Robust Design of Rear Suspension Trailing Arm for Durability using Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) Approach

Vehicle suspension parts are subjected to variable road loads, manufacturing process variation and high installation loads in assembly process. These parts must be robust to usage condition to function properly in the field. Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) tools and Taguchi methodology was used to optimize initial rear suspension trailing arm design. Project identified key control factor/design parameters, which could be used to improve part robustness at the lowest cost. Optimized design performs well under higher road loads and meets stringent durability requirements. This paper evokes use of Design of Six Sigma (DFSS) methodology to design robust rear suspension trailing arm and study effect of selected design parameters on robustness, stress level/durability and part cost