Application of a Novel Noise-Reduction Material to Reduce Squeak Noise in Automotive Instrument Panels

In recent years, driven by increasing consumer demands for vehicle aesthetics and perceived quality, automotive instrument panels (IPs) have extensively adopted materials with poor friction compatibility, such as chrome-plated strips and synthetic leather. Concurrently, the engineering requirement for tighter matching gaps between components has significantly escalated the risk of friction noise. Traditional mitigation strategies—such as material substitution, increasing gap clearances, or applying physical isolation—are often difficult to implement due to design constraints, rendering the IP a critical high-risk zone for abnormal noise. This paper proposes a methodology to mitigate squeak noise between polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC/ABS) and its mating counterparts by modifying the viscoelastic characteristics of the PC/ABS base material through the addition of a specialized polymer. Furthermore, a neural network model was established to objectively determine the noise compatibility of these materials. Evaluations of the material compatibility before and after modification demonstrate that adding a specific proportion of the special polymer to PC/ABS significantly improves its friction compatibility with materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) skin. The efficacy of this solution was confirmed through application and verification in a mass-production vehicle.