MR Suspensions for Military and Defense Vehicles


	LORD MR Damper

Military tactical and combat vehicles are being used in more demanding conditions than ever before, and traditional suspensions are struggling to keep up with these changing conditions. Our magneto-rheological (MR) suspension technology provides a solution to these challenges, enabling new levels of performance in military primary suspension systems.

Unlike traditional passive suspensions with fixed characteristics, our controllable MR suspensions react to vehicle and terrain conditions thousands of times per second, allowing the suspension to adapt its characteristics to the situation. This provides improved dynamic stability over passively damped systems, which can provide significant benefits, including:

Reduced risk of roll-over
Improved maneuverability and safe driving speed
Reduced occupant fatigue and equipment shock due to vibration
Reduced wear and tear on suspension and drivetrain components (particularly in applications where the vehicle is loaded at or beyond the design Gross Vehicle Weight)

System Flexibility

Our MR technology is incredibly flexible. Our MR suspensions are well-suited for a wide range of military applications, from lightweight tactical vehicles to line-haul tractors to tracked combat vehicles.

Our MR dampers typically do not need more space than a conventional damper, which means that MR systems can be retrofitted to existing vehicles or easily integrated into new production vehicles.

Beyond application flexibility, the system components can be tailored to the specific needs of a vehicle or manufacturer. Every LORD MR suspension has three key components: dampers, sensors and controller(s). These components can be configured in a variety of ways. For example, we have developed integrated dampers that include all three components in a single package, allowing for a simple system that can be easily integrated into an existing vehicle. We have also developed systems where the dampers, sensors and controllers are all discrete components; this configuration allows for easier repairs in the field.


System with External Sensor		System with Internal Sensor

LORD Suspension & MR Experience

LORD has extensive experience with controllable damping and vibration control. In the 1970s, our work on semi-active suspensions led to one of the first patents on


	LORD has extensive simulation capabilities

‘skyhook’ control, which is now incorporated into almost every controllable suspension. In addition to MR suspensions, we also have worked extensively with passive dampers, electro-rheological (ER) suspensions, servo-valve semi-active suspensions, and linear actuator fully-active suspensions. However, due to MR’s many advantages, we are focusing exclusively on MR technology for advanced military suspensions.

Our MR experience is unparalleled. Not only are we the only provider of commercial MR fluids, we are the largest manufacturer of MR devices and systems with more than 110 patents worldwide on MR fluids, devices and controls.

LORD MR technology has been demonstrated on multiple military vehicles, including HMMWV, Stryker, M915, and others. LORD Corporation’s MR Suspension technology has also recently been chosen by the U.S. Office of Naval Research for a Science & Technology demonstration for the JLTV program (see news sidebar).

Commercially Proven Technology

The durability and reliability of our MR technology has been thoroughly proven in Delphi’s MagneRide® system. LORD MR fluid is at the heart of the MagneRide system, which brings unparalleled suspension performance to commercial automobiles.


	Delphi's MagneRide Damper

First introduced on the 2002 Chevrolet Corvette, the system now appears on more than a dozen models from a wide range of manufacturers including Audi, Ferrari, GM, Honda and Holden.
The rapid acceptance of the technology by a wide range of manufacturers, on everything from high-performance sports cars to SUVs, shows the confidence that the industry
has in MR technology’s performance, flexibility and reliability.

In addition to Delphi’s system, our MR technology has enabled a variety of commercial devices.
For example, we manufacture MR steer-by-wire systems for:

Industrial and marine applications – our MR technology is used to provide steering feedback and resistance.
Agriculture/construction/truck applications using secondary-suspension products.

Other proven applications of our MR technology include controllable mounts, fan clutches, AWD clutches and crash-protection systems.

Learn more on the history and application of MR technology.