Affiliations: Department of Robotics and Mechatronics, AGH
University of Science and Technology, Kraków, Poland
Note: [] Corresponding author: Department of Robotics and Mechatronics,
AGH University of Science and Technology, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059
Kraków, Poland. Tel./Fax: +48 12 634 3505; Tel.: +48 12 617 3511; E-mails:
[email protected], [email protected]
Abstract: One of the important challenges present nowadays in the automotive
industry is minimizing of a car components design time. Traditional
manufacturing of a prototype is usually a time and a cost consuming process.
Alternatively, rapid prototyping techniques can be used in such a case. In the
reported research a brake caliper was investigated, since it is an example of
an element, which should have very strictly defined structural dynamic
properties. As a technique of rapid prototyping of the considered caliper the
3D printing of a mould was selected. A process of the caliper casting with the
use of the "prototype" mould is different than the one with the use of the
metal form. Thus it is very likely that the both considered types of the
caliper would possess different properties from the point of view of structural
dynamics. Structural dynamic properties can be analyzed both numerically and
experimentally. Simulation of the caliper FE model with uncertain parameters
was used to analyze influence of various caliper parameters on its natural
frequency values. Modal testing of the caliper was performed with the aim of
investigation of applicability of Experimental Modal Analysis for determination
of variability of natural frequencies resulting from the manufacturing process.
In the course of this research, the natural frequencies of the prototype
caliper and the standard caliper were compared.
Keywords: Structural dynamics, finite element modelling, experimental modal analysis, variability of structural properties, rapid prototyping
