DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF LEAF SPRING

REVIEW I
MEE305

DESIGN PROJECT
GUIDED BY :- Prof.
SENTHILNATHAN N.
AKSHAY TRIVEDI
(13BME0500)
SUBMITTED BY
ADARSH JOSHI
(13BME0469)

INDEX

Abstract

Introduction

Literature Review

Proposed Methodology

Modeling and Analysis

Parameter Study

Conclusion

References

Leaf springs are one of the oldest suspension

components they are still frequently used, especially incommercial
vehicles. The automobile industry has shown increased interest in
the replacement of steel spring with fiber glass composite leaf
spring due to high strength to weight ratio. Composite materials are
one of the material families which are attracting researchers and
being solutions of such issue. multi leaf. This work deals with
replacement of conventional steel leaf spring of a light commercial
vehicle with composite leaf spring using composite. Dimensions of
the composite leaf spring are to be taken as same dimensions of the
conventional leaf spring. The objective is to compare the load
carrying capacity, stresses and weight savings of composite leaf
spring with that of steel leaf spring. The finite element modeling and
analysis of a multi leaf spring has to be carried out. The Theoretical
and analytical results are compared for validation.
ABSTRACT

:-

INTRODUCTION
Weight reduction has been the main focus of automobile manufacturers in
the present scenario. The replacement of steel with optimally designed
composite leaf spring can provide 92% weight reduction. Moreover the
composite leaf spring has lower stresses compared to steel spring. All
these will result in fuel saving which will make countries energy
independent because fuel saved is fuel produced.
Leaf springs are mainly used to absorb shock loads in automobiles like
motor vehicles, heavy duty trucks and in rail systems. Leaf springs are
also known as laminated or carriage springs.

LITERATURE REVIEW
A leaf spring is a simple form of springs commonly used for the suspension
in wheeled vehicles. A leaf spring takes the form of a slender arc -shaped length
of spring steel of rectangular cross-section. The center of the arc provides location
for the axle, while tie holes are provided at either end for attaching to the vehicle
body. For very heavy vehicles, a leaf spring can be made from several leaves
stacked on top of each other in several layers, often with progressively shorter
leaves.
A more modern implementation is the parabolic leaf spring. This design is
characterized by fewer leaves whose thickness varies from center to ends
following a parabolic curve . In this design, inter-leaf friction is unwanted, and
therefore there is only contact between the springs at the ends and at the center
where the axle is connected.
The automobile industry has shown increased interest in the use of composite leaf
spring in the place of conventional steel leaf spring due to its high strength to
weight ratio. The introduction of composite materials has made it possible to
reduce the weight of the leaf spring without any reduction in load carrying
capacity and stiffness.

S.No.

REMARKS
Design and analysis of composite leaf spring wrt steel
leaf spring in terms of reducing weight and increasing
Design and analysis of leaf
Pankaj Saini, Ashish Goel,
the damping capacity using AUTO CAD 2012 and
spring for light vehicles
Dushyant Kumar(2013)
ANSYS 9.0
Modelling and Analysis of
Comparative analysis of conventional steel leaf spring is
Composite Leaf Spring under the
done with a virtual model of a composite leaf spring
Static Load Condition by using
under static load condition only using Pro-E (Wild Fire)
FEA
M. M. Patunkar, D. R. Dolas (2011) 5.0 and ANSYS 10.0
Analysis and Modification of Leaf
Spring of Tractor Trailer Using
Deals with the things that are needed to be improved in
Analytical and Finite Element
Prof. N.P.Dhoshi , Prof .N.K.INGOLE a tractor leaf spring as reducing no. of leaves ,cost
Method
, Prof.U.D.GULHANE
reduction etc. using FEM analysis done in ANSYS 11.0
Static and Modal Analysis of Leaf
Focuses on the frequency of the composite leaf spring
Spring with Eyes Using FEA
wrt steel leaf spring and also the strength to weight
Packages
Y.Venu , G.Diwakar (2013)
ratio using dynamic analysis in ANSYS
Analysis of different composite material wrt to steel and
Static and Dynamic analysis on
each other to find the von mises
composite leaf spring in heavy B.Vijaya Lakshmi, I.
stresses,displacement,and the frequency to choose a
vehicle
Satyanarayana
better one using Pro-e and COSMOS
Performance analysis of steel
leaf spring with composite leaf
Static loading is done to get a better material than
spring fabrication of composite V Pozhilarasu and T
conventional leaf spring by unigraphics NX4 and ANSYS
leaf spring
Parameshwaran Pillai
11.0

Performance and comparision of

Comparision between a comosite leaf spring and
conventional and composite leaf V.POZHILARASU and Dr.
conventional is done to check the parameters like
spring
T.PARAMESHWARAN PILLAI (2012) weight,stress deflection by unigraphics NX4 and ANSYS

3
4

RESEARCH PAPER TOPIC

AUTHOR

ANALYSIS OF LEAF SPRINGS IN

LIGHT AUTOMOTIVEVEHICLES BY
EXPERIMENTAL AND FINITE
S.W.Burande, G.R.Chavhan,Dr.
ELEMENT
L.P.Dhole (2014)

Design constraints are deflection and bending stresses

to compare the taken leaf spring
Design and analysis of composite E Glass/Epoxy is done
Design and Analysis of ESushilB.Chopade, Prof.K.M.Narkar, in comparison with steel leaf spring to reduce the
Glass/Epoxy Composite Monoleaf Pratik K Satav (2015)
weight and the load carrying capacity using CATIA V5
9 Spring for Light Vehicle
AND ANSYS 14.5
Performance Analysis of Two
Jadhav Mahesh V, Zoman
Mono Leaf Spring Used For
Digambar B, Y R Kharde, R R
10 Maruti 800 Vehicle
Kharde
Staic analysis using Pro-E and ANSYS
8

PROPOSED METHODOLOGY
For carrying out analysis, the leaf spring is to be constructed.
SOLIDWORKS 2013 is the software used to construct and
design the leaf spring. This leaf spring is then analyzed using
ANSYS software where first we steel as the material for the
leaf spring to represent the conventional leaf springs and then
its material is changed to glass fiber to represent the composite
leaf springs. After the necessary operations are performed the
leaf spring is also simulated in SOLIDWORKS based on the
same above mentioned parameters. This is followed by a
comparative study between the two sets of results obtained.
Inference and conclusion is then drawn out based on the same.

MODELLING AND ANALYSIS

For modelling the spring, the dimensions of a conventional leaf spring of a light
weight commercial vehicle are chosen. Since the leaf spring is symmetrical about
the neutral axis only half of the leaf spring is modelled by considering it as a
cantilever beam and a uniformly distributed load is applied over the ineffective
length of the leaf spring in the upward direction.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Total length of the

spring
Total no. of full length
leafs
No. of graduated leafs
Thickness of leaf
Width of leaf spring
Maximum load given
Weight of leaf spring

980 mm
1
6
6 mm
50 mm
4000 N
10.23 Kg

ROBLEM FORMULATION:

main problem occurs that in a conventional steel leaf spring is the wei
el ,the damping properties that creates main problem in a leaf spring. S
ng to use a composite leaf spring that has good strength to weight ratio
ping properties. So we will will do a static loading analysis to get the defl
ding stresses and displacement.

SPECIFICATIONS

Length of the spring (Eye to Eye)

1200mm
Free Camber (At no load condition)
200mm
No. of full length leaves
1
No. of graduated leaves
6
Thickness of leaf
6mm
Width of leaf spring

REFERENCES

www.youtube.com
www.ijert.org
Design Data Book for Engineers (PSG College of
Technology)
R.S Khurmi , V.B Bhandari
auto.howstuffworks.com
www.researchgate.net
slideshare.com
www.ijest-ng.com

Thank
You
Thank You