Heavy truck manufacturers need to use materials that can withstand immense amounts of abuse over hundreds of thousands of miles. Radiator mounts are crucial for securing the radiator, and these mounts are typically made of rubber because it is the best material for absorbing shock and vibration. However, truck companies have a common problem with rubber mounts burning up from high duty cycles over prolonged periods of time.
Problems with Rubber Radiator Mounts
All rubber materials get warm to the touch when flexed repeatedly. This is due to the hysteretic damping inherent in rubber materials. The higher the internal temperature rise, the lower the fatigue life. General purpose, damped rubber materials simply cannot withstand the intense amount of high energy inputs that the radiator sees over prolonged periods of time. Their damping properties cause them to build up internal heat and ultimately fail. This is also a common problem with engine mounts. This becomes costly and involves time that must be invested in replacing parts. However, this problem can be solved by replacing your rubber mounts with mounts made of DuraFlex®, an easily moldable natural rubber blend. DuraFlex® vibration mounts have an extremely low damping ratio and therefore lack many of the drawbacks associated with regular natural rubber.The Solution: No Internal Temperature Rise with DuraFlex®
No matter how much shock and vibration it endures, Duraflex® builds up negligible internal heat. In fact, it has been shown to have an internal temperature rise of 0°F on the Goodrich Flexometer test, a test used to predict fatigue life. On the other hand, a typical general-purpose natural rubber has a temperature rise of 12-14°F. Long-life rubber blends fare a little better with a temperature rise of 6°F, but this is no comparison to DuraFlex®’s complete lack of temperature rise.
If you’re experiencing durability issues or are incurring costs replacing engine or radiator mounts when they burn up, it is time to consider a change of material. Engine mounts should last the entire life of the engine, which is about 1,000,000 miles, but traditional rubber mounts fail by about 500,000 miles. Truck manufacturers should therefore choose materials that are known to be long-lasting. DuraFlex® is affordable and is the longest-life material available for shock and vibration applications.
You may also be interested in:
- ArmorFlex® Anti-Vibration Mounts: Rugged, fail-safe mounts with two spring rates
- SquishyFlex® Ant-Vibration Mounts: Heavy duty, fail-safe mounts with three spring rates
Polymer Technologies supplies additional materials for heavy truck manufacturers including acoustical barrier floor mats, cab insulation, custom molded foam, die-cut foam, and high performance hoses.
