Alternative energy sources for mobility including Natural Gas, Battery Modules and multiple types of Fuel Cells create nontraditional mounting schemes that need to perform as “flexible fasteners”.
- Dissimilar thermal expansion rates
- Large physical size/shape hole tolerance challenges
- Severe twisting and non-uniform road input accommodations
Thermal Expansion
The challenge with thermal expansion is the physical size of the alternative energy sources and the dissimilar thermal expansion rates that can create extremely high attachment point stresses.
Tolerance Challenges
Many of the alternative energy source are mounted across the frame rails or along the rails that require flexible attachment points to accommodate large tolerances, while still maintaining a “safetied” attachment.
Severe Road Inputs
Large battery modules and tanks can be severally damaged or leak from large non uniform road inputs including severe twist ditch type deflections. Elastomeric mounts can reduce these localized stresses.
The Solution!
Elastomeric/Rubber mounts can serve as “flexible fasteners” to mitigate thermal expansion, increased tolerances and large deflection inputs. In addition, they protect sensitive electronics by isolating random and predicted/expected shock and vibration inputs. Some examples are listed below.
Examples
Natural Gas tanks mounted to Class 7/8 truck rails
Frame Twist Events
Tolerance Accomodation, Safetied Attachment and Vibration Isolation Loading
Hutchinson is a leading supplier of shock, vibration, and motion accommodation to the global transportation market. We have been safely and securely mounting customers' payloads for 75 years. Bring us your problems and let us help you find a solution.