Development of Squeak and Rattle Countermeasures Through Up-Front Designs

Squeak and rattle are one of the major quality concerns in vehicle design for customer satisfaction. Squeak is a high frequency noise due to local parts in frictional contact and rattle a high frequency noise due to impact contact. Traditionally, problems are found and fixed locally using countermeasures such as anti-squeak coatings, flocked tapes or foams, etc. These fixes are generally applied at a relatively late design stage and result in cost and weight penalties. Extensive research at Ford indicates that squeak and rattle performance depends on not only local designs but also global ones. This paper discusses generic root causes of squeak and rattle problems and development of squeak and rattle counter measures through up-front designs in contrast to traditional downstream “find & fix” approaches.