Rear boot swing door closing effort: Calculations, objective and subjective evaluations in an LCV model

The prediction model for the energy contributors is studied to define the effect of door components. The model is validated by experimental measurements on produced vehicles. The correlation of the control results and the evaluation methods among the representative customers, appraisers and senior experts are performed and compared by objective energy measurements. The subjective evaluation aims to clarify real customer expectations in door closing process and carry it to new product development phase. This will also improve the competency of appraisers in final assembly approval zones. The energy contributors for boot swing door is numerically calculated and validated by experimental measurements in easy and hard-closing doors. Subjective evaluations in 45 vehicles with different closing energies were performed by three different groups as representative customers, appraisers, and senior experts. The results were evaluated by statistical tools. The major energy contributors were found as air binding, seal resistance and check strap both in the calculations and in the experiments. The results demonstrated good correlation between numerical model and objective measurements. Besides, the subjective evaluations showed parallel trends with objective energy measurements. The variation in customer evaluations is more than appraisers and experts. Customers are severer in the evaluations of hard-closing doors and more sensitive in 10 degrees door closing angle. This is a unique study for rear boot swing door closing effort in an LCV model. The study contains both definitions of factors, components that contributes in door closing energy and subjective evaluations to correlate the closing behaviors of representative customers, appraisers, and senior experts. The output of the study would be used to improve the vehicle control plan (VCP) and design standards in new model development phase.