Framed Door x Fully Stamped Door

When designing a new subsystem for a new vehicle platform, technical requirements, performance targets and cost implications drive the decision process towards which concept to be adopted. If this platform is planned for worldwide introduction, local requirements and capabilities have to be put into the business equation.

Among the possible design options for a Side Door Subsystem, including basically Inset doors and Limo doors with their variations, the best for the market is selected on:

• Commonality requirements through the platform family;
• Technical implications of each design concept;
• Technical excellence to produce parts with the required quality/cost in the local market;
• Costs and timing associated with each design concept;
• Benchmarking.

This composition of factors drove the decision to adopt different design options for South America and Europe on the recently launched small car platform. This paper demonstrates the rationale of this decision making process and the positive outcomes of it.