Design of Flush Handle for Luxury vehicles - Study of flush handle kinematics for end-of-line quality check and mechanical validation test

This master thesis in cooperation with the company Minebea AccessSolutions presents a comprehensive study of the mechanic functioning and fatigue characterization of an external luxury handle, typically used in high-end automotive applications and premium architectural fittings. The primary objective of this research is to enhance the understanding of the handle's mechanical behavior, applying a revision to the end-of-line acceptability threshold. By a deep analysis of the system mechanism, it has been possible to highlight critical elements that affect the performance of the handle. A kinematic analysis has been pursued over the transmission of the forces, starting from the simplest hypothesis and adding contributions, to make a comparison between the value measured in the last assembly station deputed to the final check of the components and the theoretical ones. The second part and objective of this work is represented by the fatigue tests realized for the launch of a new vehicle external handle. The new handle design is derived by the version analyzed in the first chapter and due to the modification applied it has been necessary to do a complete fatigue test to check changes like new geometrical designs and new materials. In this handle model, some new electrical components have been introduced. By analyzing the tests’ results, the performances of the product have been checked along with the quality of the new design over a life-time duty cycle. Key findings in the output of the tests include the identification of structural reinforcements that significantly improve fatigue life while maintaining the aesthetic and ergonomic standards expected in luxury vehicle access solutions.