Research on Application of Simulation Analysis Technology in Vulcanization Time Design of a Rubber Spring

This paper briefly describes the principles and methods of calculating the vulcanization time of rubber products using a traditional empirical method and a simulation analysis approach. A rubber auxiliary spring was used as an example, and its optimal vulcanization time was calculated via the two aforementioned strategies. The results from calculation were compared with and verified by experimental measurements of the swelling index and vertical stiffness of the products. The results demonstrate that the simulation analysis approach can better predict the curing degree of rubber and reduce the number of production trials and the cost of product development. This study provides a new research direction for subsequent engineering application of vulcanization process parameter design.