Plastic Support Plate for Exhaust Mounting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elastic suspensions for motor vehicle exhaust systems are heavy, costly, and prone to corrosion, with limited durability and increased weight due to metal components, and they fail to maintain effective damping properties under high temperatures and extreme loads.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight and cost-effective elastic suspension using a plastic support plate made of polyamide with glass fibers, coupled with an elastomer body such as silicone or EPDM rubber, which maintains damping performance and durability even at high temperatures, and eliminates the need for additional corrosion protection layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metal components are used in the elastic suspension, then strength and durability are improved, but weight increases and corrosion resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support plate is made from a composite material consisting of a plastic matrix (polyamide) reinforced with glass fibers. This composite structure provides high strength-to-weight ratio, achieving the required mechanical strength while significantly reducing the weight compared to traditional metal components. The glass fiber reinforcement prevents crack propagation and maintains structural integrity under thermal and mechanical loads.
2Strength
If metal components are used in the elastic suspension, then structural integrity is improved, but corrosion resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter from metal to plastic (polyamide), fundamentally altering the chemical properties of the support plate. Plastic materials are inherently resistant to corrosion from exhaust system fluids and environmental factors, eliminating the corrosion issue associated with metal components while maintaining structural integrity through appropriate material selection and design.
3Weight of moving object
If plastic material is used for the support plate, then weight is reduced and corrosion resistance is improved, but durability under high temperature deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The use of glass fiber-reinforced polyamide composite material enables the support plate to withstand high temperatures and extreme mechanical loads. The glass fibers provide thermal stability and prevent degradation of the plastic matrix at elevated temperatures, ensuring durability in the harsh exhaust system environment while maintaining the weight and corrosion resistance advantages of plastic materials.
4Ease of manufacture
If plastic material is used for the support plate, then production costs are reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes injection molding technology to manufacture the plastic support plate, which allows for high precision and complexity in the part geometry. Injection molding enables precise control of material flow, cooling rates, and dimensional tolerances, achieving manufacturing precision comparable to or better than metal fabrication methods while significantly reducing production costs through efficient mass production and elimination of secondary operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves a 40% reduction in weight, improved corrosion resistance, and extended service life with no significant wear damage under extreme conditions, while maintaining effective damping properties across various engine types.
Implementation Method 1
a damping part made from a rubber material, in particular from an ethylene-propylene-diene rubber
Implementation Method 2
an elastic suspension essentially consists of a carrier which elastically supports a holding bracket by means of a damping part
Implementation Method 3
Despite the high operating temperatures commonly encountered in exhaust systems, the inventor has found that a plastic material for the main beam can also be used for the support plate, which also provides a stable and durable elastic suspension for the exhaust system
Implementation Method 4
The support plate preferably consists of a polyamide matrix with glass fibers. Particularly good test results were achieved when a so-called polyamide 66 GF 35 with a proportion of 35% glass fibers was used for the support plate
Data Source
AI summary
The suspension (1) has a support plate (3) with two assembling positions at which the suspension is directly attached in a fixed manner to a motor vehicle body. A retainer is designed for holding an exhaust system, and elastomer bodies (5, 7) flexibly couple the retainer and the support plate, where the support plate is made of a plastic material, polyamide or thermosetting plastic. The bodies are made of silicone rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, and EPDM peroxide. A reinforcing sleeve is inserted into the assembling positions.