Effects of the dimensional and geometrical tolerances on the kinematic and dynamic performances of the Rzeppa ball joint

Abstract

In this paper the influences of some relevant dimensional and geometrical errors on both the kinematic performance and the dynamic performance of an automotive Rzeppa ball joint were investigated. The study focused on the development of a dedicated and improved multi-body three-dimensional model of the joint and the corresponding numerical simulations of different configurations. The model is able to manage the presence of the redundant constraints which are present in the joint architecture because of the use of spring connections between parts which replace most of the kinematic constraints or geometrical contact conditions. Three types of error were investigated, and both kinematic irregularities and dynamic irregularities are reported in graphs and discussed. The effects of different articulation angles between the inner ring and the outer ring were also investigated.