Engineering with Rubber: An Introduction

Instructors: R. J. Del Vecchio and Frank Andrews

April 28-29, 2008

Each day is from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (lunch on your own).

This two-day seminar will introduce engineers and others to the basics of elastomeric materials and their use as an engineering material.

Day 1: Rubber as an Engineering Material

• What are polymers and how do they behave?
• What are elastomers and how do they differ from plastics?
• What are rubber compounds?
• What are the standard characteristics of rubber?
• How is rubber processed to make a product?
• What is the sometimes essential boding process?
• What are the engineering properties of flexing, environmental resistance and life as related to rubber?
• What are the dynamic properties of stress/strain responses and test methods as related to rubber?
• How do you know when you have optimum quality?
• What do (and don't) specifications mean?

Day 2: Product Design Considerations

• Introduction to Design Applications
  • Rubber as an Engineering Material
  • Vibration Isolation/Shock Absorption
  • Load Bearing Applications
  • Seals
• Dynamic Mechanical Properties
  • Stiffness
  • Incompressibility and Shape Factor
  • Linear v. Non-Linear - Linear/Stiffening/Buckling (Softening)
  • Modulus - Frequency/Strain/Temperature
  • Damping Definitions and Transmissibility
  • Compression Set/Drift/Relaxation
• Component Design
  • Shear Mount and Bending Effects
  • Compression Mount
  • Tube Form - Radial/Torsional/Cocking
  • Parallel v. Serial Mountings
  • Use of Shims in Laminates
  • Inclined Mountings
  • Internal Heat Generation
  • Fatigue Considerations
• Vibration Isolation
  • Focalized Systems
• Shock Isolation
  • Dynamic Environments
  • Practical Design Details
  • Design for Uniform Stress
  • Dimensional Tolerances
  • Installation
  • Causes of Failure
• Typical Mountings
• Flexible Couplings
• Seals

Instructor Biographies

Frank Andrews, PE, President of SVS-Engineering, Inc. in Reading, MA

Mr. Andrews has more than 36 years experience in the fields of shock, vibration, structureborne noise and seismic control, including 24 years experience in the design of elastomer and metallic components to control the effects of these environments.

His experience in these fields includes six years in Sound and Vibration at general Dynamics’ Electric Boat Division, with responsibility for critical propulsion components on nuclear submarines. He spent thirteen years at Barry Controls in various capacities in Military Project Engineering and Materials and Processes. He was Engineering Manager for ten years at Korfund Dynamics, Vibration Mountings and Controls and Aeroflex International, responsible for the design of elastomer, spring and cable mounts for Industrial, Commercial and Military applications. He was Senior Engineer for three years at Fabreeka International, designing pneumatic isolation systems and elastomer isolation systems for Industrial applications. He is President of SVS-Engineering, providing consulting services in the areas of shock, vibration, structureborne noise and noise control.

Frank earned a BSME from Tufts University, and an MSME from the University of Connecticut. He is a Licensed Engineer in thirteen states. He is author of the Chapter on Vibration Isolation in the Electrical Generating Systems Association’s On-Site Power Generation: A Reference Book, and is the author of additional papers on shock and vibration.

R. J. Del Vecchio of Technical Consulting Services in Raleigh, NC

After a career in the rubber industry that began in 1965 with a summer job at DuPont before graduate school and, after a few years off for military service, continued with companies such as B F Goodrich, United Technologies, Lord, and Barry Controls, Del founded a fulltime consulting service in late 1990. Much of his work is based on his long history of experience with engineering applications of rubber, as well as the normal technical skills involved in compounding and processing a wide variety of elastomers. In addition, he has become an enthusiastic user of, and instructor in, Statistical Process Control and Design of Experiments, especially as those methodologies apply to the polymer industries.

He has published numerous technical papers at American Chemical Society meetings, has appeared in the trade literature both here and overseas, and has authored several chapters in technical books, on topics such as rubber testing, SPC for the mixing operation, and basic rubber technology. In 1976 he organized the first symposium sponsored by a local rubber group on Engineering with Rubber, and has continued to be involved with educational activities for the ACS Rubber Division and other institutions ever since. His consulting practice was originally based in the molded goods field, including materials development and process optimization, but he expanded his services into the areas of statistical analyses, test development, failure analysis, acting as an Expert Witness, and giving frequent courses in Design of Experiments methodology.

He has been married for 34 years, and enjoys photography and motorcycling when not immersed in business or his involvement in veteran-related activities. His book on practical application of Design of Experiments in the rubber and plastics industries, sponsored by SPE, was released by Hanser Press late in 1997, sold out, was reprinted in April 1999, March 2000, and again in February 2005. He has since published A Beginner’s Guide to Rubber Technology (October 2001) and edited Fundamentals of Rubber Technology for the Rubber Division, ACS (March 2003), and is presently working on an expanded revision of his text on Design of Experiments.