Abstract
The topic of quality occupies an increasingly significant place in today's reality and its role, which is central to company policies, contributes to the commercial success of the product.
The subject of our investigation is the assessment of the sensorial characteristics of car trim components: the APPARANCE of the items with the correlations between COLOUR, MORPHOLOGICAL CONDITION OF THE SURFACE, BRIGHTNESS (finish in general) and recently, the so-called TACTILE QUALITY.
Beyond the technicaland functional aspects, a LEVEL OF PLEASURE linked with individual sensitivity exists: we are in the area of QUALISTICA with its specific topic and research methods.
The industial production system calls for the faithful reproduction of the items foresoon during the creation and design stages, therefore, operating procedures are necessary to ensure that the
PRODUCT COMPLIES WITH THE PROJECT also with regard to the aspects concerning its appealingness.
On the schematic plane, our activity is carried out on two levels: BASE RESEARCH and SPECIFIC
STUDIES for the applications on the models.
Base research is expressed in the study of the methods for controlling performances levels linked with sensations and the consequent drawing up of procedures for setting out the control of this specific aspect of quality; followed by the systematic verification of the changes of the performance level in relation to shapes, the caracteristics of the materials and conversion technologies.
In the case of APPEARANCE, colour, embossing and brightness are signals wich throught the eye and the nervous system reach the brain wich processes them and synthesizes in such a way that they can no longer be seen separately from one another; separation is possible for evaluation with instrumental systems and it is necessary for theyr definition.
Programmes are being processed wich tend to re-compose this unicity of evaluation, mainly suitable for those situations wich require attention to the subjectivaness of judgement.
In the case of touch, the matter is more complex owing to the numerous situations affected by the subjectiveness of evaluatio, also conditioded by socio-cultural factors.
In order to evaluete objectively, control methods have been developed through the use of equipment which warrant the highest level of reliability and repeatability of the results.
The examples shown are proof of recent applicatios of models of the Fiat group for car trim components made from thermoplastic, thermoformed materials.