Browse Topic: Interior molding and trim
This recommended practice describes two methods for determining the tendency of interior materials used in automobiles and other vehicles to (a) produce a light scattering deposit (fog) on a glass surface, or (b) produce a measurable deposit (mass) on aluminum foil.
Plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has many applications in automotive industry including electrical harnesses, door handles, seat and head rest covers, and instrument panel (IP) and other interior trim. In IP applications, the PVC skin plays a critical role in passenger airbag deployment (PAB) by tearing along the scored edge of the PAB door and allowing the door to open and the airbag to inflate to protect the occupant. As part of the IP, the PVC skin may be exposed to elevated temperatures and ultraviolet (UV) radiation during the years of the vehicle life cycle which can affect the PVC material properties over time and potentially influence the kinematics of the airbag deployment. Chemical and thermal aging of plasticized PVC materials have been studied in the past, yet no information is found on how the aging affects mechanical properties at high rates of loading typical for airbag deployment events. This paper compares mechanical properties of the virgin PVC-based IP skin material with the same material after it has been exposed to 110°C for 400h. Both, virgin and aged materials, were tested at three temperatures, viz. -30°C, 23°C and 85°C and at four strain rates ranging from 0.01/s to 100/s. Finally, effects of the aged material on the PAB deployment simulation are discussed.
Ergonomics plays an important role in automobile design to achieve optimal compatibility between occupants and vehicle components. The overall goal is to ensure that the vehicle design accommodates the target customer group, who come in varied sizes, preferences and tastes. Headroom is one such metric that not only influences accommodation rate but also conveys a visual perception on how spacious the vehicle is. An adequate headroom is necessary for a good seating comfort and a relaxed driving experience. Headroom is intensely discussed in magazine tests and one of the key deciding factors in purchasing a car. SAE J1100 defines a set of measurements and standard procedures for motor vehicle dimensions. H61, W27, W35, H35 and W38 are some of the standard dimensions that relate to headroom and head clearances. While developing the vehicle architecture in the early design phase, it is customary to specify targets for various ergonomic attributes and arrive at the above-mentioned dimensions. In general, specifications that relate to headroom are only a consequence of static assessments carried out inside a laboratory and not on real-time driving condition. The static assessment can be as simple as positioning a digital manikin in CAD environment and then specifying how high or low the interior trim of the headliner be to achieve a certain head clearance. In actual driving scenario, the vehicle would experience rough terrain. In such cases, the road undulations can displace the occupant from their normal seated position in effect reducing the head clearance. Therefore, it is important to understand this dynamic variance of head clearance on actual driving condition. Undertaking a volunteer test to study this variance comes with risk of endangering the participant and has other measurement related complexities. Hence, we adopt a simulation-based approach for the same using Human Body Models (HBMs) of different anthropometry, which are proven having high bio-fidelity. The aim of this study is to validate this hypothesis and develop a head envelope for drivers considering dynamic road conditions, thus enabling vehicle manufactures digitally evaluate head clearance during early development phase. A typical driving scenario with various vehicle speeds on different stochastic roads and braking conditions are simulated using MBS vehicle models and the acceleration signatures from the simulations are used to estimate the vertical lift of driver over the seat. The resulting displaced posture is compared with the normal driving posture and various head clearances are analyzed. The outcome of this work will help in validating and (or) updating the static head envelope and use it for specifying the headroom target for driver in the early phase of the vehicle design.
In the quest for sustainable materials for automotive interior trim, jute fiber is gaining traction due to its characteristics, which align with other renowned natural fibers. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of sodium bicarbonate as a treatment for jute fibers in comparison to conventional alkaline treatments. Both treated and untreated fibers were examined. Results showed that alkali-processed fibers demonstrated enhanced crystallization, thermal resistance, and surface quality relative to untreated ones. Specifically, alkali-treated jute fibers exhibited a degradation onset at 261.23°C, while those treated with sodium bicarbonate began degrading at 246.32°C. Untreated fibers had a degradation onset at 239.25°C. Although both treatments improved the thermal stability of the fiber, sodium bicarbonate processing, while beneficial, was slightly less effective than the traditional alkaline method. Overall, the research underscores the potential of sodium bicarbonate as an alternative treatment for fibrous materials, even if its efficacy is somewhat lesser than traditional methods. The findings offer insights into optimizing jute fiber for automotive interior trim applications.
When Ford first reintroduced the Ranger to North America in 2019, it was welcomed largely because of its revered nameplate. But outside of a lauded 2.3-L 4-cylinder turbo engine and an impressive array of options, there wasn't much to write home about. And critics downgraded the lineup for a spartan interior and having a ride that bounced passengers around. Ford says it built the 2024 Ranger lineup with that feedback in mind. And, for the enthusiast crowd, the yearned-for Ranger Raptor makes its loud debut with a 405-hp engine.
Automated-driving and ADAS functionalities continue to influence some of the latest cabin safety and materials trends. Evolving market realities have OEMs and automated-driving system developers adjusting once-aggressive timelines for deploying high-level driving automation. But new materials and safety technology for vehicle interiors continue to be influenced by advancing AV and ADAS functionalities. Regardless of how much driving automation is at play, vehicle cabins are evolving because of the possibilities - and challenges - automation and ADAS present. An array of launching or soon-to-arrive safety features, driver-information technology and materials innovations don't need AV applications as a reason for being, however. Drew Winter, Informa Tech Automotive's principal analyst - Cockpit of the Future, said that some of the feature and safety requirements of electric-vehicle and younger-demographic customers align with the technology directions for AVs and ADAS. New sustainable upholstery choices are a feature many current EV and young buyers desire, for example. Those same types of materials may also better address the durability and serviceability needs of automated shuttles and robotaxis.
This recommended practice is intended to provide general guidelines for the selection and proper use of cleaning and disinfecting product characteristics acceptable for use on vehicle interiors and exterior touch points (cleaning before disinfecting being best practice in general for vehicles, as with other situations), and the effectiveness of the disinfecting products with certain characteristics, as well as indicating the product characteristics that will not cause damage to those surfaces.
Squeak and Rattle are the most obnoxious noises, affecting the perceived quality of an automobile interior. Minimizing or eliminating these transient events poses a great challenge in vehicle construction as they are generally discovered late in the product development cycle. Identifying and quantifying these issues at the design and virtual validation stage is of prime importance. Current simulation methodologies estimate the occurrence of these events by measuring the relative displacement between the interacting parts. Solving this problem using linear simulations do not accurately reflect real-world non-linear mechanical behavior and most importantly, quantifying the noise caused by these impact events. Capturing a suitable impact behavior is essential along with the quantification of noise generated by these events is necessary for understanding the severity of the problem. This paper suggests a method based on non-linear impact analysis for quantifying the noise produced during a rattle event. To represent this rattle event a simplified geometry consisting of two plates was considered. Contacts were defined at the impact points, and a non-linear transient simulation was run with a sinusoidal load as the input. The impact forces were measured at the contact interfaces and then used to calculate the SPL using the Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) method at a suitable distance from the impacting event. In addition, a comparison study was performed to observe the effect of increase in excitation frequency. The implemented method would provide an advanced approach to assess noise produced due to impact, and it could be scaled up to undertake assessments for various sub-systems and vehicle assemblies, especially the interior trim parts to attenuate the noise generated by rattle events.
This test can be used to determine the resistance to crocking (color rub-off) of organic trim materials such as fabrics, vinyl coated fabrics, leather, coated fiberboard and carpet. This method is similar to AATCC Method 8 –Colorfastness to Crocking.
Sales of SUV and luxury cars on the largest market of the world - China - are growing at a high rate. The highways in large cities like Beijing or Shanghai are increasingly populated with cars from all over the world like Japan, USA, Europe and Korea and even some refined domestic brands. More than 10 million rich people can afford those cars and are skilled drivers. This huge group of potential consumers is targeted by luxury brand OEMs and by startup companies. It has been understood that these people have a high expectation of comfort. The twistbeam rear axle was replaced by multilink, double clutch transmissions were improved by comfort-mode drive programs, interior trims raised to Western standard performance levels, tyres specially developed for comfort in China, localized insulation materials and packages engineered to a one vehicle class higher level. The European avant-garde is capable of such high levels of complete vehicle NVH performance, whereas premium brands often compromise NVH with respect to high vehicle dynamics performance and passive safety requirements. Furthermore, the preference of Chinese consumers by long vehicles as a symbol of status and flaunting their riches, can also be consider a challenge for NVH performance. A longer wheelbase will require stiffer body and chassis structure to keep the ride comfort and squeak & rattle performance - to be more developed later on in the paper. At the same time Asian cars from Korea or Japan are sometimes outperforming the Europeans in terms of comfort. In future and in combination with the next evolution level of electrification and driving assistance the acceptable level of NVH annoyance will be reduced to a radically low threshold. In order to overcome the gap between this new threshold and current performances adjustments in vehicle specifications and the process to achieve those need to be implemented. The main focus is on powertrain noise, ride comfort and vibrations, rolling noise and wind noises and the overall NVH quality impression, e.g. of the door closing sound. The paper points out, which technical specifications are imperative for a good consumer reception and describes the processes that are needed for target achievement.
This test can be used to determine the resistance to scuffing of test specimens such as fiberboards, fabrics, vinyl-coated fabrics, leathers, and similar trim materials.
Cabin acoustic comfort is a major contributor to the potential sales success of new aircraft, cars, trucks, and trains. Recent design challenges have included the increased use of composites, and the switch to electrically powered vehicles, each of which change the interior noise spectral content and level. The role of acoustic absorption in cabins is key to the optimisation of cabin acoustic comfort for modern vehicles, with acoustic impedance data needed in order to assess and optimise the impact of each component of a given lay-up. Measurements of absorbing interior trim are traditionally performed using either sample holder tests in a static impedance tube (impedance and absorption), or through tests in reverberation rooms (absorption only). Both of these procedures present challenges. In-tube absorption and impedance measurements are destructive, requiring highly accurate sample cutting and sealing. Reverberation room absorption measurements are subject to the effects of varying room diffusion, along with the impact of edge diffraction, sample geometry, and location. Finally, while non-destructive methods using hand-held probes also measure absorption, they are not able to measure impedance accurately. This paper describes fast non-destructive tests using a portable flanged impedance tube, and how they be used to quantify and optimise the absorption of interior trims. Measurements are made on non-locally reacting lay-ups, with the results corrected to equivalent in-tube results using a flanged-to-sample holder correction factor. The corrected flanged tube results are then compared with baseline in-tube measurements. Discussions address data quality and how the non-destructive measurements may be used to optimise lay-ups for increased absorption.
It is a common practice of automotive industry to avoid dynamic contact between two surfaces with similar roughness for plastics and interior trim parts. That means reduce the friction and, consequently the squeak noise to the minimum level to meet zero noise level. Unfortunately, for design or economics reasons, that is not possible for some applications and a very disturbing noise may bother the costumer. A material incompatibility leads to an acute noise when two similar surfaces have relative movement due to multiple adherences between the surfaces, that is called stick-slip phenomenon. To characterize this noise, a Squeak and Rattle Evaluation testing should be performed in the worst case condition over the life of the vehicle. As a result, a scale of Risk Priority Number (RPN) provides a pass/fail judgement to implement any improvement required to address the issue. There are several ways to avoid this phenomenon during the product development: applying lubricants, tapes, coatings, material change or surface treatments. To solve this kind of undesirable user experience, an anti-squeak treatment was developed in water base using polymeric material, applied in a process similar to coating and cured thereafter by heat. The concept of this anti-squeak treatment is to reduce surface tension and the resistance of relative movement when fractioning similar material that leads to a reduction of noise, consequently. The aim of this paper is to show how this surface treatment can reduce the noise level related to material similarity, applying this into a vinyl surface, with no changes in mechanical properties and no need to run a new design verification plan. In the present study, it could be observed a reduction from 10 RPN to 2 RPN, related to an improvement from material match critical to material match in order. This corresponds to a customer satisfaction perception improvement from material audible annoying noise caused by stick- slip expected to not perceived noise.
Cars have become more than just a mode of transportation for consumers. They have become an interactive extension of ourselves, customized by their users. Knobs, buttons, and overhead lighting have been replaced by touchscreens, capacitive sensing, and mood lighting allowing the driver to be encapsulated in their own styling preferences. This requires coatings to be robust in design and elite in performance to withstand the harshest environments. Traditionally, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) adopted one component (1K, no hardener, catalyst or activator) and multicomponent (2K, mix with hardener, catalyst, or activator) systems for protecting automotive interior trim and parts. For decades, these coatings have served this market well. However, with OEM’s moving to more stringent durability requirements, 1K and 2K coatings are scrambling to meet tougher OEMs standards. These stronger standards are making energy curable (cure after exposure to an energy source such as ultraviolet (UV) light) coatings a more suitable coating alternative. This paper will explore energy curable chemistries and how their central attributes of high scratch, abrasion, and chemical resistance are ideal for coating plastics and polymer substrates used in automotive interior applications meeting many of the new harder-hitting automotive chemical durability standards established by brand owners such as General Motors (GM) and Volkswagen (VW).
An Ultra-Light Door (ULD) has been developed that is 40% lighter than a baseline 2016 mid-size vehicle’s driver side door. The ULD scope encompasses the entire door, including the door-in-white (DIW), interior trim, glazing, hardware, wiring, etc. To achieve such a substantial mass reduction while still meeting the baseline vehicle’s performance metrics (including safety, durability, NVH, appearance, etc.) at a minimal cost increase, the door design relies on a comprehensive full system approach that includes a unique architecture in addition to lightweight materials and components. This paper details the ULD design concept, simulated performance results, the current status of vehicle level validation, and comparisons between component level CAE predicted performance and physical test results.
Lightweighting was one strategy pursued by SuperTruck teams during the first phase of the U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored initiative to improve heavy-truck freight efficiency by 50%. For example, the International Catalist features a “hybrid” front suspension that leverages lightweight alloys with composite materials, reducing weight and enabling an electronic ride height management system that provides dynamic ride height and pitch control for improved aerodynamics. “Typically, air-ride front suspensions are very heavy, they're very soft to drive-but we've integrated a composite leaf spring and an air spring into one suspension,” explained Dean Oppermann, chief engineer for advanced vehicles and the SuperTruck program at Navistar. “We've been able to do it in a way that reduces weight of the system, maintains our ride height control, but also offers more stability with the leaf spring-type suspension.”
With the market rushing headlong toward trucks, SUVs and crossovers, Volkswagen has badly needed a mid-range SUV between its $25,000 compact Tiguan and $50,000-plus premium Touareg. And now, finally, it has one. Designed and engineered in Wolfsburg, built at VW's billion-dollar Chattanooga plant and riding on the modular MQB platform, the 2018 Atlas ($31,000 base price) enters production three years after the CrossBlue concept made the autoshow rounds. Atlas was developed as “a vehicle to go straight at the heart of the mid-size SUV market,” explained Michael Lovati, Vice President of VW's mid-size/full-size product line.
The structure of a vehicle is capable of absorbing a significant amount of heat when exposed to hot climate conditions. 50-70% of this heat penetrates through the glazing and raises both the internal cabin air temperature and the interior trim surface temperature. When driving away, the air conditioning system has to be capable of removing this heat in a timely manner, such that the occupant’s time to comfort will be achieved in an acceptable period [1]. When we reduce the amount of heat absorbed, the discomfort in the cabin can be reduced. A 1D/3D based integrated computational methodology is developed to evaluate the impact of vehicle orientation on cabin climate control system performance and human comfort in this paper. Additionally, effects of glazing material and blinds opening/closing are analyzed to access the occupant thermal comfort during initial and final time AC pull down test.
The rise in national industry occurred more frequently in the aircraft industry as stabilizers and rudders at the rear of the aircraft. The automotive industry is also using composite materials reinforced by synthetic fibers in various vehicle components, such as the bumper and trunk tray. Plies and laminates produced from the composite can be used in car interior trim. Much is made of sisal fibers as reinforcement in cars, this study aims to evaluate the influence of the addition of wood waste, angelim pedra (Hymenolobium petraeum Ducke), at composite polyester matrix reinforced by sisal and malva fibers. The fibers and the residue were purchased in local market and characterized physically, microstructurally and mechanically. The specimens of malva and residues were cut in three different sizes: 5, 10 and 15 mm, by the way the hybrid composites reinforced by sisal and the residues, the sisal fibers were cut at a randomly lengths. The residue angelim pedra was sieved to control its particle size. The matrix used was the unsaturated polyester resin. To manufacture the composite was adopted a simple and low-cost methodology incorporating the matrix material. The mechanical properties analyzed by tensile tests and generated fracture surfaces were evaluated by microscopy to correlate the fracture aspects to the mechanical properties.
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