Author(s)

Y. Deger

Abstract

Shape Optimisation of an elastomer pressure transducer by means of new software tools Y. Deger Sulzer Markets & Technology Ltd, Sulzer Innotec, Winterthur, Switzerland Abstract A pressure transducer of a security device in form of a fine membrane consisting of rubber / elastomer material exhibits hyperelastic hysteretic material behaviour. It must sustain practically an unlimited number of perpetual loading and unloading without any damage. To ensure this reliability it is of crucial importance that the stresses are distributed as homogenous as possible and remain under a certain allowable level during the whole operational cycle, which imposes considerable pressure and large displacements on the membrane structure. Due to inherent nonlinearities it is practically not straight forward to predict the optimal shape for such a membrane fullfilling the conditions mentioned above. A step by step optimisation approach by means of several measurements on many prototypes of the final

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