Test and CAE vibration results correlation and isolator design for improvement of car door vibrations

Customer satisfaction with any car is mainly based on the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) and aesthetics. While inspecting or accessing the car, the first door contacts the customer. Door NVH, operations, and aesthetics influence the customer’s first impression. The door is one of the contributors to car NVH, but currently, it has received less attention. To overcome this issue, in this research article, efforts are made to address it. First, a three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided design (CAD) for door assembly was developed via Siemens, NX 12.0, through reverse engineering, and a finite element (FE) was built via Altair Hypermesh. Next, the door assembly was tested via Siemens (Scadas & Test Lab) systems at the Automotive Research Association of India NVH Laboratory. Furthermore, the FE model was validated via experimental and simulation results via a sensitivity study. The correlation of the eigenvalue with its corresponding mode shape and vibrations in terms of the acceleration frequency response function (FRF) amplitude between the 0–100 Hz frequency bands was observed. As a result, a well-correlated FE model was used for further analysis and vibration reduction. The unique design of the isolator and dampener significantly improved the vibrations of the door assembly.