No abstract

Functionality and design of mechanical springs are simple and limited due to manufacturing constraints of conventional fabrication methods being used for making helical and wave springs. In recent era, design for additive manufacturing has proven its great worth to design and manufacture optimal, complex as well as intricate structures with better mechanical and lightweigting properties. This study aims to investigate the mechanical behaviour of functionally gradient wave springs as a function of variation in thickness and morphology of each wave. Functionally gradient wave springs incorporated with different morphology and cross-sections including circular, rectangular and combination of both were designed and printed by keeping mass and height constant to investigate their mechanical properties. Loading-unloading experimentation were conducted within the elastic range ( 90 % of compressible distance) in order to study energy absorption/loss, load-bearing capacity and stiffness of all designs. The experimental results were validated by nite element anaylsis by providing the identical boundary conditions of experimental setup. The results revealed that the stiffness of wave spring having rectangular cross-section is increased signi cantly while energy absorption is almost 90 % increased due to circular cross-section of waves. Overall, the design with combination of round and rectangular crosssectional waves has better stiffness and energy absorption properties. For further investigation of mechanical properties due to variation in cross-section of waves, more designs including semi-circular and lleted waves, were designed and nite element of those showed that 786 N of load-bearing capacity is achieved in the wave spring having semicircular cross-section of waves which is double than the wave spring having variable circular cross-section of waves.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract