Design and validation of fixation points of polymeric components for the automotive industry

The incorporation of polymeric materials in car structure components plays a key role in the automotive sector, enabling the production of more efficient and ecological vehicles. Among the many options to fix these components, there are clips and snap-fits, which not only facilitate assembly and disassembly, but also contribute to reduce the total mass of the car. This work aims to design and validate these fixation points of polymeric components using the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology. The work resulted from the need for a more rigorous control involving some internal standardized fixation points, namely interior trim parts. Experimental tests were carried out according to the specifications of the automotive brand, including the strength of the fixation points, to enable incorporation as standard components. Using the Finite Element Method (FEM), static simulations were performed in the Abaqus (R) software, where the conditions of the physical tests were replicated to correlate both tests and validate the numerical approach. Improvement of the fixation points was next undertaken, by making changes in the areas that were identified as critical. The improved fixation points were able to meet the specifications of the company and were proposed as new geometry for standard interior trim parts.