Shock absorbers in the vehicle ensure that the generated vibrations are rapidly damped to prevent the body riding up. The other purpose of shock absorbers is to optimally damp the wheel vibrations caused by excitation from the road surface, thus ensuring that the wheels remain in constant contact with the ground. In this way, the shock absorbers play an important part in ensuring ride comfort and safety, two criteria of major significance to customers.

 

ThyssenKrupp Bilstein Suspension develops and builds shock absorbers for virtually all applications in passenger cars and sport utility vehicles (SUV). In addition to passive 1-tube and 2-tube shock absorbers for axle damping and spring strut applications, our portfolio also includes adjustable damping systems permitting better resolution of the conflict between optimum driving safety and ride comfort.

 

Our product range:

 

Passive shock absorbers of mono-tube and dual-tube design, passive and semi-active adjustable damping systems, as well as damping systems with infinite or incremental electronic adjustment.

 

 

Mono-tube shock absorbers

The working cylinder is divided into two chambers by a working piston. As the piston moves, oil flows from one chamber to the other through the integrated damping valves in the piston. The oil volume displaced by the piston rod as it descends fills the gas chamber which is cut off from the oil by the moving piston.

 

  Advantages:

• Separation of oil and gas permits installation in any position

• Oil is prevented from foaming

• Small number of valves

• Good response through precise damping action, even at low amplitudes

 

Dual-tube shock absorbers

 

Dual-tube shock absorbers have two tubes. The working cylinder is located in the inner tube and is divided into two chambers by the working piston. The oil displaced by the piston rod fills an equalizing chamber between the inner and outer tubes. This equalizing chamber is connected to the working cylinder by the foot valve. The damping valves are normally located on the working piston for the extension stage and in the foot valve for the compression stage. A low-pressure gas area above the oil column in the equalization chamber ensures correct operation of the damper even at high temperatures.

 

  Advantages:

• Short overall length

• Low friction

• Outer tube can also accommodate attachments (spring plate, stabilizer brackets, …)

• Particularly suitable for McPherson spring struts

Design and tuning of the suspension and damping always necessitate a compromise between the criteria of importance to the customer, namely ride comfort on the one hand and driving safety and agility on the other.

 

DampMatic®:

• Passive amplitude-selective damper adjustment system

• Extends the piston rod assembly to include a DampMatic® module comprising the housing and DampMatic® piston

• At lower excitation amplitudes, the DampMatic® module permits a bypass to the main piston -> reduced characteristic, lower damping forces

• At higher excitation amplitudes, the DampMatic® piston reaches its limit position and closes the bypass -> high damping forces

• Installed as standard in Mercedes-Benz class A and B vehicles

  Advantages:

• Low-cost passive adjustment system

• No control device, no sensors

• Robust design, few components

ThyssenKrupp Bilstein Suspension supplies air suspension and damping modules. Air springs make it possible to vary the air pressure in the boots and set different vehicle heights. In addition to compensating levels in accordance with different degrees of loading, they also permit different aerodynamic or off-road positions. Increased spring rigidity due to higher pressure results in an intrinsic / built-up frequency that is more or less independent of load with simultaneously declining damping ratio. This negative effect can be compensated by using an adjustable vibration damper.

 

Where chassis control systems are concerned, a distinction is made between systems which only adjust the damping value and air suspension systems.

  System components for damping control:

• Adjustable dampers (actuators)

• Central electronic control unit (ECU) with control algorithms

• Sensors

System components for air suspension systems:

• Compressor

• Solenoid valve block

• Compressed air accumulator

• Air spring bellows

• Adjustable dampers

• Central electronic control unit (ECU) with control algorithms

• Sensors