Conceptual Design Evaluation of Lightweight Load Bearing Structural Assembly for an Automotive Seat Adjuster Mechanism

An application of a novel methodology in a redesign of the load bearing subassembly of an automotive seat adjuster is presented. This novel methodology efficiently evaluated concept variations at a higher rate than the traditional approach based on FEA and therefore enables a comparison of the objective spaces rather than undesirable point design comparisons. This significant increase in efficiency increased the amount of generated knowledge that was presented to the design engineer in a form of the Pareto front comparisons. The comparisons of the Pareto fronts allowed for a clear identification of Concept #3 as the preferred solution, given the load-bearing and the light weighting criteria only. The results also indicated that Concept #2 could also be promising solution after major enhancements, as it showed potential to outperform the current solution in some cases.