Novel Method for BSR Test Cycle Generation

Abstract

Buzz Squeak and Rattle (BSR) problems in body structure and trimmed parts are always a critical problem for automotive OEMs, due to their influence on the initial quality perceptions of customers. Generally, the find and fix approach is used and it has become necessary to find BSR problems in the initial stage of vehicle development as there has been a significant increase in reducing the development time of the vehicle. The general procedure followed by an industry is to test the complete vehicle or its sub systems in a test rig. Panel gaps, worn-out parts, and improper assembly are the major sources for BSR problems. A vehicle with necessary instruments was driven thousands of kilometers to capture the test cycles. This process consumes a lot of time, manpower, and money. In this work, a technique is proposed to reduce the test cycle generation time. A typical test cycle consists of important load characteristics which are experienced by the vehicle when driven from one place to other. The test cycle was generated by combining the major influencing parameters of the special features of a road. The special features are road humps, path holes, patchworks, etc. Typical parameters which represent these features uniquely were identified from the vibration signals captured in the road test. These parameters were combined and placed in an order, and the typical test cycle was generated. The algorithm was designed such that any road load can be generated if the features representing the road are known, thereby avoiding the expensive instrumentation required.