Variation in vehicle noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) response can be caused by variability in design (e.g. tolerance), material, manufacturing, or other sources of variation. Such variation in the vehicle response causes a higher percentage of produced vehicles with higher levels (out of specifications) of NVH leading to higher number of warranty claims and loss of customer satisfaction, which are proven costly. Measures must be taken to ensure less warranty claims and higher levels of customer satisfaction. As a result, original equipment manufacturers have implemented design for variation in the design process to secure an acceptable (or within specification) response. This paper focuses on aspects of design variations that should be considered in the design process of drivelines. Variations due to imbalance and runout in rotating components can be unavoidable or costly to control. Some of the major components in the vehicle that are known to have imbalance and traditionally cause NVH issues and concerns include the crankshaft, the drivetrain components (transmission, driveline, half shafts, etc.), and wheels. The purpose of this paper is to assess NVH as a result of driveline imbalance and runout variations and the methods that can be used to help design a more robust system to such variations.
