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To meet the increasingly high NVH consumer and product requirements, it is necessary to obtain maximum dynamic performance of the vehicle structure. For such superior properties, e.g. strength, stiffness, and weight, there are several methodologies, such as parameter optimization (useful for fine adjustments), topology optimization (limited by manufacturing processes), and shape optimization of structural plates. Among the shape optimization methods, the method of embossed patterns allows large gains in structural stiffness as a result of imposing small deformations in the shape of the sheet metal. However, the method has limited applicability because it depends on weighting factors whose choice criterion is an open problem, with no closed solution, depending on methodologies such as the DoE (Design of Experiments) for its definition.

Most of noise and vibration problems related to the fluid-structure interaction between the air in the vehicle cavity and the sheet metal structure of the vehicle come from resonance peaks of the sheet metal, which are excited by external forces (road, engine, wind). A reduction of these resonance peaks can be achieved by applying deadeners in the sheet metal, but the problem is where these deadeners shall be fixed. In this work, the embedded sensitivity method is used to define the optimum positions of the deadeners, aiming at reducing resonance peaks in the roof sheet metal of a light passenger vehicle, in specific frequency ranges.

In the developement process, the engineer is required to design, validate and deliver the components for manufacturing, in an as short as possible lead time. For that, the engineer may use some available tools to save not only time, but also cost. This work presents a zero prototype approach applyied to a plastic component, whose main accomplishment was the decreasing of lead time development due to the intensive use of virtual tools (CAD/CAE). As a result, the product was delivered in a short time, with no need of building physical prototypes, thus reducing development cost.