As revealed from J. D. Power surveys, today most vehicle owners consider perceived quality as a direct indicator of the vehicle build quality and durability. [5] The problem has become more prominent and noticeable in recent times, due to the desire for reduced cost, reduced weight targets, aesthetic demands, and crash requirements. The performance of the door assembly when subjected to an abuse load of sag and over opening is one such perceived quality indicator which gives the customer the first impression about the engineering and build quality of the vehicle.
Door hinge inclination and hinge contact flushness tolerance are the major design parameters affecting this performance. Although these are an important design parameter, the precise quantification of the effect of these design parameters on door performance under abuse loading has remained somewhat elusive. Traditionally, this assessment was done using physical testing, thumb rules and best practices rather than using computer aided techniques. However with the automotive industry moving towards higher durability targets, reduced product cycle time and lower design costs, the need for virtual simulation has increased.
The scope of this paper includes, study of load distribution on the top and bottom hinge pair of the door under over opening abuse load due to hinge contact flushness tolerance and the effect of change in door axis inclination on the door performance under door sag abuse loading. The Finite Element Modelling (FEM) techniques, boundary conditions and the interpretation of the changes in design parameters on the door assembly performance under sag and over opening loading are detailed in the subsequent discussion.