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In automotive Front End Accessory Drives (FEAD), the crankshaft supplies power to accessories like alternators, pumps, etc. FEAD undergoes forced vibration due to crankshaft excitation, dynamic tension fluctuations can cause the belt to slip on the accessory pulleys. By considering the criticality of the system, when engine mounting is longitudinally to the vehicle which makes it directly exposed to the air flow containing foreign particles which may cause the damage to the FEAD system and deteriorate the intended functionality. FEAD cover is introduced in the system to enhance belt-pully system functionality by restricting the entry of foreign particles during engine operation. This paper contains a study of FEAD cover failure and provides the stepwise approach to capture such issue during novel model development for 4 cylinder naturally aspirated engine during engine bench testing.

Vehicle cabin comfort emphasizes a specific image of a brand and its product quality. Low frequency powertrain induced noise and vibration levels are a major contributor affecting comfort inside passenger cabin. Thus, using hydraulic mount is a natural choice. Introduction of lighter body panels coupled with cost effective hydraulic mounts has resulted in some additional noises on rough road surfaces which are challenging to identify during design phase. This paper presents a novel approach to identify two such noises i.e. Cavitation noise and Mount membrane hitting noise based on component level testing which are validated at vehicle experimentally. These noises are encountered at 20~30kmph on undulated road surfaces. Sound quality aspect of such noises is also studied to evaluate the solution effectiveness.

Due to intense peak summer temperatures and sunny summers in tropical countries like India etc., achieving the required thermal comfort of car occupants without compromising on fuel efficiency is becoming increasingly challenging. The major source of heat load on vehicle is Solar Load. Therefore, a study has been conducted to evaluate the heat load on vehicle cabin due to solar radiations and its impact on vehicle air-conditioning system performance with various combinations of door glasses and windscreen. The glasses used for this study are classified as green, dark green, dark gray, standard PVB (Polyvinyl Butyral) windscreen and PVB windscreen having infrared cut particles. For each glass, part level evaluation was done to find out the percentage transmittance of light of different wavelengths and heat flux through each glass.

Trunk lid (TL) can be opened using hydraulic or pneumatic balancers, coil springs, torsion bars or combination of the above. TL Opening Mechanism specific to Trunk Lid Torsion Bar (TLTB) is being discussed in the paper. After de-latching, TL should open smoothly and stop at such a height that it is visible from driver seat. The system consists of a four bar linkage mechanism, in which the fixed link is formed by BIW Bracket. Connecting link, TL Hinge Arm and Torsion bar arm form the other three links. Hinge has its one end attached to TL and the other end to BIW bracket. Torsion bar arm transfers torque to TL hinge through the connecting link. Major challenges in designing TLTB mechanism are part tolerances, C.G position and Weight variations in individual parts, Torsion bar Raw Material variation, uncertain friction in the system etc.

Automotive industry today faces the unprecedented challenges both in terms of adapting to changing customer demands in terms of vehicle aesthetics, features or performance as well as meeting the mandatory regulatory requirements, which are being regularly upgraded and becoming stringent day by day. Vehicle hood, being part of vehicle front fascia, needs to fulfill the requirement of vehicle aesthetics as its primary condition. At the same time, every automobile manufacturer has a lineup of older platforms, which are in production and needs to comply with upcoming stricter safety norms, having a structure in under hood area designed as per older philosophy, which further reduces the space available for energy absorption. This makes the structure optimization in vehicle hood area much more challenging. Pedestrian protection - an upcoming regulation in India, has seen some major development in recent times.

Vehicle Hood being the face of a passenger car poses the challenge to meet the regulatory and aesthetic requirements. Urge to make a saleable product makes aesthetics a primary condition. This eventually makes the role of structure optimization much more important. Pedestrian protection- a recent development in the Indian automotive industry, known for dynamics of cost competitive cars, has posed the challenge to make passenger cars meeting the regulation at minimal cost. The paper demonstrates structure optimization of hood and design of peripheral parts for meeting pedestrian protection performance keeping the focus on low cost of ownership. The paper discusses development of an in-house methodology for meeting Headform compliance of a flagship model of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., providing detailed analysis of the procedure followed from introduction stage of regulatory requirement in the project to final validation of the engineering intent.

Risk of injury to occupant in the event of side impact is considerably higher compared to frontal or rear impact as the energy absorbing zones at the front and rear of vehicle is high whereas limited space is available to dissipate the impact energy in the event of side impact. In such scenario strength of side door plays an important role in protecting the occupant. Side door beam in door structure contributes significantly towards the lateral stiffness and plays dominant role in limiting the structural intrusion into passenger compartment. Hence it is interesting to understand the effect of beam specification and orientation on side door strength. Since these factors not only affect the strength but also the cost and weight targets, their study and analysis is important with respect to door design This paper showcases the effect of beam layout and its specifications on the overall strength of the door with an experimental approach using physical test.

The door performance of an automobile is gauged not only by its function but also the “feel” of operating a door which majorly depends upon opening/closing force and closing speed. This feel is in direct relation to the soundness of design and the build quality which the customer experiences even before driving the vehicle. Several studies have been conducted for door open/close performance for a conventional swing door, however little has been done in direction of sliding door. In this paper an analysis of closing speed of manually operated sliding door in purview of various parameters affecting them and their individual and combined contribution at vehicle level is presented. As the closing locus of sliding door is different from a swing door, a special experimental setup is used to measure the closing speed of sliding door.