Interior fit and finish in vehicles: Best practices according to customer perception

Abstract

A good aesthetic appearance from the inside of the vehicle is desired by customers when buying new cars. This thesis presents a tool in order to improve the methodology in setting the goals regarding the interiors fit and finish during new cars development with the aim of ensuring a first aesthetic appearance at the Tooling Kick Off stage. The tool is aimed for the interiors Craftsmanship department in Fiat and is composed by the goals that each interior component must meet in future projects. The work starts with the analysis of the department so to understand their workflow and how to correctly implement the tool. Next, a literature review and a study from a craftsmanship point of view of the main topics affecting the goals setting regarding the couplings between components are presented; these are the tolerances, fasteners, locators and coupling typologies. Last, the tool is presented; All the elements belonging to the four main areas studied (Instrument panel, Door trim, Floor console and Trims) have been analyzed by means of past projects information and benchmarking.