INSTRUMENTAL PANEL

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL contain the gauges in front of the driver, instrument panel located under the windshield of an automobile. The instrument panel should contain all the necessary instruments and must be so arranged that all the meters can be read by the driver without undue distraction from the road. He should also be to operate all the controls with least effort.

DASHBOARD ITEMS

Items located on the dashboard are; 1. DRIVER SECTION ( steering wheel, instrument cluster, dimmer switches) 2. CENTER CONSOLE LAYOUT (cup holders, entertainment media, climate-system controlsetc) 3. PASSENGER SECTION ( glove box)

STEERING WHEEL

A steering wheel is used for control vehicles.This can be through direct mechanical contact as in recirculating ball or rack and pinion steering gears, without or with the assistance of hydraulic power steering (HPS), or as in some modern production cars with the assistance of computer controlled motors EPS.

The first button added to the steering wheel was a switch to activate the car's electric horn. audio system, the telephone and voice control, audio repetition of the last navigation instruction, infotainment system, and on board computer functions can be operated comfortably and safely using buttons on the steering wheel.. The scroll buttons can be used to set volume levels. The buttons can be adjusted manually for reach and height.

DIMMER SWITCHS

This dimmer switches are multipurpose, this switch is mounted on a stick on the steering column in many automobiles. it may be of push-pull type and rotating the lever cap It is used for ; 1. Lighting purpose (flashing indicators) 2. Windscreen wiper 3. Gear shifting

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER

The instrument cluster pictured to the right contains gauges such as a speedometer, tachometer, odometer, fuel gauge, and indicators such as a gear shift position, seat belt warning light, Main beam warning light, Flashing indicator warning light and engine malfunction light.

CENTRE CONSOLE LAYOUT

Some cars includes additional rear center console, which commonly includes entertainment- and climatesystem controls, auxiliary power outlets, and sometimes window controls when these are not in the doors. Traditionally vehicles with a gear stick have placed this control where the two areas of console and tunnel merge, Increasingly, center consoles include a wide variety of storage compartments and cup holders, some of them with refrigerator, in addition to the more traditional use as purely a surface for instrumentation (i.e. outside temperature display) and controls (car audio). entertainment media: AM/FM radio, satellite radio, CDs, cassette tapes (although these are now uncommon), MP3, GPS navigation, Bluetooth, etc.

PASSENGER SECTION

GLOVE BOX
The passenger side of the dashboard typically consists of a glove box. In here the occupants of the vehicle can store small items.

VENTILATING SYSTEM

The object of ventilating system provided on most vehicles is to supply outside air to the passenger compartment through a number of vents The air is circulated in the vehicle jointly due to the ram effect on account of the vehicle movement and due to a blower driven electrically. the entry of this air is controlled by suitable valves.

DESIGNING SEQUENCES OF DASHDOARD

1. The first phase consists of sketching designs and putting idea's down on paper 2. After this a cardboard model is typically created to get a clear picture of the overall dimensions of the dashboard and the arrangements of the passengers 3 After this phase the dashboard is designed in 3D-CAD, with every system in this assembly. This way a clear picture of how everything goes together is created. 4. The next phase consists of building a real life model of the dashboard with its systems. This should show any problems with the fitting of components. If this phase goes well, the dashboard is made ready for production.

MATERIAL USED IN INSTRUMENT PANEL

MATERIALS; Polyurethane.(PU) Polypropylene (PP) Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) cover an extremely wide range of stiffness, hardness, and densities Wood trim, wood usually found on dashboards of luxury cars. Delphi has developed an new instrument panel skin moulded from TPO (thermoplastic ployolefin)

ASSEMBLY AND FIXATION

Screw and clips are used for the fixation purpose

INSTRUMENT PANELS

Motor cycle

Car

Plane

Boat

farm tractors

SOME NEW INSTRUMENT PANEL