Investigation of New Scratch Method for Automotive Interior and Exterior Parts

Customer's expectations are increasing in the competitive automotive market. In an effort to enhance marketability, interior and exterior trim parts that are comprised of plastic, paints, and films are being assessed for scratch and scuff durability. There are many different methods used inside and outside the automotive industry to determine the performance of these materials. However, the majority of these methods do not correlate the performance of the material to the customer's expectations. This paper reviews existing scratch/scuff methods and advancements in scratch/scuff performance test methodology from analyzing driver and passenger zones, customer expectations, and part design.