We spend a great deal more time inside our vehicles today. Combined with greater expectations for entertainment and information, this has resulted in instrument panels taking on a more significant role.
In this age of quality surveys and highly competitive market segments, vehicle manufacturers are spending more and more time and effort on the interior. Like the clothes we wear and the hair we have (at least some of you) styles change. One look at the instrument panel of only 10 years ago serves to point out much so.
One of the major factors driving this change is the demand for all the comforts of home. The array of entertainment and information devices has put renewed pressure on the design and development of interiors.
Outside suppliers, as the usual source of many of these subsystems, including steering columns and wheels, switches and controls, climate control systems and electronics -- including the wiring, are commonly asked to collaborate on interiors. They are involved in the early design stages and, in some cases, actually do the design work. Usually, the suppliers provide a completely assembled instrument panel module, including many of the subsystems.
Information, entertainment, comfort and convenience are all major considerations, but quality and the perception of quality, have become significant. How all the various switches, knobs, controls and systems work and the absence of squeaks and rattles plays a major role in what we think about the vehicle. But equally important, in terms of perceived quality, is how the items look and feel.
Materials have changed over the years. Plastics dominate the market for a variety of reasons -- mostly the ability to mould them into a wide variety of shapes. The changes in surface texture, appearance and quality have been rather amazing.
From the original polyvinylchloride (PVC) to the thermoplastics used today, suppliers have made huge advances in the look and feel from texture and grain definition to the ability to emboss logos and lettering right into the surface for a more integrated and long-lasting result.
As for the effect, look no further than airbags. Earlier efforts required a break in the surface to accommodate potential deployment. In the vast majority of vehicles this never occurred, yet the designers had to allow for it. Newer materials and methods allow that provision to be made beneath the surface, allowing an unblemished finish.
New materials mean better durability and have solved many cold weather issues. Materials expand and contract with changes in temperatures. Early plastics changed size and shape considerably under these conditions, resulting in the proximity of various pieces being altered and squeaks and rattles developing. Customer complaints were a major issue.
Newer materials not only solved many of these problems but can also be used on door panels, allowing designers to fully integrate the interior by ensuring the same colour and texture from instrument panel to doors. Recycling has also become an issue and the more recent efforts also address this.
What's next? With increasing complexity, integration becomes almost mandatory. Cramming infotainment, safety and heat, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) functions into the same space is getting more difficult. The instrument panel of tomorrow will likely be built into and around the actual firewall, becoming part of the structure for space and energy management purposes.
We've already started down that road. Using state-of-the-art software and virtual validation, suppliers can send a design electronically to vehicle manufacturers for "fitting" and other development purposes. This is especially helpful when working on airbag placement, displacement and deployment issues during the design phase.
The next time you're stuck in traffic and want to strike the dash in frustration -- think about it first!
