Squeak & Rattle Sub-System And Component Testing

At MB Dynamics, we’re proud to provide clients in a wide range of industries with quiet, custom turnkey component testing systems for combined squeak & rattle testing as well as durability testing of different components and subsystems (in 1 to 6 DOF).

Test items can be excited in one or more axes to understand and characterize the physics and root causes of BSRs. Real-world, on-road vibration conditions are multi-axis simultaneous – vertical, fore-aft or longitudinal, lateral, roll, pitch, and yaw – 6 degrees of freedom or 6 DOF.

Affordability drives decisions to find BSRs by exciting in one or two – fewer than 6 DOF. That has been a driving force for MB – be effective at finding BSRs with a lesser number of shakers (DOFs) and thus reduce the test equipment cost of finding BSRs. Vertical-only can be effective; sequential vertical then fore-aft then lateral is one step closer to real-world; creating vibration in four or five axes of response simultaneously is even closer; and full 6 DOF systems that are quiet come closest to duplicating in the lab the on-road conditions. MB offers all these possibilities to meet trade-offs of budget, test time, road replication, and BSR detection effectiveness.

MB Dynamics BSR systems are used by many industries to test whole systems as well as components. Here is a short list of two industries and many components:

Aerospace – Seats, Overhead Compartments, Glass Cockpits, Auxiliary Power Units (APU), Instruments, Landing Gear, Flight Controls, Jet Engine and Reciprocating Engine Components, Aircraft and Spacecraft Structures.

Automotive – Seats, Instrument Panels (IP), Head Up Displays (HUD), LED Displays, Headliner Assemblies, Door Systems, Chassis Structure, Steering Systems, Tie Rods, Battery Systems, Full Vehicle (Direct Body Excitation).

As vehicles become quieter (i.e., Electric Propulsion) squeaks and rattles become more prevalent. Please contact MB Dynamics to help you find a proven solution.

  • a VPR vertical pitch and roll system testing automtive seat assemblies
Vertical Excitation

BSR EnergizersDepending on the size and weight of the components to be tested and the required acceleration levels, MB offers BSR Energizers of various sizes, mounting surfaces, and force outputs. All MB BSR Energizers are extremely quiet and fulfill the strict operating noise requirements of typical Squeak & Rattle test specifications. Within the system specifications, all Squeak & Rattle shaker systems can also be used for durability and BSR aging tests. The following examples provide an overview of typical system configurations for excitation of small parts, medium- and large-sized components in vertical direction. Alternative system configurations according to specific requirements are possible at any time.

3-Axis Sequential

Multi-axis sequential Squeak & Rattle test systemMulti-axis sequential Squeak & Rattle test systems that excite subsystems and components in their vertical, fore-aft (or longitudinal), and lateral directions one axis at a time have been proven to be effective means of diagnosing root causes. Oftentimes the physics of why Squeak & Rattle noises occur are so complicated and not intuitive that it is helpful to excite one direction at a time to characterize root causes. Exciting with road-measured vibration levels separately in each direction helps in this process to detect and correct.

By combining MB Energizers with a Horizontal Moving Table or 3D-Universal Test Fixture different Squeak & Rattle test systems for sequential excitation in x-, y- and z-axis can be realized. The construction based on MB´s patented flexure mechanism enables smooth and noiseless guidance of the Horizontal Moving Table or 3D-Universal Test Fixture.

MB delivered more than 50 turnkey Squeak & Rattle test systems that meet the strict operating background noise requirements of typical Squeak & Rattle test specifications such as GMW14011, GMW7293TP, BMW PR311.2 and others. GMW14011 recommends MB Energizers and Horizontal Moving Tables by name. The optional Chamber Readiness Kit enables environmental Squeak & Rattle testing inside environmental chambers from -40°C to +65°C including humidity.

Vertical Pitch & Roll

Vertical Pitch Roll (VPR) Shaker TableIn reality, vehicle components are excited simultaneously in multiple directions. This multi-axis excitation can stimulate more Buzzes, Squeaks & Rattles than pure vertical, fore-aft and lateral sequential inputs. The MB Vertical Pitch Roll (VPR) Shaker Table enables the simultaneous excitation in up to 5 axes in a single test. Multi-axis response of conditions experienced in the vehicle can be simulated in the lab in a single run. Simultaneous multi-axis excitation in combination with an extremely low operating background noise make the VPR Shaker Table an ideal tool for effective Squeak & Rattle analysis in R&D/product development for DV tests as well as for production verification by quality departments and in production environments.

The VPR Shaker Table helps OEMs and suppliers to identify, troubleshoot and correct Squeak & Rattle issues before they get into the vehicle and is much less expensive and quieter than typical hydraulic MAS tables. The VPR Shaker Table is recommended for Squeak & Rattle testing and root cause analysis in different test specifications and is a benchmark for BSR of seats, instrument panels, and other modules. The Ford-approved VPR Shaker Table is shown in and fulfills Ford CETP-01.10-L-413 for seats and Ford CETP 01 12- L-423 for instrument panels.

Vertical Pitch & Roll + 4D

Vertical Pitch Roll+4D shaker systemThe Vertical Pitch Roll+4D, or VPR+4D, shaker system combines the capabilities of a Vertical Pitch Roll Shaker Table and a system for sequential excitation in x- y- and z-axis in a single system. In VPR mode the system enables simultaneous quiet excitation in up to 5 axes in a single test. Simultaneous excitation in VPR mode results in a realistic simulation of real world excitation conditions and is very effective for Squeak & Rattle analysis. The VPR Shaker Table is recommended for Squeak & Rattle testing and root cause analysis in different test specifications and is a benchmark for BSR of seats, instrument panels, and other modules. The Ford-approved VPR Shaker Table is shown in and fulfills Ford CETP-01.10-L-413 for seats and Ford CETP 01 12- L-423 for instrument panels.

In Sequential-4D mode the system can be used for quiet sequential excitation in x-, y-, z- and roll axes. Sequential excitation in vertical, fore-aft and lateral direction one axis at a time is specified in several Squeak & Rattle test specifications such as GMW14011, GMW7293TP, BMW PR311.2 and others. GMW14011 recommends MB Energizers and Horizontal Moving Tables by name.

Combining the advantages of multi-axis excitation and sequential excitation of single axes in one system makes the VPR+4D an extremely flexible, versatile and universal tool for fulfilling multiple OEM and internal BSR test requirements.

Simultaneous 4 DOF S&R System

comp-test-system-45-1Quiet for S&R · Powerful for Durability · Multi-Axis for Realism

  • “Simultaneous 4 DOF” delivers 4 simultaneous axes of vibration controlled independently using 4 exciters: vertical, roll, fore-aft and lateral.
  • Sequential 1-axis-at-a-time testing for diagnoses of S&R issues; conforms to GMW14011.
  • Very quiet, compared to hydraulic MAST; test equipment noise does not mask S&Rs.
  • Perform BSR Aging tests on payloads up to 350kg.
  • One test system is quiet enough for S&R and powerful enough for durability
  • Mounting table is 1830mm x 930mm
  • Use in thermal chamber: -40degC to +65degC + humidity.
  • Find S&Rs not noticed at ambient temperatures; perform combined vibration and environmental BSR Aging.
  • Reproduce road time histories, sine sweeps, PSD random profiles.
  • Quiet, favorable price-performance compared to hydraulic MAST.
6 DOF S&R System

6 Simultaneous Response Directions (6 DOFs)6 Simultaneous Response Directions (6 DOFs) using 7 shakers all controlled, produced by 4 vertical-axis quiet electrodynamic exciters (for achieving vertical, roll & pitch motions), 2 fore-aft quiet electrodynamic exciters (for achieving fore-aft & yaw motions), and 1 quiet electrodynamic exciter in the lateral direction for achieving lateral motions.

  • Mounting Table is 2050mm X 1450mm
  • Adds < 2.5 sones N10 to semi-anechoic or environmental chamber ambient during typical S&R profile
  • Frequency range: 0.5Hz – 150 Hz
  • Types of vibration: Simultaneous multi-axis PSD random vibration, i.e. actual drive files; simultaneous multi-axis time history actual drive files; sequential, one-axis at a time Sine vibration for diagnostics of S&R issues and complying with GMW14011
  • Must be mounted on a customer-supplied seismic mass isolated from the surrounding floor
  • High uptime & very low maintenance using electrodynamic actuators and stinger ball joints; no hydraulics, no seals, no mechanical ball joints
  • Representative Payloads, Max Accelerations and Max Displacement:

6-dof

Datasheets to Download

GMW14011 & GM7293TP Sheet: Download PDF

6 DOF S&R System Sheet: Download PDF

VPR+4D S&R Detection System (Silver and Black) Sheet: Download PDF

Multi-Axis Sequential SR for GMW14011 & GM7293TP Sheet: Download PDF

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