Ergonomic Concepts for Vibration Dampening Terminals

A common concern in automotive manufacturing is the ability to manually install components with lower insertion loads to reduce ergonomic issues. Automatic and manual shift systems use isolated rod ends that are installed manually by snapping onto a pin. The requirement loads to fully install these rod ends are constantly being reduced by the automakers. The problem is rod ends also have to meet a minimum load requirement for extraction from the pin. Typical rod end designs use a plastic outer housing with an inner core of softer material, such as polyurethane, to isolate for vibrations. While attempting to design the isolator to meet lower insertion loads the isolators often will not meet the required minimum load for extraction. One unique solution is to utilize other components, if available, to help in reaching the required insertion and extraction loads by designing special interfaces with multiple parts.