Automatic Detection of Buzz, Squeak and Rattle Events

In the world of BSR (Buzz, Squeak and Rattle) testing, there is a high level of sophistication regarding the test machines employed to excite the items under test as well as the techniques used to ensure that the test is representative of real-life operating conditions. However, the object of the measurements, i.e., the identification of transient acoustic events classified as Buzz, Squeak or Rattle, is mostly a subjective procedure with classification in terms of Sound Pressure Level in dB(A) or Stationary Loudness. These “standard” metrics have proven, in general, unreliable in assessing the importance of individual transient events, and inappropriate to describe the vehicle signature from a BSR standpoint. This paper presents a methodology that has been developed for the BSR test of a vehicle using a road simulator to:

1. 1
   Demonstrate the feasibility of an automated system of detection of BSR events that can replace the “subjective” detection
2. 2
   To establish “vehicle BSR” indices that can be used to assess design targets and specifications.