ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines a procedure for an efficient way of modelling sandwich type steel-rubber-steel components with high accuracy. Rubber is widely used in combination with metal constructions to achieve damping and thereby reducing noise and vibration levels. A common and efficient configuration for reducing vibrations is that of a thin rubber layer bounded to a vibrating shell structure and constrained by a cover metal layer. This configuration is commonly denoted constrained damping layer. The chapter presents an accurate and efficient procedure for modelling of viscoelastic rubber layers constrained by bounding shell structures. A linear viscoelastic constitutive model reflects well the character of a Nitrile based rubber used in constrained layer damping applications. The rubber used in the study is a "Nitrile" type rubber. The Finite Element modelling of sandwich constructions is simplified using five degree-of-freedom per node interphase elements.
