<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Side Door closing velocity is one of the key customer touch points which depicts the build quality of the vehicle. Side door closing velocity results from the interaction of different parts like door and body seals, door check arm, door hinge, latch, and alignment of door hinge axis. In this paper, a high door closing velocity issue in a sports utility vehicle is discussed. Physical studies are carried out to understand each parameter in door closing velocity and its contribution is defined in terms of velocity. Many physical trials are conducted to conclude the contribution of each parameter. Studies revealed that the body and door seal are contributing around 70% of door closing velocity. Check arm and hinge axis deviation are contributing around 10% of the door closing velocity. Physical trials are conducted by reducing the compression distance of the body seal. Around 13.5 to 20 % reduction in door closing velocity is observed with a 3mm reduction in compression distance of the seal. Side door flushness adjustment on the positive side by 0.5mm reduced the door closing velocity by around 1.5 to 6%. These changes are implemented on the vehicle without affecting the vehicle development cycle time.</div></div>

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The passenger car segment has been extremely competitive and automotive OEMs are thriving to provide superior customer experience. Door closing is an event that requires slamming of the door with a certain velocity to get the door latched. A good latching provides that thud sound and assurance of the door getting closed for an SUV. While the door is closed, it pushes the volume of air inside the cabin. As the amount of air moved in is proportionate to the size of the door it becomes more critical for the SUV segment of vehicles to ensure the air extraction path is efficient. Else, steep pressure rise inside the cabin causes severe discomfort to the passengers sitting inside the vehicle. Current work focused on the process of simulation of cabin pressure while door closing, implementing changes based on results and validating with test results. Test results are in close correlation with simulation predictions. Also, it emphasizes that body panel changes made to improve the airflow path are extremely necessary. The outcome has been excellent, rated by jury members, and the proposed changes have been realized for production.</div></div>

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<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The side door closing effort is one of the main evaluating parameters which demonstrates the build quality of the vehicle. The side door hinge axis inclination is one of the key attributes that affect the side door closing effort. Commonly, the hinge axis is inclined in two directions of a vehicle to have necessary door rise during the door opening event. Due to the process and assembly variations in the door assembly, the upper and lower hinge axis of the side door deviates from the design axis. In this paper, the deviations in the side door hinge axis and its effects on the side door closing velocity is discussed. The deviations of the side door hinge axis are studied with a coordinate measuring machine. The side door closing velocity of the vehicle is measured with the velocity meter. The study revealed that side door closing velocity is increasing with an increase in the deviation of the top and bottom door hinge axis from the design hinge axis. The hinge axis skewness between the top and bottom door hinge also increases the side door closing velocity. Based on the study, it is evident that the process and assembly deviations in the door assembly need to be controlled to have the desired door closing velocity.</div></div>