude: ±100mm
Horizontal frequency range: 0.1 to 100 Hz
Maximum horizontal force: 50kN
Maximum dynamic amplitude: ±100mm

Various rubber components undergoing dynamic tests

Contact Person

Dr Nazirah Ahmad

Head of Engineering & Product Design Unit
RRIM Experimental Station
Malaysian Rubber Board
47000 Sungai Buloh
Selangor Darul Ehsan
MALAYSIA

Tel:03-6145 9475 ext 4470 DL: 03 6156 1824
Fax: 03-6156 4418
Email: nazirah@lgm.gov.my