Don’t you hate it when your aging car starts to exhibit signs of BSR? What is BSR, you ask?
I came upon a case study, Automakers cut costs and speed production of center consoles with vibration welding technology, on Emerson.com.
BSR is defined as buzz, squeak, and rattle conditions in this case study. In the automotive center console assembly:
…two side panels are joined to the center storage container which usually has a hinged cover and often houses utility ports (USB, 12V power) and sometimes rear vent ducts.
The traditional assembly approach was to use fasteners or adhesives. Over time:
…the fasteners tended to work loose and produce unacceptable BSR (Buzz, Squeak, Rattle) conditions. And while adhesive joining minimized the potential for BSR, both methods required manual labor and consumables, which added cost and assembly time. Furthermore, neither method could produce a hermetic seal needed for incorporating rear vent ducts into the consoles.
To avoid these BSR conditions, reduce labor costs, assembly time, and consumable manufacturing components, Emerson’s:
Branson M-9 Series large-part vibration welders and special tooling… made it possible to assemble both the right and left side panels to the center storage molded structure simultaneously. In effect, the unique tooling design allowed the manufacturer to make “two welds in one.” The rigid, single-piece assembly that resulted from vibration welding also easily passed the BSR specifications that provided the enhanced, quiet driving experience for consumers.
In addition, the hermetic seal produced by vibration welding allowed rear vent ducts to be integrated into the design of both the center structure and the outer panels of the console.
Visit the Vibration Welding section on Emerson.com for more on this energy-efficient technology that optimizes productivity on assembly lines.
