New damping systems

The Gaiker Technology Centre, member of the IK4 technological platform, has carried out in collaboration with ANTEC, S.A. and TENNECO a technological research project to manufacture a new range of ecological shock absorbers able to provide major security level and comfort to drivers and users of vehicles and to improve their competitiveness from traditional products.

The importance of this project is that it increases substantially the security of vehicles, by improving damping through the use of magnetoreological materials, which reduce the braking distance and increase the grip to the road surface during the braking. The new damping system is adapted to the different characteristics of the surface. That way a vehicle that is provided with this system can be adapted to different types of road surface and land.

During the project, GAIKER has developed various magnetoreological fluids that vary their viscosity proportionally depending on a magnetic field. That way, when this type of fluid is applied in a shock absorber the suspension it offers varies increasingly or instantly, depending on the characteristics of the road surface detected by the sensors integrated in the vehicle.

On the other side, the company ANTEC, S.A. (Application of new technologies) designs and manufactures magnetic systems, and has done the design and manufacturing of the magnetic sensors built in the shock absorber, which will vary the viscosity of reological material. As for TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE IBERICA, S.A. (shock absorbers manufacturer) is concerned, has designed and manufactured the type of shock absorber to be used with this kind of magnetoreological materials.