Air springs keep the vehicle at a constant level, regardless of how heavy its load is. They allow to lower the car at high speeds in order to improve aerodynamics and thus increase range. Air springs can also optimize airflow under the car for passive battery cooling in electric vehicles and they protect the batteries in bad road conditions and secure always a minimum ground clearance. Furthermore, switchable air springs can provide different degrees of stiffness, allowing quick transition between a firm suspension for confident and safe driving behavior, and a more comfortable setup for long road trips.

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Vibracoustic supplies air springs for the majority of all light vehicles based on air suspension systems, making us one of the leading global air spring manufacturers.

Our products and technologies can be delivered separately or as a unit with the damper. The Vibracoustic portfolio ranges from front and rear axle air springs, to switchable multi-chamber air springs Our comprehensive air springs know how makes us a reliable and trusted component and module supplier for air spring applications of all sorts.

The key element in air springs for light vehicles are the rubber bellows. These essentially determine the comfort and service life properties. Vibracoustic offers three different types of bellows – axial, cross-ply and ZAX – which differ in terms of the structure of their embedded reinforcing fibers.

In an axial sleeve, the fibers embedded in the elastomer run axially to the deflection direction. The cross-ply bellows has two layers of reinforcing elements, placed at an angle to each other. Unlike in a fabric, these elements are not connected. The cross-axial bellows, or ZAX bellows, combines the great torsion decoupling capability of an axial sleeve with the dimensional stability of a cross-ply bellows.

Dozens of chassis mounts control vibrations transmitted from the road surface into the chassis of the vehicle. Chassis mounts are small but important components that improve handling and safety, and reduce unwanted vibrations.

All bushings are designed to absorb loads, caused by road surface excitations, from multiple directions. The correct stiffness and damping of the bushings are essential to maximize vehicle road holding, ride and handling. Bushings must therefore be precisely tuned in line with the whole suspension system.

Minor vibrations create an unpleasant driving experience – severe ones can result in steering disturbances and body vibrations that pose serious safety risks. To reduce vibrations, vehicles have a number of chassis mounts fitted, e.g. for the transverse control arms, subframes, suspension struts and stabilizers.

The product portfolio ranges from conventional, hydro, DualRubber chassis bushings through steering column bushings, and subframe mounts to conventional and lightweight top mounts.

Isolators and mass dampers are ideal for solving a wide variety of vibration-related challenges transmitted into the chassis from the road surface. Linear dampers are a strategic design element to counteract unwanted noise and vibrations – especially in lightweight structures.

Mass dampers are ideal for use in applications where vibrations need to be balanced with opposing inertial forces. In these configurations, an additional spring-mass system with the same frequency, but opposite amplitude, acts on the vibrating structure, effectively eliminating its vibrations. The way mass dampers work means they can be used in a wide variety of scenarios: transmissions, steering wheels, and even whole convertibles are just some of the applications that make use of this indispensable system to prevent Noise, Vibration and Harshness issues.

Active mass dampers are another way of improving comfort even further. They use a sensor placed on the vibrating structure and an ECU (Electric Control Unit) that controls a solenoid which is able to accelerate the absorber mass. This way, active mass dampers not only come with a design that weighs less and takes up less space than their conventional counterparts, but they are also able to adjust to variables such as additional cargo load, road surface excitation, and temperature.

Decoupling solutions for auxiliary components can address new NVH challenges especially in electric vehicles. Here auxiliary systems like coolers, pumps and compressors are not belt-driven anymore and auxiliary noise and vibrations are significantly more noticeable due to the lack of the masking noises of the combustion engine.

Centering devices, isolators and dampers solve vibration-related challenges deriving from the torque fluctuations and natural frequencies of the drive shaft in rear- and all-wheel drive vehicles, where the drive force must be transferred to the rear axle. Rotary dampers, flexible couplings and centering devices help counteract unwanted noise and vibrations from the drive shaft.

Our product portfolio includes flexible power train couplings and damping devices like the NRG-Disc (New Rubber Generation Disc), Tube-in-Tube or Drive Shaft Dampers. They smoothly transfer drive forces to the rear axle and reduce vibrations deriving from the torque fluctuations and natural frequencies of the drive shaft.

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In addition to elastic decoupling elements, rotation dampers can be used to effectively reduce system-related resonance effects of the drive shaft.

Center Sleeves, Spherical Center Sleeves and Center Bearing Supports help align the drive shaft and allow flexible movements of the drive shaft while being constantly exposed to high rotational speeds.

In addition, when used as tuning parts already during the early development phase, isolators and dampers help improve the structural behavior of vehicle components and generate weight savings.

Micro Cellular Urethane (MCU) components combine maximum performance, high comfort and lightweight versatility. The material provides superior abrasion, tear and chemical resistance along with high tensile strength and a low compression set. It is also resistant to automotive fluids and ozone. MCU components are used for jounce bumpers, spring aids, spring seats, bushings, top mounts, and body mounts.

The automotive industry needs to meet the increasing demand for lighter vehicles while integrating new components, like hybrid drives. As a result, the space available for a vehicle’s spring and isolation elements becomes smaller. Vibracoustic’s engineers work closely with vehicle manufacturers to supply a full range of materials that combine maximum performance within the ever decreasing available space.

MCU helps fulfill these requirements. Similar to a sponge, MCU absorbs energy and isolates noise, yet is strong enough to bear the weight of an entire vehicle. MCU components also offer a low weight, progressive stiffness with excellent long-term behavior when subjected to cold, heat, and the environment.

Vibracoustic offers multiple material and design options, including assembly with dust covers and saturation cups or as part of complete components like top mounts and air springs.

Darmstadt, 17 November |

Vibracoustic Provides First Air Springs System Including ECU and Software

Vibracoustic developed an air springs system, providing both excellent comfort and dynamic performance for a sporty SUV of an European premium car brand. The system features innovative switchable three-chamber air springs with actively controlled shock absorbers, the electronic control unit (ECU) including software and the integration of the system components into the full vehicle system.

The switchable three-chamber air springs from Vibracoustic offer a great level of flexibility. They can switch individual air chambers on and off and therewith allow the stiffness of the springs to be doubled over four different settings – from soft to stiff. The Vibracoustic ECU not only controls the air springs but also integrates the shock absorber application software. It therewith actively controls the shock absorbers regarding jounce and rebound individually by controlling all eight shock absorber valves. The combination of switchable air springs and actively adjustable dampers gives a wider choice in comfort and dynamic performance for the sporty SUV and provides an outstanding suspension performance.

By providing not only the air springs but also the ECU for the air springs system, the software and the integration into the full vehicle system, Vibracoustic provides a pre-validated air springs system specifically tailored to the needs of the customer.

“With over 20 years of experience in developing and producing air springs for the automotive industry, it was still a very special project for us to deliver not only our three-chamber air springs but also our own ECU and software. The system perfectly fits the needs of our customer to realize an outstanding off-road performance while securing the dynamic and sporty performance of the premium SUV,” states Jörg Böcking, CTO at Vibracoustic.

Air spring suspensions are increasingly popular as they fulfill various demands for improved comfort as well as optimized driving dynamics. They can keep the vehicle at a constant level, raise and lower the ride height to tackle a wide range of terrain or adjust the degree of stiffness, depending on the driving situation.

With a dedicated team of air springs, system, software and ECU hardware engineers as well as comprehensive air springs expertise, Vibracoustic supports manufacturers throughout the whole development process to improve their vehicle’s driving comfort and handling. This ranges from defining the requirements of various components and their characteristics to developing and specifying entire ECU, including their base and application software for all kinds of air springs systems.

Are you interested in learning more about Vibracoustic Air Springs(it,hi,vi)? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

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