Vibration Characteristics of Al6061-SiC Metal Matrix Composite based Rubber Mount for I.C Engine Chassis

Vibrations are found to be dangerous and reduce the life and reliability of the vehicle. The studies were carried out by many researchers to stiff the structures by increasing the wall thickness of the plates, rubber and to minimize the vibration by increasing the damping coefficient of the rubber materials. The conventional materials indicate an improvement in stiffness, but not satisfying the requirements of the engine vibration at different speed and load standards and also increased the mass of the structure. This research on the engine mount vibration isolation aims at developing an alternative material for the structures which exhibit good damping and stiffness characteristics. In terms of properties such as chemical resistance, ease of production, high strength to weight ratio and damping, composite materials are increasingly used in many engineering application where the vibration is predominant. In this paper, the steel plates are replaced by Al6061-SiC Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) and studies are carried out on the engine mount made of Al6061 MMC structural material and integrated with rubber. The static and dynamic properties of the Al6061MMC-rubber mounts are determined using experimental investigations. The harmonic analysis is also carried out to test the damping characteristics of the mounts.