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Squeak and rattle (SAR) noise audible inside a passenger car causes the product quality perceived by the customer to deteriorate. The consequences are high warranty costs and a loss in brand reputation for the vehicle manufacturer in the long run. Therefore, SAR noise must be prevented. This research shows the application and experimental validation of a novel method to predict SAR noise on an actual vehicle interior component. The novel method is based on non-linear theories in the frequency domain. It uses the harmonic balance method in combination with the alternating frequency/time domain method to solve the governing dynamic equations. The simulation approach is part of a process for SAR noise prediction in vehicle interior development presented herein. In the first step, a state-of-the-art linear frequency-domain simulation estimates an empirical risk index for SAR noise emission. Critical spots prone to SAR noise generation are located and ranked.

Squeak and rattle noise in a vehicle’s interior is perceived as an annoying sound by customers. Since persistent noise (e.g. engine, wind or drive train noise) has been reduced continuously during the last decades, the elimination of sounds, which have their origin in the vehicle’s interior components, is getting more important. Therefore, noise prediction based on simulation models is useful, since design changes can be realized at lower costs in early virtual development phases. For this task, linear simulation methods are state of the art for the identification of noise risk, but in general without knowing if a sound is audible or not. First approaches have been developed based on the Harmonic Balance Method to predict squeak noise and assess their audibility. This paper presents vibroacoustic measurements at a door trim panel for squeaking and non-squeaking configurations. Vibrations are excited harmonically by a force controlled low noise shaker.