Experimental study to investigate the structural integrity of welded vehicle structure for BSR (Buzz, Squeak, Rattle) noise by vibration measurement

In this study, the vibration test method to nondestructively evaluate the possibility of vehicle BSR (Buzz, Squeak, Rattle) noise generation in spot-welded structures was proposed. The weld quality was predicted by analyzing the local vibration transmission characteristics for the beam-shaped structure attached to testing spots. The bending stiffness was evaluated from the identified vibration properties. From the change in the stiffness, the weld quality was evaluated. For verification of the proposed method, the welded specimens were fabricated with partial changes in welding parameters. The local vibration transfers were measured. The frequency bands affected by the weld quality was identified. The capability of evaluating the welding parameters including defect position and quality variations was investigated. The proposed method enables fast quality evaluation to minimize the possibility of BSR noise generation in the manufactured vehicle.