The shock absorption performance of a rubber wheel is closely related to its internal layered structural design. This relationship is reflected in the optimization of material properties, structural layout, and energy transfer paths. The core of a rubber wheel's shock absorption relies on the elastic properties of the rubber material itself, while the layered internal structure further amplifies these properties through multi-layered combinations, forming a synergistic shock absorption mechanism.
The elasticity of rubber is the foundation of its shock absorption performance. When a rubber wheel is impacted by a road surface, the rubber molecular chains absorb kinetic energy through the deformation process of coiling and stretching, converting mechanical energy into heat energy or elastic potential energy. This molecular-level energy dissipation mechanism gives the rubber wheel its initial shock absorption capability. However, the deformation range of a single rubber layer is limited, and it is prone to fatigue damage under high-frequency or high-intensity impacts. Therefore, a layered structural design is needed to overcome the performance limitations of the material itself.
The core logic of the layered internal structural design lies in achieving gradient optimization of shock absorption performance through the combination of different functional layers. Taking a car tire as an example, its typical layered structure includes the tread, steel belt layer, ply layer, and sidewall. The tread, as the layer directly in contact with the road surface, uses a highly wear-resistant, low-heat-generating rubber compound. Its surface pattern design disperses impact force and enhances water drainage. The steel belt layer, through the cross-arrangement of high-strength steel wires, maintains tire shape stability while transferring some impact energy to the ply layer. The ply layer, as the main load-bearing skeleton, is composed of materials such as polyester fiber or nylon. Its multi-layered winding structure disperses stress and prevents localized overload. The sidewall, as the softest layer, uses a low-modulus rubber compound, absorbing lateral forces through significant deformation and reducing vibration during vehicle cornering. This layered design gives the tire independent shock absorption capabilities in the vertical, lateral, and longitudinal directions, forming a three-dimensional energy buffer system.
The layered design also improves shock absorption performance by optimizing the energy transfer path. When a tire encounters an obstacle, the tread first deforms, transferring the impact energy to the steel belt layer. The belt layer converts some of the energy into heat through the elastic deformation of the steel wires, while the remaining energy is further dispersed through the fiber stretching of the ply layer. Finally, the flexible rubber layer on the sidewall absorbs residual vibrations, preventing them from being transmitted to the rim and vehicle body. This multi-stage energy attenuation mechanism allows the tire to differentiate its response to vibrations of different frequencies and amplitudes. For example, high-frequency, low-amplitude vibrations are primarily absorbed by molecular friction in the tread rubber, while low-frequency, high-amplitude vibrations are absorbed by macroscopic deformation on the sidewall.
Furthermore, the layered design enhances the stability of shock absorption performance through the complementarity of material combinations. For instance, in industrial rubber wheels, the outer layer uses high-hardness rubber to resist wear and cuts, the middle layer uses medium-hardness rubber to balance support and elasticity, and the inner layer is filled with low-hardness rubber or foam to absorb impacts. This gradient hardness design allows the rubber wheel to significantly improve its impact resistance while maintaining its load-bearing capacity. Meanwhile, chemical bonds are formed between different layers through vulcanization, preventing energy loss caused by interlayer slippage and ensuring the durability of damping performance.
From an application perspective, the flexibility of the layered design allows it to adapt to diverse damping needs. In robot wheel systems requiring high-precision control, the rubber wheel may employ a composite structure of thin-layered, highly elastic rubber and a metal skeleton to achieve micron-level vibration isolation; while in the drive wheels of heavy-duty transportation equipment, a combination of multiple layers of thick rubber and fiber reinforcement layers may be used to maintain damping while bearing loads of several tons. The essence of this design philosophy lies in transforming the performance limits of a single material into system-level performance advantages through structural layering.
There is a profound causal relationship between the damping performance of the rubber wheel and its internal layered structural design. Layered design not only amplifies the elastic advantages of the rubber material itself but also constructs a highly efficient damping system through functional differentiation, energy grading, and material complementarity. This design concept not only improves the adaptability of the rubber wheel under complex working conditions but also provides a key technological path for the development of high-performance rubber products.
