Annoying Car Body Squeak & Creak - A Systematic Detection and Prevention Approach 2021-26-0273

To cope up with the market requirements, OEMs need to react fast and develop advanced and highly refined vehicles keeping in mind multiple factors and Perceived Quality is one of the most important amongst those. Annoying squeak and rattle noises from the vehicle, whether it is new or used car, is the most customer irritant factor; which needs to be addressed in the vehicle development program.

BSR (Buzz, Squeak and Rattle) and NVH (Noise, Vibrations and Harshness) performance is the critical in providing quieter experience to the customer and it is becoming more and more important due to transformation from ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) to Hybrid and Electric Powertrains.

Among BSR noises, body squeak and creak is the most annoying and difficult to detect and correct, if reported on the prototype test or customer cars. Whereas, squeak and rattles from body fitment and underbody aggregates are relatively easy to address and correct. Resolution of body squeaks and creaks is the most complex due to various constraints like difficult to identify and pin point the noise resource and then accessibility to the noise source in trimmed and fully built vehicles. Post source identification, rectification and implementation of corrective action is constrained due to accessibility, disassembly and assembly, maintaining structural integrity of part, and risk of compromising the aesthetics. Hence, it is vital to have very robust development and manufacturing processes to deliver a car; which is free from all sorts of body squeaks and creaks.

This paper demonstrates the effective way of identification and resolution of such critical car body noises and also describes prevention strategy at design and manufacturing stages, through couple of case studies of ‘Floor Front Module’ and ‘C pillar’ squeak and creak noise of two different cars. It also discusses on digital BSR evaluation techniques focused to prevent body squeaks and creaks through contact point analysis (CPA), finite element analysis (FEA) based analysis, weld joint analysis and body design and process control guidelines.