Abstract
Ride and Handling parameters will vary from vehicle to vehicle due to allowed deviation in the manufactured parts and it is a known fact. Tightening the tolerance will result in minimizing the variation in the build quality, but stringent control of tolerance also leads to increase in the part cost and ultimately the vehicle cost. The objective of this study is to optimize the variation of ride and handling parameters from vehicle to vehicle by controlling selective parameters in ride and handling and those parameters sensitiveness over parts tolerance, to optimize both cost and development time. The variation of parts dimensions is taken from a different lot with sample size of 100 and processed for tolerance stack analysis using 3DCS tolerance variation simulation software. The required hardpoints are measured for maximum and minimum six-sigma deviation. These variations are considered as input to ADAMS using MODE FRONTIER algorithm for K&C analysis. Using the results from ADAMS for a set tolerance band, sensitivity analysis is done for selected ride and handling parameters against the parts and then the tolerance band is increased to confirm the sensitivity direction. For optimized tolerance band, iterations are increased which satisfies the six-sigma target. The parameters which were effecting the Ride and Handling were identified and detailed study is done for cost and process optimization. This study will identify the hard point’s directions which are to be controlled. Sensitiveness of hardpoint direction and values towards selected parameters lead to optimization of hardpoints in initial product development stage, this approach will save the cost and development time. Parts which require stringent control of tolerance is found and those will be changed to reduce the ride and handling variation between the vehicles.