Design and Implementation of Key-Life Tests for Painted Automotive Exteriors subject to Tribological Loading: A systems Approach 980976

Design and implementation of predictive service life performance tests also referred to as “Key Life Tests” are vital to the automotive industry to control warranty costs, track the quality of materials and processes, and in the specification of new materials systems. In addition to these roles, key life tests offer valuable insights into relating design features to performance and serving as tools to predict durability. A systems approach to assess durability of painted automotive exteriors subject to various tribological loading conditions is presented in this paper. This approach blends fundamental phenomenological understanding with real world usage “metrics” in order to implement laboratory simulations. To the authors knowledge, this is the first time, a synthesis of tribological principles and systems theory have been made for designing and implementing key life tests for paint durability. Several examples have been included to bring out the power of this approach.