DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Mini-Project Report

TOPIC
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CHROME VANADIUM STEEL AND AMC WITH
BORON CARBIDE REINFORCEMENT HELICAL SUSPENSION SPRINGS

SUBMITTED BY-

P MAGNESH (1MS20ME103)
O APRAMEYA SIMHA (1MS20ME101)
NITHIN CHANDAN G N (1MS20ME100)
SHARANA BASAVA (1MS20ME133)

Under the guidance of-

DR. RAJENDRA P
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
RIT Bengaluru

RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

(Autonomous Institute, Affiliated to VTU)

Bengaluru
2023
 RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
(Autonomous Institute, Affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University,
Belgaum) Bangalore-560054
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project work entitled " A Comparative Study Of Chrome Vanadium Steel
And AMC With Boron Carbide Reinforcement Helical Suspension Springs" carried out by
P Magnesh (1MS20ME103), O Aprameya Simha (1MS20ME101), Nithin Chandan GN (1MS20ME100)
and Sharana Basava (1MS20ME133) bonafide students of Ramaiah Institute of Technology in partial
fulfilment for the award of Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering of the Visvesvaraya
Technological University (VTU), Belgaum during the year 2023. It is certified that all
corrections/suggestions indicated during Internal Assessment have been incorporated in the report
deposited in the departmental library.

The project report has been approved as it satisfies the academics requirements in respect of
project work prescribed for the said degree.

DR. RAJENDRA P Dr. RAJI GEORGE Dr. N.V.R NAIDU

Guide Head of Department Principal of RIT

Signature of External Examiner

Name

2
 RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
(Autonomous Institute, Affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University,
Belgaum) Bangalore-560054

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

DECLARATION

We hereby declare that the entire work embodied in this project has been independently carried
out by us under the supervision of internal guide Dr. RAJENDRA P, Associate Professor,
Departmentof Mechanical Engineering, Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore in partial
fulfilment of requirement of the Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering. We
further declare that the report has not been submitted either in part or in full to any other university
for the award of any Degree.

By

P Magnesh (1MS20ME103) O Aprameya Simha (1MS20ME101)

Nithin Chandan G N (1MS20ME100) Sharana Basava (1MS20ME133)

 RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
(Autonomous Institute, Affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University,
Belgaum) Bangalore-560054

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, we would like to express our deep gratitude for the invaluable guidance
of our guide Dr. Rajendra P, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore, for all his guidance, help and support throughout
the course of this work.

We are immensely grateful to Dr. Raji George, Professor and Head, Department of Mechanical
Engineering, Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore, without whose inspiration and
invaluablesupport our research would have never taken off.

We are extremely thankful to Dr. NVR Naidu, Principal, Ramaiah Institute of Technology, for
creating an atmosphere of Research and Development in the College and encouraging us to
initiate research activities.

P MAGNESH (1MS20ME103)
O APRAMEYA SIMHA (1MS20ME101)
NITHIN CHANDAN G N (1MS20ME100)
SHARANA BASAVA (1MS20ME133)
 ABSTRACT

Helical springs are one of the oldest suspension components. The past literature survey shows
that helical springs are designed as generalized force elements where the position, velocity and
orientation of the mounting gives the reaction forces in the fork attachment positions. Another
part has to be focused, is the automobile industry has shown increased interest in the replacement
of steel spring with composite helical spring. It was successful in decreasing the weight,
increasing the stiffness of the system. But there are some limitations like cost, manufacturing of
Metal matrix composite of single composite spring which was not much helpful to increase the
overall stiffness of the suspension system. So, metal matrix composite material is used instead of
fibers. The intension behind the use of MMC is to improve overall stiffness and life of the system.
Therefore, analysis of the composite material becomes equally important to study the behaviour
of Composite helical spring. This study investigates the mechanical behavior of helical springs
made of Chrome vanadium steel and MMC under axial loading. 3-dimensional Modelling is done
using CATIA-V5 and Finite Element Analysis is carried out by using ANSYS software. Further
the results obtained from the software were compared with the analytical solutions. The
compared results are charted for both the results of analysis for better understanding.
 CONTENTS

1. Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Spring 2
1.2 History 3
1.3 Types And Uses of spring 3
1.4 Composite Materials 4
1.5 Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) 5
1.6 Composition of MMC 5
1.7 Manufacturing And Forming Methods of MMC 7

SCOPE OF PROJECT WORK 9

LITERATURE REVIEW 10

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT WORK 15

2. Chapter 2

METHODOLOGY 17

PROJECT WORK DETAILS

2.1 Spring design 20

2.2 Selection of spring materials for the study 21

2.3 ANSYS analysis of springs 23

3. Chapter 3

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 27

CONCLUSIONS 36

REFERENCES 37
CHAPTER - I

1
 INTRODUCTION

1.1 SPRING

A spring is an elastic object that stores mechanical energy. Springs are typically made
of spring steel. There are many spring designs. In everyday use, the term often refers to
coil springs.

When a conventional spring, without stiffness variability features, is compressed or

stretched from its resting position, it exerts an opposing force approximately
proportional to its change in length (this approximation breaks down for larger
deflections). The rate or spring constant of a spring is the change in the force it exerts,
divided by the change in deflection of the spring. That is, it is the gradient of the force
versus deflection curve. An extension or compression spring's rate is expressed in units
of force divided by distance, for example or N/m or lbf/in.

A torsion spring is a spring that works by twisting; when it is twisted about its axis by
an angle, it produces a torque proportional to the angle. A torsion spring's rate is in units
of torque divided by angle, such as N·m/rad or ft·lbf/degree. The inverse of spring rate
is compliance, that is: if a spring has a rate of 10 N/mm, it has a compliance of 0.1
mm/N. The stiffness (or rate) of springs in parallel is additive, as is the compliance of
springs in series.

Springs are made from a variety of elastic materials, the most common being spring
steel. Small springs can be wound from pre-hardened stock, while larger ones are made
from annealed steel and hardened after fabrication. Some non-ferrous metals are also
used including phosphor bronze and titanium for parts requiring corrosion resistance
and beryllium copper for springs carrying electrical current (because of its low
electrical resistance).

2
1.2 HISTORY

Simple non-coiled springs were used throughout human history, e.g., the bow (and
arrow). In the Bronze Age more sophisticated spring devices were used, as shown by
the spread of tweezers in many cultures. Ctesibius of Alexandria developed a method
for making bronze with spring-like characteristics by producing an alloy of bronze with
an increased proportion of tin, and then hardening it by hammering after it was cast.

Coiled springs appeared early in the 15th century, in door locks. The first spring
powered-clocks appeared in that century and evolved into the first large watches by the
16th century. In 1676 British physicist Robert Hooke postulated Hooke's law, which
states that the force a spring exerts is proportional to its extension.

1.3 TYPES AND USES OF SPRINGS

 Compression
Compression springs can be used for engines, major appliances, tools, lawn mowers,
medical instruments, electronics, cell phones–down to a simple pen. Anything that
requires stored energy within the spring. Compression springs come in varieties to suit
your needs, including barrel, conical and double cone springs.

 Extension
Extension springs can also be used in vehicles, garage doors, trampolines, toys (like a
hobby horse), outdoor furniture, machinery and tools like vise-grip pliers.

 Torsion
Torsion springs use rotational force to exert energy. Think of a squeeze-to-open
scenario. You will find torsion springs in clothespins, doors, clocks, watches and
vehicles. Unlike compression and extension springs which use linear deflection, a
torsion spring uses radial deflection to exert its force.

3
 Coil Springs Top Uses:
 Automotives
 Computer keyboards
 Mattresses
 Appliances (toasters)
 Door handles
 Compressors
 Pens
 Clocks

1.4 COMPOSITE MATERIALS

A composite material (also called a composition material or shortened to composite,

which is the common name) is a material which is produced from two or more
constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or
physical properties and are merged to create a material with properties unlike the
individual elements. Within the finished structure, the individual elements remain
separate and distinct, distinguishing composites from mixtures and solid solutions.

Typical engineered composite materials include:

 Reinforced concrete and masonry
 Composite wood such as plywood
 Reinforced plastics, such as fibre-reinforced polymer or fiberglass
 Ceramic matrix composites (composite ceramic and metal matrices)
 Metal matrix composites and other advanced composite materials

There are various reasons where new material can be favoured. Typical examples
include materials which are less expensive, lighter, stronger or more durable when
compared with common materials.

4
More recently researchers have also begun to actively include sensing, actuation,
computation and communication into composites, which are known as robotic
materials.

Composite materials are generally used for buildings, bridges, and structures such as
boat hulls, swimming pool panels, racing car bodies, shower stalls, bathtubs, storage
tanks, imitation granite and cultured marble sinks and countertops. They are also being
increasingly used in general automotive applications. The most advanced examples
perform routinely on spacecraft and aircraft in demanding environments.

1.5 METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE (MMC)

In materials science, a metal matrix composite (MMC) is a composite material with

fibers or particles dispersed in a metallic matrix, such as copper, aluminium, or steel.
The secondary phase is typically a ceramic (such as alumina or silicon carbide) or
another metal (such as steel). They are typically classified according to the type of
reinforcement: short discontinuous fibers (whiskers), continuous fibers, or particulates.

There is some overlap between MMCs and cermet, with the latter typically consisting
of less than 20% metal by volume. When at least three materials are present, it is called
a hybrid composite. MMCs can have much higher strength-to-weight ratios, stiffness,
and ductility than traditional materials, so they are often used in demanding
applications. MMCs typically have lower thermal and electrical conductivity and poor
resistance to radiation, limiting their use in the very harshest environments.

1.6 COMPOSITION OF MMC

MMCs are made by dispersing a reinforcing material into a metal matrix.

The reinforcement surface can be coated to prevent a chemical reaction with the matrix.
For example, carbon fibers are commonly used in aluminium matrix to synthesize
composites showing low density and high strength.

5
However, carbon reacts with aluminium to generate a brittle and water-soluble
compound Al4C3 on the surface of the fibre. To prevent this reaction, the carbon fibers
are coated with nickel or titanium boride.

 Matrix
The matrix is the monolithic material into which the reinforcement is embedded, and is
completely continuous. This means that there is a path through the matrix to any point
in the material, unlike two materials sandwiched together. In structural applications, the
matrix is usually a lighter metal such as aluminium, magnesium, or titanium, and
provides a complete support for the reinforcement. In high-temperature applications,
cobalt and cobalt–nickel alloy matrices are common.

 Reinforcement
The reinforcement material is embedded into a matrix. The reinforcement does not
always serve a purely structural task (reinforcing the compound), but is also used to
change physical properties such as wear resistance, friction coefficient, or thermal
conductivity. The reinforcement can be either continuous or discontinuous.

Discontinuous MMCs can be isotropic and can be worked with standard metalworking
techniques, such as extrusion, forging, or rolling. In addition, they may be machined
using conventional techniques, but commonly would need the use of polycrystalline
diamond tooling (PCD).

Continuous reinforcement uses monofilament wires or fibers such as carbon fibre or

silicon carbide. Because the fibers are embedded into the matrix in a certain direction,
the result is an anisotropic structure in which the alignment of the material affects its
strength. One of the first MMCs used boron filament as reinforcement. Discontinuous
reinforcement uses "whiskers", short fibers, or particles. The most common reinforcing
materials in this category are alumina and silicon carbide.

6
1.7 MANUFACTURING AND FORMING METHODS OF MMC

MMC manufacturing can be broken into three types—solid, liquid, and vapor.

 Solid state methods

Powder blending and consolidation (powder metallurgy): Powdered metal and
discontinuous reinforcement are mixed and then bonded through a process of
compaction, degassing, and thermo-mechanical treatment (possibly via hot isostatic
pressing (HIP) or extrusion) .

Foil diffusion bonding: Layers of metal foil are sandwiched with long fibers, and then
pressed through to form a matrix.

 Liquid state methods

Electroplating and electroforming: A solution containing metal ions loaded with
reinforcing particles is co-deposited forming a composite material

Stir casting: Discontinuous reinforcement is stirred into molten metal, which is allowed
to solidify

Pressure infiltration: Molten metal is infiltrated into the reinforcement through use a
kind of pressure such as gas pressure

Squeeze casting: Molten metal is injected into a form with fibers pre-placed inside it

Spray deposition: Molten metal is sprayed onto a continuous fiber substrate

Reactive processing: A chemical reaction occurs, with one of the reactants forming the
matrix and the other the reinforcement.

 Semi-solid-state methods
Semi-solid powder processing: Powder mixture is heated up to semi-solid state and
pressure is applied to form the composites.
7
 Vapor deposition
Physical vapor deposition: The fibre is passed through a thick cloud of vaporized metal,
coating it.

 In-situ fabrication technique

Controlled unidirectional solidification of a eutectic alloy can result in a two-phase
microstructure with one of the phases, present in lamellar or fibre form, distributed in
the matrix.

8
 SCOPE OF PEOJECT

Fabrication of the composite coil springs can be computerized to reduce the price, which could
also reduce the manufacturing downtime. In place of the using the carbon fiber-mat cut into the
specified sizes which can also damage the fibers, carbon fiber tapes inside the shape of the
mould could be used to ease the fabrication technique. To improve the stiffness of the springs,
hybrid springs (steel cord internal) surrounded by fibers can be fabricated.

The existing investigation concentrates on the auto suspension. But there is scope for the fiber
springs in locomotives which use a massive number of metallic springs for their suspension.
The growing cost of metal and the increase within the basic weight of the locomotives the usage
of metallic springs will force the locomotive enterprise to switch to the fiber springs in place
of metal springs. Very few companies making metallic springs which inspire the manufacturing
of fiber springs in a comparatively simple tactics. Such research is already in progress in several
laboratories.

1. Design modification can be done to minimize the weight of helical spring and the
inertia force.
2. Dynamic analysis of spring can also be performed on Ansys software to get better
analysis.
3. Vibrational analysis can be done in Ansys software for minimize the fatigue failure.
4. Torsional analysis can be done due to presence of small amount of torsional moment
in spring wire.
5. Analysis of different spring either for heavy duty vehicle or light duty vehicle can
also be analysed.

9
 LITERATURE REVIEW

 FABRICATION AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF ALUMINIUM-BORON

CARBIDE COMPOSITES

BY: S. Rama Rao

Published :09 August 2012

With the increasing demand of light-weight materials in the emerging industrial applications,
fabrication of aluminium boron carbide composites is required. In this context aluminium alloy - boron
carbide composites were fabricated by liquid metallurgy techniques with different particulate weight
fraction (2.5, 5 and 7.5%). Phase identification was carried out on boron carbide by X-ray diffraction
studies. Microstructure analysis was done with scanning electron microscope. Scanning electron
microscopy images shows that boron carbide particles are uniformly distributed in aluminium matrix.
The composites were characterized by hardness and compression tests. With the increase the amount of
the boron carbide, the density of the composites decreased whereas the hardness is increased. The
ultimate compressive strength of the composites was increased with increase in the weight percentage
of the boron carbide in the composites.

 INVESTIGATION OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF ALUMINIUM 6061-SILICON

CARBIDE, BORON CARBIDE METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE P. SUBRAMANYA
REDDY

Published online: 5 January 2017

High demand on materials to increase the overall performance of automotive and aerospace components
has forced the development of composite materials. Among the various composites, Aluminium Metal
Matrix Composites (AMMC) are widely used to fulfil the emerging industrial needs. This paper deals
with the investigation of mechanical properties of AMMC produced by the stir casting technique for
various compositions of boron carbide and silicon carbide reinforced with aluminium alloy 6061. The
tensile, flexural, hardness and impact tests were performed and it was found that the hybrid composites
had better properties than pure aluminium. The microstructure of the hybrid composites was analysed
using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

10
 DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF HELICAL SPRING USING COMPOSITE MATERIALS

BY: Mr. S. Rajkumar

Published: 03 Mar 2019

Helical springs are one of the oldest suspension components they are still frequently used, especially in
two-wheeler vehicles. The past literature survey shows that helical springs are designed as generalized
force elements where the position, velocity and orientation of the mounting gives the reaction forces in
the fork attachment positions. Another part has to be focused, is the automobile industry has shown
increased interest in the replacement of steel spring with composite helical spring due to high strength
to flexible ratio. Therefore, analysis of the composite material becomes equally important to study the
behaviour of Composite helical spring. The objective of this paper is to present modelling and analysis
of composite helical spring using the composite material e-glass fiber and sisal fiber to compare it result
with existing steel materials (ASTM A227). Three-dimensional Modelling is done using CREO and
Finite Element Analysis is carried out by using ANSYS software. Further the prototype model is
fabricated according to the design specification for the different composite materials and the
experimental analysis (tensile, compression and wear & tear) is to be done with reference of results
taken from the finite element analysis for the same load condition. The compared results are charted for
both the results of analysis for better understanding.

 AN OVERVIEW ON THE EFFECT OF REINFORCEMENT AND WEAR BEHAVIOUR

OF METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES

BY: Nikhil Bharat

Published:3 December 2020

Metal matrix composites have been widely accepted by the various manufacturing industries such as
automotive, aerospace, marine etc., due to its excellent properties i.e., high strength to weight ratio,
good wear resistance, high strength and toughness. The properties of metal matrix composites are
enhanced with reinforcing materials. Reinforcing materials play a vital role in the strengthening of the
mechanical properties of metal matrix composites. Wear is one of the most important parameters that
can be improved by enhancing the hardness of the work material. It was also observed that
manufacturing techniques also play an important role for better and improved properties of metal matrix
composites. This paper tries to review the effect of reinforcing materials and wear behaviour of metal
matrix composites.

11
 SOME INVESTIGATIONS INTO METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE LEAF SPRING

BY: HARMEET SINGH

Published:8 January 2017

Laminated and helical springs are the suspension components which are used in light and heavy
commercial vehicles. The latest research in automobile industries shows that most of the researchers
work on composite material to manufacture automobile components. Automobile components like
piston, brake drum, connecting rod and valve stem are manufacture with composite material due to
these provide light weight and similar strength. Reducing weight and maintaining strength of
component is major research issue these days. Metal matrix composite (MMC) is composite material
which uses two or three materials, one should be metal, other material can be compound, ceramic or
metal which provide complete strength for the reinforcement.

In many applications, the metal matrix composite mostly uses lighter metals such as aluminium,
magnesium, silicon carbide, boron carbide and titanium which provides desire strength. Metal Matrix
Composites have been used in various industries including automobile industry because of their light
weight and good strength. From literature it was seen that most of the research has been carried out on
mechanical properties, shape optimization and failure behaviour by experimental and finite element
approach on composite leaf springs made of E-Glass/Epoxy material. A small gap has been found to
manufacture and study a leaf spring based on metal matrix composite material. It was also found that
carbon/epoxy composite and aluminium and boron carbide-based composite is best suitable for
applications requiring low stresses, stiffness and weight reduction than other composite materials.

Present study attempts to investigate the applications of these composites in the leaf spring. So, for
present study rear leaf spring of Tata Ace (mini truck) made of EN45A spring steel was considered.
Leaf spring with Aluminium and boron carbide-based composite was manufactured by stir casting
technique and was analysed experimentally. MMC based leaf spring under stress analysis, static test,
test for load rate and hardness test as per the standards - IS 1135: 1995 (Laminated Springs assembly
for automobiles) and SAE (HS - J788 - Manual on Design and Application of Laminated Springs) were
performed. For experimental testing leaf spring testing machine was used that was capable of
performing deflection and static test. The evaluation of EN45A steel and metal matrix based composite
leaf spring shows that the metal matrix composite spring has lower stresses and less sagging. It was
seen that composite leaf spring possess better mechanical properties and less weight than manganese
traced spring steel currently in use

12
 DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF A SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FOR AUTOMOTIVE
VEHICLE

BY: N. Lavanya

Published: September 2014

The suspension system is used to observe the vibrations from shock loads due to irregularities of the
road surface. It is performing its function without impairing the stability, steering (or) general handling
of the vehicle. Generally for light vehicles, coil springs are used as suspension system. A spring is an
elastic object used to store mechanical energy and it can be twist, pulled (or) stretched by some force
and can return to their original shape when the force is released. The present work attempts to analyse
the safe load of the light vehicle suspension spring with different materials. This investigation includes
comparison of modelling and analyses of primary suspension spring made of low carbon-structural steel
and chrome vanadium steel and suggested the suitability for optimum design. The results show the
reduction in overall stress and deflection of spring for chosen materials.

 INVESTIGATION ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF ALUMINIUM 7075 - BORON

CARBIDE - COCONUT SHELL FL Y ASH REINFORCED HYBRID METAL MATRIX
COMPOSITES

BY: Balasubramanian Subramaniam

Published: 6 November 2018

The present research work reports the fabrication and evaluation of the mechanical properties of hybrid
aluminium matrix composites (HAMC). Aluminium 7075 (Al7075) alloy was reinforced with particles
of boron carbide (B4C) and coconut shell fl y ash (CSFA). Al7075 matrix composites were fabricated
by stir casting method. The samples of Al7075 HAMC were fabricated with different weight
percentages of (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12wt.%) B4C and 3wt.% of CSFA. The mechanical properties discussed
in this work are hardness, tensile strength, and impact strength. Hardness of the composites increased
33% by reinforcements of 12wt.% B4C and 3wt.% CSFA in aluminium 7075 alloy. The tensile strength
of the composites increased 66% by the addition of 9wt.% B4C and 3wt.% CSFA in aluminium 7075
alloy. Further addition of reinforcements decreased the tensile strength of the composites. Further
addition of reinforcement decreased the impact strength of the composites. The optical micrographs
disclosed the homogeneous distribution of reinforcement particles (B4C and CSFA) in Al7075 matrix.
The homogeneously distributed B4C and CSFA particles added as reinforcement in the Al7075 alloy
contributed to the improvement of hardness, tensile strength, and impact strength of the composites.

13
 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TWO-WHEELER SUSPENSION HELICAL
COMPRESSION SPRING FOR STEEL AND COMPOSITE MATERIAL AT DIFFERENT
LOADING CONDITIONS

BY: Mr. Atul M. Punga

Published: 07 July 2018

The Springs are crucial suspension elements on automobiles which are necessary to minimize the
vertical vibrations, impacts and bumps due to road irregularities and create a comfortable ride. Helical
Compression springs are most commonly used for vehicle suspension and some industrial applications.
The present work attempts to study the feasibility to select composite materials in the design of helical
compression spring used in automobile suspension systems. The use of composite materials is
increasing in the design of automobile components due to their light weight and costs. The objective of
this is to compare stresses, deflection and weights for both steel and composite material. In this research,
steel helical spring related to light vehicle suspension system under the effect of a uniform loading has
been studied and finite element analysis has been compared with analytical solution. Afterwards, steel
spring has been replaced by composite helical spring glass/Epoxy. Spring weight, maximum stress and
deflection have been compared with steel helical spring. According to the results, it was found that
Compared to the steel spring, the composite spring has stresses that are much lower.

14
 OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

• This study investigates the mechanical behavior of helical springs made of Chrome
vanadium steel and AMC with Boron Carbide under axial loading.

• To perform the structural analysis of Chrome vanadium steel and AMC with Boron
Carbide helical springs in ANSYS.

• Following parameters of helical springs of both the materials are compared:

o Stiffness
o Weight
o Shear Stress
o Maximum Compression
o Tensile strength

15
CHAPTER – II

16
 METHODOLOGY

Problem Definition

Literature Survey

Selection of spring materials for the

study

Modelling of springs in Solidworks

ANSYS Analysis of springs

Calculation of various parameters

using ANSYS Results

Comparison of FEM Approach with

Analytical method

Results and Discussions

Conclusion
17
 Problem Definition: A problem statement is usually one or two sentences to explain the
problem your process improvement project will address. In general, a problem statement
will outline the negative points of the current situation and explain why these matters.

 Literature Survey: A literature survey or a literature review in a project report is that

section which shows the various analyses and research made in the field of our interest
and the results already published, taking into account the various parameters of the project
and the extent of the project. It is the most important part of a report as it gives us a
direction in the area of our research.

When we write a literature review in respect of our project, we have to write the researches
made by various analysts - their methodology (which is basically their abstract) and the
conclusions they have arrived at. One should also give an account of how this research has
influenced your thesis.

 Selection of spring materials for the study: An appropriate material is selected based on
various parameters taken into account.

 Modelling of springs in Solidworks: Based on the selected materials and selected

parameters the spring is designed in Solidworks software.

 ANSYS Analysis of springs: The designed spring is imported in ANSYS mechanical

software. The imported geometry undergoes meshing in ANSYS Spaceclaim. Then,
boundary conditions are applied to the meshed geometry. At the end, it is solved and
results are displayed in contour form for better visualization of results obtained.

 Calculation of various parameters using ANSYS Results: The Normal stress, deflection,
strain energy, shear strain ,shear stress etc are obtained based on the results obtained in
ANSYS.

18
 Comparison of FEM Approach with Analytical method: The analytical results are
obtained using the theoretical formulae and are compared with the results obtained in the
ANSYS software.

 Results and Discussions: The results section is a section containing a description about
the main findings of a research, whereas the discussion section interprets the results for
readers and provides the significance of the findings.

 Conclusion: A conclusion is the final piece of writing in a project that summarizes the
entire work. The conclusion paragraph restates our thesis, summarizes the key supporting
ideas we discussed throughout the work, and offers our final impression on the central
idea.

19
 PROJECT WORK DETAILS

2.1 SPRING DESIGN

Modelling of springs

Fig2.1 2D- Design of Spring

A coil spring is designed by using solidworks as per the specifications and analyzed by
ANSYS software. In this the spring behavior will be observed by applying different materials
loads, to optimum stresses and the result shows best material. Model of the spring will be first
created by using Solidworks. Begin by drawing a line of 360 mm length and it is the free height
of spring. The line is at a distance of 104 mm from vertical axis and it is outer diameter of the
coil. Next enter the pitch of spring. Pitch is calculated by free height of coil the spring divided
by the number of turns. In this 360/8= 45mm. Create the circle of wire diameter 14.5mm of
spring and create Solid model of helical spring as shown in figure.

20
Dimensions of helical spring

DIMENSIONS VALUES

MEAN DIAMETER OF SPRING 90 mm

(D)

WIRE DIAMETER (d) 14 mm

PITCH AT THE CENTER(P) 45 mm

PITCH AT THE END(P) 15 mm

NO OF ACTIVE COILS(i) 10

HEIGHT(H) 360 mm

SPRING INDEX(C) 6.43

Now the converted input file is imported into ANSYS for further processing. After importing
the input file, the meshing has taken place by selecting appropriate 3D element size and shape.

2.2 SELECTION OF SPRING MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY

The following materials used for this work:

 Chromium vanadium steel
The alloy spring steels have a definite place in the field of spring materials, particularly
for conditions involving high stress and for applications where shock or impact loading
occurs.
The below properties are taken from standard Machinery’s Handbook.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CHROME VANADIUM

S No. Element Content (%)

1. C 0.48 – 0.53%
2. Cr 0.80 – 1.10%

3. V 0.15 %

21
 Properties Cr-V STEEL(AISI 6150)

DENSITY 7850 kg/m^3

YOUNGS MODULUS(E) 210 GPa

POISSION’S RATIO 0.27

TENSILE STRENGTH(ULTIMATE) 670 MPa

SHEAR MODULUS(G) 82.677 GPa

BULK MODULUS(K) 152.17 GPa

 AMC with Boron Carbide reinforcement

Properties AMC WITH BORON CARBIDE

(APPROX)

DENSITY 2633 kg/m^3

YOUNGS MODULUS(E) 430 GPa

POISSION’S RATIO 0.18

TENSILE STRENGTH(ULTIMATE) 500 MPa

SHEAR MODULUS(G) 182.2 GPa

BULK MODULUS(K) 223.96 GPa

22
Aluminum is one of the most used lightweight metals as matrix material in a combination of
SiC, TiC, B4C, Al2O3, ZrO2, Y2O3, TiB2, Si3N4, AlN, etc. reinforcements. Greater strength
to weight ratio, good corrosion, and tribological properties made ceramic-reinforced aluminum
metal matrix composites (AMCs) best popular for applications in different sectors not limited
to aviation, automobile, marine, infrastructure, sports, recreation, and defense. B4C is a robust
material with excellent chemical and thermal stability, high hardness, young’s modulus, impact
& wear resistance, and low density.

2.3 ANSYS ANALYSIS OF SPRINGS

 Meshing of the model

Fig2.2 Mesh

23
The geometry has been imported into ANSYS Workbench 2022 R1 Student version. After
completing geometry clean-up, 3D solid mesh has been carried out with tetrahedral elements
of 4 mm. The tetrahedral element is a robust and efficient element, with unique capabilities,
can be used as a major element in a mesh. The number of elements and nodes are 1,599. The
spring profile area is found to be critical under the stress concentration so very fine meshing is
carried out in order to get the closer results.

 Static structural analysis

A static structural analysis calculates the effects of steady loading conditions on a structure,
while ignoring inertia and damping effects, such as those caused by time- varying loads. A
static analysis can, however, include steady inertia loads (such as gravity and rotational
velocity), and time-varying loads that can be approximated as static equivalent loads (such as
the static equivalent wind and seismic loads commonly defined in many building codes). Static
analysis is used to determine the displacements, stresses, strains, and forces in structures or
components caused by loads that do not include significant inertia and damping effects. Steady
loading and response conditions are assumed; that is, the loads and the structure’s response are
assumed to vary slowly with respect to time. The kinds of loading that can be applied in a static
analysis include. A static structural analysis can be either linear or nonlinear.
All types of nonlinearities are allowed- large deformations, plasticity, creep, stress stiffening,
contact (gap) elements, hyper elastic elements, etc.

 Analysis Steps
The steps needed to perform an analysis depend on the study type. You complete a study by
performing the following steps:
 Create a study defining its analysis type and options.
 If needed, define parameters of your study. A parameter can be a model dimension,
material property, force value,
 or any other input.
 Define material properties.
 Specify restraints and loads.
 The program automatically creates a mixed mesh when different geometries (solid,
shell, structural members etc.)
 exist in the model.

24
 Define component contact and contact sets.
 Mesh the model to divide the model into many small pieces called elements. Fatigue
and optimization studies use
 the meshes in referenced studies.
 Run the study.
 View results.

25
CHAPTER – III

26
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Total deformation, normal stress, normal strain, strain energy, shear stress and shear strain
values of the two materials are plotted in below table. The total deformation in Material
Matrix Composite(MMC) taken place in suspension spring is due to applied load is small
than other materials as the ANSYS Result shows.

Parameters Cr-V STEEL (AISI 6150) AMC WITH BORON CARBIDE

MAX TOTAL DEFORMATION 26.312 mm 12.052 mm

MAX NORMAL STRESS 60.983 Mpa 58.54 MPa

MAX NORMAL STRAIN 0.00023291 0.00012278

MAX STRAIN ENERGY 0.033638 J 0.015480 J

MAX SHEAR STRESS 169.05 MPa 168.4 MPa

MAX SHEAR STRAIN 0.0020446 0.00092422

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 Fig3.1 Deformation of Cr-V Helical Spring

Fig3.2 Deformation of AMC+B4C Helical Spring

28
Fig3.3 Normal Stress of Cr-V Helical Spring

Fig3.4 Normal Stress of AMC+B4C Helical

29
Fig3.5 Normal Strain of Cr-V Helical Spring

Fig3.6 Normal Strain of AMC+B4C Helical

30
 Fig3.7 Strain Energy of Cr-V Helical Spring

Fig3.8 Strain Energy of AMC+B4C Helical Spring

31
 Fig3.9 Shear Stress of Cr-V Helical Spring

Fig3.10 Shear Stress of AMC+B4C Helical Spring

32
 Fig3.11 Shear Strain of Cr-V Helical Spring

Fig3.12 Shear Strain of AMC+B4C Helical Spring

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ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
 Cr-Vi Steel

1. Deflection, y= 8𝐹𝐷3𝑖/𝐺𝑑4
‫؞‬

8∗1250∗903∗10
y=
82677∗144

y= 22.9525 mm
𝐹
2. Stiffness, S=
𝑦

‫؞‬ S=
1250

22.9525
= 54.463
𝑁

𝑚𝑚

 AMC with Boron-Carbide

1. Deflection, y= 8𝐹𝐷3𝑖/𝐺𝑑4

‫؞‬ ‫؞‬
8∗1250∗903∗10
y=
182200∗144

y= 10.4151
𝐹
2. Stiffness, S=
𝑦

‫ ؞‬S= 1250

10.4151
= 120.018
𝑁

𝑚𝑚

34
 Percentage mass reduction

Volume of Spring, V= 4.5445 *10−4 𝑚3

Mass of Cr-V Steel spring, = (Density of Cr-V steel) *V

‫ ؞‬mCr-V = 3.5674325 kg
Mass of Composite spring, = (Density of Composite Material) *V

‫ ؞‬mAMC = 1.19656 kg
(mCr-V-mAMC)
‫؞‬Percentage mass reduction = *100%
mCr-V
(3.5674325 - 1.19656)
= *100%
3.5674325

= 66.4586 %

35
 CONCLUSIONS

In this work, two different materials were studied and the following inferences were made.

 Weight Reduction

One of the properties a Material Matrix composite offers is reduced weight. The overall
density of Material Matrix composite is lesser than the conventional material (Chrome
Vanadium Steel) being used. Therefore, for a given volume the mass of Material Matrix
composite used is also lesser than Chrome Vanadium Steel. It was found that the weight was
reduced by as much as 66.4586% with the use of MMC. This helps in overall weight
reduction of the vehicle, thereby increasing the fuel efficiency.

 Stiffness

Stiffness is the ratio of load applied to deflection that occurs in the suspension spring. For the
load of 1250 Newton, the stiffness increased from 54.463 N/mm in Chrome Vanadium Steel
made spring to 120.018 N/mm in Material Matrix composite made spring. This increased
stiffness is helpful in Race Cars. As you work with the added aero of a race car, it's going to
start pushing itself lower to the ground. A stiff suspension will make sure it's pushed exactly
where it needs to go.

 Cost

The Cost may slightly increase because of raw materials and labour required. But the above-
mentioned positive factors weigh more than the drawback of increased cost.

Lastly MMCs have better fatigue resistance which ensure longer life for the springs. Higher
stiffness to density ratio.

36
 REFERENCES

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Journal of Engineering Research and Applications 2, (6) 513-522.
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13. Boron Carbide (B4C) Reinforced Aluminium Matrix Composites (AMCs) Article in
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