The Importance of Sealing Pass-Through Locations Via the Front of Dash Barrier Assembly

An improvement in a vehicle's front of dash barrier assembly's acoustical performance has in the past been addressed by both adding individual absorbers and increasing the overall weight of the dash sound barrier assembly. Depending upon the target market of the vehicle, adding mass may not be an option for improved acoustical performance. Understanding the value of an increase in vehicle mass and / or cost for a specific level of improved acoustical performance continues to plague both Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Engineers and Purchasing representatives. This paper examines the importance of properly sealing the front of dash pass-through areas and offers recommendations which can improve the overall vehicle acoustical performance without the addition of cost and mass to the vehicle. It also examines how the acoustical performance of an engineering change can be determined and relates this performance to a Value Statement in an effort to assist the engineering community in judging the overall value of this engineering change.