Challenge

Design of backdoor

KKada Krishna Sai Vardhan7 Aug 2021

DESIGN OF BACKDOOR

In the crowded automotive market, there are some basic types of vehicles. They are

SEDAN
COUPE
SPORTS CAR
STATION WAGON
HATCHBACK
CONVERTIBLE
SPORT-UTILITY VEHICLE (SUV)
MINIVAN
PICKUP TRUCK

Every type of vehicle has got its own style in backdoor/tailgate/liftgate design. Here is a design of a backdoor for a hatchback segment car.

A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second-row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. Hatchbacks may feature two-or three-box designs. The distinguishing feature of a hatchback is a rear door that opens upwards and is hinged at roof level (as opposed to the boot/trunk lid of a sedan, which is hinged below the rear window).

Backdoor/rear door/tailgate is provided with gas stay or power spindles for easy opening and holding onto a position. A power liftgate is a motorized hatch that opens and closes electronically.

Skin data file: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JM2OiLD0tpshuKzOmtygVAXe5vBxsIOb?usp=sharing

Components of Backdoor:

Outer panel upper
Outer panel lower
Inner panel
Gas-stay reinforcements
Hinge reinforcements
Latch & Striker reinforcements
Wiper motor reinforcements

Every component is designed separately and then brought into an assembly

Steps followed with design considerations:

From the skin data, the Outer panel upper and Outer panel lower are made into two separate files
The Inner panel is designed first by proper offsetting of the outer panel and fixing the tooling direction
All necessary embosses are designed to counter the direction of impact
The outer panel and inner panel are joined by a hemming process at the sides and by mastic sealants in between them using extensions made in the inner panel
Spaces are be allocated to place wiper motor, bulbs, latch-striker motor, and electric harness cables
Latch and striker are designed by considering the hinge axis and door trajectory
A diabola emboss is designed for placing the gas stay and some other embosses are also designed for plastic trim parts
Reinforcements are designed for hinge, gas stay, wiper motor, and latch-striker