Simulating Clutch Facing Burst Resistance with Finite Element Analysis

Burst resistance is one of the few clutch facing characteristics where failure is immediate and total. If the facing bursts, the car does not drive off. That puts burst squarely in the safety, performance and lifetime bracket rather than the comfort bracket.

⚠️ The problem

Burst resistance has traditionally been established by spinning facings up until they fail. That works, but it tells you only the outcome. It does not show where the stress concentrates, how the material actually comes apart, or which design or process change would move the limit.

🔬 The approach

The central question behind this paper is whether the burst of a facing material can be predicted using the finite element method. The objective goes beyond a pass/fail number: the aim is a better understanding of the stress fields inside the facing and of the failure micromechanisms that govern it.

📊 What came out of it

The numerical predictions showed very good agreement with experimental burst tests, with a clear correlation between simulated and measured behaviour. That correlation is what makes the model trustworthy enough to use in decision making rather than only for illustration.

With a validated model, the stress field becomes visible before anything is built, and the failure mechanism can be reasoned about directly.

🏭 Why it matters

Once burst can be simulated, three levers open up at once: the raw materials, the manufacturing process, and the geometric design of the facing can all be evaluated against maximum resistance without a physical prototype for every iteration. The conclusion of the work is that FEA is a valuable method for facing material development, not merely a verification step at the end of it.

📄 Full publication

Gregori, I. R. S.; da Silva, D. P.; Donato, G. — Burst Resistance Simulation of Facing Material for Clutch Disc Based on Finite Element Analysis. SAE Technical Papers, September 2014.

Read the full publication on ResearchGate