Exhaust Systems — Shaping Future Trends Powered by Complete Solutions in Precision

www.autotechreview.com March 2013 | Volume 2 | Issue 3 Now, Also available on

It’s on 14 Interview Sunil Kaul, Group President — Technology Anand Group

18 technology foresight Tube Hydroforming Technology: Evolution and Future Potential

60 new Vehicle Audi Q 5 — Performance Enhanced

exhaust systems — shaping future trends Powered by Complete solutions in precision

metallic coil springs

S T

Compression Springs T U T Static and Dynamic E of These are coiled helical SP RING TECHNOLOGY springs made from spring steel wire, that can resist compressive load. Extension Springs 1. Suspension Springs - These are normally close Torsion Springs Front Fork & Shock coil springs of circular These resist an applied Wire Forms Absorber cross sections, with the torque when the ends are These are made on forming 2. Engine Valve Springs end usually a hook or subjected to angular machines, in different shapes, 3. Clutch Springs loop, used in computers, displacement, used in adaptable to required 4. Rebound Springs brakes, etc. transmission, etc. applications.

www.autotechreview.com February 2013 | Volume 2 | Issue 2 NOW, ALSO AVAILABLE ON

It’s on

14 INTERVIEW Laurence J Fromm, VP - Business & Strategy Development, Achates Power Inc

18 INNOVATION What India Can Learn From Other Asian Markets

60 NEW VEHICLE Mercedes-Benz B 180 - Redefining Compact Class

Seat Belt Springs Used for operation of Seat Belts of 4-Wheelers, made out of textured rolled hardened and tempered GASOLINE ENGINES — high carbon steel INNOVATIVE NEW PLATFORMS POWERED BY strips in various sizes. EACH

A to Z product range as per Customer’s designs, applications, sizes and Internationals standards

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Cover_ATR_Feb'13.indd U4 01-02-2013 18:53:14 EDITORIAL

QUEST FOR BATTERIES

Dear reader,

News about an Air Nippon-commissioned Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Japan making an emergency landing, after warning lights indicated a battery problem, spread thick and fast. Within no time, air regulators across the world grounded the entire fleet of what was supposedly the most advanced airliner ever to roll out of Boeing’s hangars. In 2011, General Motors (GM) went through rigorous scrutiny following an incident, where batteries used in its Chevrolet Volt plug-in car caught fire during safety tests.

Both incidents involved lithium-ion batteries, often touted as the most promising available power source for xEVs and hybrids. Several chemistries have been researched through the years, including a lithium-sulphur (Li-S) solution. Compared to conventional Li-ion batteries, Li-S offers higher lithium storage density, but is considered too costly, unsafe, and unreliable for commercial use.

For a few years now, a team of researchers at IBM has been working on a Lithium-air battery, the prototype of which is expected to be released this year. IBM set out to create a powerful new battery for EVs that can run 800 km on a single charge! That might sound incredible, but it seems to have found favour with Toyota Motor Corporation and BMW, who have recently announced joint research on Li-air batteries.

Doubts over infrastructure notwithstanding, mass adoption of EVs today depend on how they’re priced in most markets. There are predictions of Li-ion battery prices falling dramatically by 2020, but like a McKinsey report had suggested in 2012, it is the interaction of battery and fuel costs that will determine the size of the market for EVs.

From an Indian perspective, there isn’t much being done specifically on battery technology. But if estimates under the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 are anything to go by, there lies a huge opportunity for Indian battery makers to leapfrog technology and be prepared for the demands of the future.

Today, it might be desirous to think of a world with free fuel – generated from solar, wind or air – but experiments like the one by IBM could throw open a whole new world of opportunities for many in the automotive world.

DEEPANGSHU DEV SARMAH Editor New Delhi, March 2013

autotechreview.com March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 1 COVER STORY EXHAUST SYSTEMS — SHAPING FUTURE TRENDS

26, 34, 40 | Exhaust systems are a hot topic of discussion and development for the automotive industry presently. With greenhouse gases undergoing a global reduction cycle, manufacturers are looking at every possible way to make exhausts smaller and cleaner. Re-using the exhaust gases is one of the key methods of achieving higher efficiency. In this issue, Auto Tech Review takes a look at the technologies being adopted and conceived to make the exhausts leaner and greener.

GUEST COMMENTARY

14 Smart Cities — India's Need of the Hour Tony Spizzichino, CEO, Telit RF Technologies

INTERVIEW

16 “We’ve Built Capabilities by Investing in People, Processes and Products” Sunil Kaul, Group President — Technology, Anand Group

2 CONTENTS

NEWS COVER STORY SHOPFLOOR

4 Interactions 26 Particulate Exhaust Aftertreatment of 56 FIEM Industries – Relying on 10 News Direct Injection Gasoline Engines Technology for Future Growth 12 Events Heike Többen, Jörg J Oesterle

TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT 34 Development of An Exhaust-Gas NEW VEHICLE Turbocharger for HD Daimler CV 20 Tube Hydroforming Technology: Engines 60 New Audi Q5  Evolution and Future Potential Elias Chebli, Markus Müller, Performance Enhanced Suresh Babu Muttana, Arghya Sardar Johannes Leweux, Andreas Gorbach

40 Automatic Shape Optimisation of DECODING TECHNOLOGY Exhaust Systems Christof Hinterberger, Rolf Kaiser, 64 Telematics: Simplicity To Mark Olesen Drive Adoption

TECHNOLOGY OTHERS

44 Safety By Self-Localisation — Using 01 Editorial Sattelites, Landmarks 03 Imprint Roland Krzikalla, Andreas Schindler, Matthias Wankerl, Reiner Wertheimer

50 Interfaces Using Gestures — Today’s Technology, Tomorrow’s Innovations Rick Kreifeldt, Hans Roth, Olaf Preissner, Thomas Vöhringer-Kuhnt

COVER FIGURE © Faurecia IMPRINT

Editor: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah Publisher & Managing Director: Editorial & Business Office: [email protected] Sanjiv Goswami Springer India Pvt Ltd 7th Floor | Vijaya Building | 17, Barakhamba Road Principal Correspondent: Arpit Mahendra Design & Production: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay New Delhi – 110001 | India [email protected] [email protected] + 91 11 4575 5888 (P) | +91 11 4575 5889 (F)

Deputy Manager – Ad Sales: Sudeep Kumar Auto Tech Review (ATR) is a monthly magazine focussed on automotive technology, and appears 12 times a year. Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Springer [email protected] India Pvt Ltd. No part of this magazine can be reproduced in any form, including photocopies and For Subscription orders and reader registrations, information retrieval systems, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Springer India For Editorial Contribution, write to the Editor at please visit www.autotechreview.com Pvt Ltd Limited reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever. [email protected] Printed and Published by Sanjiv Goswami on behalf of Springer India Pvt Ltd. Printed at Gokul Offset, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase – I, New Delhi and published at Springer India Pvt Ltd, 7th Floor, For Advertisements, write to Deputy Manager – Ad Sales at Or, contact Deputy Manager – Ad Sales at Vijaya Building, 17, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi. [email protected] [email protected] ©2013, Auto Tech Review autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 3 INTERACTION DELPHI, ZF

DELPHI | ELECTRONICS TO DRIVE GROWTH

Delphi Product & Services Solutions (DPSS) is pres- is a good opportunity for the company and last ently focusing on expanding its presence and tech- year the Indian aftermarket business grew beyond nical capability in the Indian aftermarket by focus- the industry average at about 14 %. However, the ing on the area of electronics. Indian consumers company sees an additional opportunity within have always been sensitive towards fuel efficiency the forecasted car numbers in India. and hence the related technology and parts are When asked of the opportunity in the two- already available in the market. The increasing wheeler segment, which presents a larger after- content on cars, including those by Indian OEMs market base, Faisal Matin, Country Direc- presents a major opportunity for introduction of tor, India, DPSS (right) acknowledged the new technologies, said Dominic Yuklam Seto, scope. However, he added that despite the poten- limited right now in India. As emission norms get MD, Asia Pacific, DPSS (left). tial, the company presently wants to focus on the stringent for two-wheelers, the adoption of elec- Rising awareness among consumers is passenger vehicle (PV) segment for now. The tronics will increase and that is where Delphi can bound to sustain this demand for long. “Most of reason for this is the technical strength Delphi help its customers with the right solutions. this content that gets increased will be in the has in the PV segment. Sectors such as two- In order to offer the right technology for a field of electronics and that’s what we’re doing,” wheelers and commercial vehicles are there to specific market/region, Delphi relies on leverag- said Seto, who is also the Vice President DPSS & explore and will be looked into at the right time, ing its global presence. The Indian technical Vice President, Delphi China in an interaction Matin said. centre of Delphi, for example, does a lot of work with Auto Tech Review at the 2013 Automechani- Seto added that Delphi intends to focus on its in the area of software, which is used by the ka New Delhi. strengths, one of which is electronics. In the two- company globally. However, the company ensures Seto said that the increasing car park in India wheeler segment, the content of electronics is that every product/technology is calibrated to meet local requirements. An example of this is the JV company, Alliance Friction Technologies, which manufactures brake pads for the Indian as well as global markets.

NEW PRODUCTS

New electronic products to be introduced in the Indian market will be built on three parameters – green, safe and connected, said Seto. Any new products will have to excel in each of these areas in order to make for a proper solution, he added. In India, within the green area, the company will continue to focus on technologies such as engine management electronics, electronic fuel pump and fuel system, among others. Similarly, the company will continuously look at launching new/ improved technologies in the areas of safety and infotainment as consumer awareness grows. Talking of the expected growth in the aftermarket area over the next decade or so, Matin expects a change across the landscape. He added that it’s imperative for any company to be in the right place and at the right time. DPSS through its wide product portfolio, especially in the electronics segment, is positioned well to grow with the Indian automotive industry in the long run.

TEXT : Arpit Mahendra

4 www.autotechreview.com ZF SERVICES | NEW NETWORK TO DRIVE EXPANSION

ZF Services, the after sales service division of ZF, plans to focus on expanding its passenger car business through an entirely new network, said, Bernd Grasser, General Manager & Head of ZF Services India. Developing the passenger vehicle business comprises the company’s next big target in the Indian market, for which a new distribution system will be installed. The division is already supplying products to companies such as BMW, Mercedes and Volkswa- gen, which either import or assemble models in India. In order to fuel further growth, ZF Services intends to cater to Indian, Korean and Japanese OEMs in the market. Grasser expects the passenger car business to gain more visibility in the next couple of years and about five years from now for the business to become established. The business in India is mainly dependent on the commercial vehicles segment for now. Buses and replenishment cycles are now getting in line to not flush the market with products and instead in particular are offering a rapidly growing busi- with the desired levels. The division is also looking focus on high-quality products. This will allow ZF ness to the division and ZF Services already has at developing its dealership network in order to Services to distinguish itself from the competition orders from some of the largest private bus fleet reach out to more customers across the country. and compliment the growth of its group business. operators in India. In order to develop the bus Localisation too will undergo an increase but will Talking of areas of improvement, he men- business further, the division is talking to or plan- include products, which aren’t a part of the tioned that Government policies in terms of infra- ning to talk to some of the state-run-transport present portfolio and are required for India. For structure development will also play an important corporations for their fleet maintenance and the other components, the plan right now is to role in the sector’s growth. Brasser added that a related services. continue with imports. change in taxation between states is essential as Grasser talked about the importance of India as Quite importantly, the business is expected to the present scenario has a lot of uncertainties at- a market with huge potential, but also highlighted grow at a healthy pace in India as it’s well-inte- tached to it. The presently exploited grey areas the unique challenges associated with the market. grated with the growth of the group business in the aren’t helping suppliers in any way. Despite this, Some of these are unique demands in terms of country. The Services division established an office the growing population and its demand fuelled by pricing and technology. A company better known for in Indian in 2010 and has witnessed a steady a growing private sector will continue to generate offering higher value, ZF needs to adjust and strike growth in business since then. In the calendar growth for businesses in the long-run and contin- a balance to suit Indian conditions. years 2011 and 2012, the division grew 38 %. ue to project India as a long-term market for com- A major recent step taken in order to quicken ZF Services is responsible for offering a lot panies worldwide. the growth was the setting up of a new warehouse more beyond parts availability. This includes of- in Pune, Maharashtra. The facility became opera- fering maintenance services, which is crucial for tional just a few months back and the availability the growth of the group business. The strategy is TEXT : Arpit Mahendra

Source: www.asam.net

autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 5 INTERACTION FORD, DICV

FORD | FLEXIBILITY IN MATERIAL PLANNING KEY

powertrain perspective. The answer lies in being to go deeper and have more knowledge and flexible, said Stephen J Harley, Executive Director, access. We are using technology extensively to Global Material Planning & Logistics and Parts understand demand signals and provide a far Supply & Logistics, Ford. more accurate forecast.” From the materials perspective, it is important Through the years, Ford has deliberately de- to anticipate forecast, and that’s what Harley’s signed factories that have a flexible production team has been working on. “Being a large global system, manufacturing both vehicles and power- company, it is important to get a correct forecast train in diesel and petrol variants. While Tier I of demand. We’ve invested quite a lot of time and suppliers may have a degree of flexibility, they money in trying to manage demand. But we also need to ensure they remain flexible further down need to take into account calamities like the the sourcing chain. Moreover, for companies nur- tsunami in Japan, and floods in Thailand,” Harley turing global aspirations, it’s important to be flex- said during his recent trip to India. ible, even to the extent of being able to survive There are constraints on certain manufac- natural calamities, Harley said. tured components, and Ford is trying to pull to- The global demand for electromobility has also gether that information and get a short-term fix. brought about an interesting challenge for com- Challenges of material planning and logistics, for Concurrently, it is also trying to develop meas- panies that need to procure specific materials, a global company of the magnitude of Ford Motor ures for the future so that the company can more which often border on being hazardous. Battery Company, is exceptionally high. While the drive is appropriately provide guidance to the suppliers’ components, for instance, is one such product towards ensuring efficient logistical operations, community, which also relies on multiple tiers. that requires special conditions for shipping. what makes it complicated is the multitude of “We concentrate on the first tier, but one of the platforms on offer, both from the products and things those disasters showed us it that we got TEXT : Deepangshu Dev Sarmah

ACMA AUTOMECHANIKA | MAKES SUCCESSFUL INDIA DEBUT

Messe Frankfurt organised the first ever ACMA Automechanika in New Delhi - India’s first-ever aftermarket focussed show. The exhibition was held across a space of 9,500 sqm and hosted 258 exhibitors from 12 countries. Countries such as China, Germany, Taiwan, Italy and the United Kingdom had individual pavilions. The number of visitors was good, thereby es- tablishing a sound platform for the further edi- tions of the show. The show was inaugurated by Praful Patel, Minister of Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises, Government of India. Speaking about the state of affairs in the Indian automotive aftermarket, Surinder Kanwar, President, ACMA, said, “The automotive aftermarket in India is currently growing at a pace of 10 to 15 %. Although the industry is growing, it portance of reducing counterfeiting, which is a Benara Udyog. From an overall perspective the is currently going through a rough patch.” major deterrent to the growth of the aftermarket. show turned out to be a successful venture and Sharing pre-budget recommendations, Mr. Some of the key technology introductions at set the right tone for its successive edition. A Kanwar said there is need for reversal of high the event included Glysantin range of automotive two-day conference titled ‘Opportunities and imports vis-a-vis exports. This request though radiator coolant by BASF, PCL-SUMO N2 Genera- Challenges for the Indian Auto Component In- hasn’t been fulfilled as seen in the recently an- tor cum inflator by PCL-SUMO and brake disc dustry and Aftermarket’ was organised concur- nounced budget. He also emphasised on the im- pads for L.C.V. cars and two/three wheelers by rently with the exhibition.

6 www.autotechreview.com BHARATBENZ | BETTING ON LIGHT-DUTY TRUCKS

Building further on its encouraging sales of over 1,000 trucks in 2012, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd (DICV) recently launched the light-duty (LDT) range of trucks under its BharatBenz brand. The three-model range was launched in the price range of `10.15 and `13.58 lakh, ex-showroom, Chennai. The range will be produced at the company’s plant in Ora- gadam, Chennai. The 914 and 1214 Rigid are aimed at the haulage segment, whereas the 1217 Tipper is for the construction segment. The trucks are powered by a four-cylinder common rail engine producing 140 hp for the rigid variants and 170 hp for the tipper model. At the launch, we got the opportunity to interact with Aydogan Cakmaz, Vice-President, Product Engi- neering, DICV (right) and Georg able to meet future emission norms as well. Key corrosion and is good for about five to eight Weiberg, Vice-President, Daimler features of the engine include four-valve and years, depending on various factors. The Trucks & Head of Truck Product Engi- common-rail technology considering the segment company also offers two types of six-speed neering, Daimler AG (left). offering. Owing to the technical advancements, transmissions to suit long-haulage or construc- Cakmaz said the LDT range consists of the engine is claimed to offer higher fuel effi- tion applications, one from FUSO and the other vehicle developed specifically for India and ciency and reliability. Power too is higher than from Daimler. makes use of a supplier network from the segment standards and is an important factor An important yet less looked into factor in country. The range is based on the FUSO Fighter as it allows operators to complete more trips in India is that of driver comfort in the truck for the chassis & FUSO Canter for the Cab. lesser time. This has been one of the key reasons segment. BharatBenz claims its transmission Talking further of the supply chain, he said that for the success of the brand in India despite with cable-shifting technology is extremely easy the company has already achieved 85 % locali- commanding a price premium. to use and takes off a significant amount of sation for the LDT range, with most suppliers One key area of work for India was to prevent burden from the drivers. Cabin comfort too is in from the state of Tamil Nadu. corrosion, for which the engineers had to adopt line with the characteristics of the FUSO brand The 3.9 l engine is a modernised unit and methods beyond simple painting of the chassis. and offers the best-in-class quality. complies with BS III emission norms, but is scal- Powder-coating came up as a solution to counter Talking of cost-optimisation, Weiberg made it clear that no kind of de-contenting was carried out on the trucks. In order to lower costs, the company looked at every possible way to make processes efficient. The high fuel efficiency has turned out to be a fulfilled promise since the launch of Bharat- Benz in India. Weiberg stated that this has been possible due to the combination of technologies such as efficient combustion, right gear ratios, friction reduction, and aerodynamic efficiency. As Cakmaz and his team continue to develop vehicles tailor-made for India, it’s clear that technology will continue to spearhead the company’s strategy in India.

TEXT : Arpit Mahendra

autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 7 INTERACTION CONTINENTAL

CONTINENTAL | PERSISTENT FOCUS ON SAFETY TO DRIVE GROWTH

Despite the fact that India has one of the lowest systems in the vehicle, including cameras, infra- pay for safety. “Our products are modular and penetration of vehicles among emerging markets, red, radar systems, or the passive safety systems. scalable and that gives us the flexibility to the country has the dubious distinction of regis- With car-to-car (C2C) and car-to-infrastructure downsize and offer the right product to the con- tering the highest number of road fatalities glob- (C2X) communication gaining popularity, Conti- sumer, at the right price. We are aware of the ally. While pedestrian safety standards continue nental has been investing a lot of effort trying to price sensitiveness of Indian consumers, but we to be worked upon, many global suppliers of auto- get information not just from sensors in the want to ensure that this price sensitivity would motive safety products and equipments and their vehicle, but also from the environment, traffic not kill our approach to bring safety on to the OE customers have been on the forefront of intro- jams, and other vehicles on the road. streets,” he said. ducing measures to ensure vehicle occupants as “The safety potential by networking the system Markets like India, and other emerging well as pedestrians are safe on Indian roads. is not something related only to Europe or North markets, have been the focus for Kueppers and One such supplier is the German major, Conti- America, but has huge potential in India as well. his team of late. There’s an understanding that nental. On a recent trip to India, Auto Tech Review We are completely sure that our EBS systems market penetration in India comes from the top. caught up with Nino Romano, Vice Presi- could help cut down road fatalities in India by at High-end cars already come with all necessary dent Functions Development, Electronic least one-fifth,” assured Romano. safety features, and the first signals of the middle Brake Systems, Continental and Martin The initial challenge for Continental was to segment cars being introduced with safety fea- Kueppers, Vice President Sales & Busi- engineer safety products suited to the Indian tures is now getting visible, Kueppers said. There ness Development, Electronic Brake market, but bringing safety awareness to the end- is a visible pull effect in the market – if one man- Systems, Continental to understand what lies consumer is also becoming a core area of its re- ufacturer starts offering safety features, others ahead from the Continental stable that promises sponsibility. There has never been a challenge big will have to follow soon, he observed. to curb road accidents in India. enough from an engineering perspective; however, “Indians by nature are value conscious, but Two critical components in modern vehicles pushing safety to a value conscious Indian con- we continue to see a surge in awareness for safety that help push the safety envelope are the EBS sumer is quite another task. in this market. Even in the two-wheeler segment, and ESC systems. The effort, Romano explained, Romano said the company is trying to under- we’ve had the introduction of the first ABS system is to let the products network with different stand how much the end-consumer is willing to in India, and consumers understand the benefit of

8 www.autotechreview.com this product in saving lives,” Kueppers noted. TVS aimed at the emerging markets, and is signifi- Continental is eyeing the entry level A- and B- Motor Company was the first Indian two-wheeler cantly better compared to its predecessor. The segment cars. manufacturer to offer an ABS (Anti-lock Braking modular product makes scalability possible, and The new MK 100 went into series production in System) in the Apache RTR 180. it makes it possible to install ABS/ESC in all European and Asian platforms in 2011, and many The ABS offered on the TVS Apache is a good vehicle categories – right from a two-wheeler to a more OEMs in Europe, NAFTA and Asia have con- example of modularity practiced by Continental. large SUV. firmed their acceptance of the product for future This unit comes with a single control on the front Romano said the MK 100 is 30 % lighter com- vehicle platforms. wheel, but Romano said the product is capable of pared with the earlier ESC generation, but that is being scaled up as per the requirement. “If there not due to any change in material used. The valve OTHER VARIANTS is a demand for more safety features in the Indian characteristics of the aluminium valve block have two-wheeler industry, we can easily put in addi- been optimised, and Continental engineers have The MK 100 ABS Entry variant, which was specifi- tional safety features in the system.” been able to bring in the same hydraulic forces in cally designed for the hatchback and small sedan There’s absolutely no compromise on safety the system by less weight, and less steel in the segments in growing markets, will be locally pro- and reliability, Kueppers assured, but “we do valve. “To bring in the 30 % weight reduction, we duced in India, along with China and Brazil. The compromise on noise behaviour. Customers in reduced the size of the valve, which also means packaging of this variant is compact and ex- mature markets tend to be very sensitive towards we reduced the size of the valve block, reduced tremely light at less than 1.2 kg, and fits in the noise. Indian consumers, being not too sensitive the quantity of aluminium and reduced the size of MK 100 ESC M box dimensions. The XT version can about noise, give us the liberty to work and reduce the motor,” he explained. be extended to cover the D-segment as well, some cost from the system.” Interestingly, throughout the MK 100 product stated an earlier company release. While a lot of these aspects are regulatory family, the hydraulic and electrical interfaces are One of the exciting new steps the company is driven, Continental has assured laws of the land compatible with each other. That makes the undertaking is in the area of environment and would not stop them from introducing safety fea- product easily applicable for OEM platform con- CO2 reduction. “Our focus through the MK 100 tures and equipments in the Indian market. cepts wanting to benefit from a truly scalable system is to take care of the requirements emerg- Notably, the European Union has voted in favour product range. ing out of electric and hybrid vehicles, for in- of mandatory ABS for new motorcycles over 125cc In the past, the company had made applica- stance. These vehicles also need a total inde- from 2016. Kueppers confirmed they are currently tions for different vehicle segments, but with pendent brake system,” said Romano. in talks with other two-wheeler makers in India, growing demands for efficiency, it worked on a That’s where the MK 100 ESC Hybrid steps in. and believes it’s just a matter of time before system that had the same levels of safety, func- It is based on a standard hydraulic brake others opt for it. tionality and performance. The design concept system, but has an additional brake pedal posi- will produce added functional value even for tion sensor. “In EVs and hybrids, we have to cut MK 100 – INDIA BOUND? price-driven, entry-level versions, and that is off the brakes from the driver pretty much what gives Kueppers and Romano the confidence totally, because every manufacturer wants that Continental has continued to invest in improving that there will be a keen request for the MK 100 the brake energy that we’re applying on the cal- braking performance through several decades. from Indian manufacturers as well, because liper, is not wasted. They want the brake energy The newly introduced MK 100 brake family is to be recovered,” explained Romano. The regen- erative braking with the MK 100 makes the recu- peration of braking energy possible. The braking energy is converted into electric power that is used to charge the vehicle battery. Romano and Kueppers are convinced about the Indian potential for safety products. With a growing level of maturity and awareness, it’s but a matter of time that consumers will start de- manding products that ensure enhanced safety, they believe.

TEXT : Deepangshu Dev Sarmah

MK100 is based on a modular product family and MK100 ESC Premium Hybrid is based on a stand- can be scaled as desired ard hydraulic brake system

autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 9 NEWS MISCELLANEOUS

TOYOTA | INAUGURATES GASOLINE ENGINE & TRANSMISSION PLANT

TKAP’s new plant is in line with Toyota’s global engine plant is rated at 108,000 while for the strategy in which Indian plays an important part. transmission plant it’s capped at 240,000 units. More specifically, the Etios lineup is an important Given the flexible manufacturing strategy of part of the Indian strategy for the company. Toyota, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this The facility will manufacture petrol engines number going up if needed. The company though for the Etios line-up to start with, pushing the is yet to make an official statement on the pro- localisation ratio to over 90 % for the engine duction scalability of the plant. and transmission. The facility manufactures the Speaking of the new facility, Yuji Hiraoka, R-Type manual transmission for the Fortuner Managing Director, TKAP, said, “We are very made in India. These units are also exported to happy to announce the formal commencement of Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) inaugurated its new Thailand and Argentina. The overall powertrain our new Engine and Transmission plant. This gasoline engine and transmission plant in Bidadi, localisation rate will significantly be increased project has helped us generate additional em- Banagalore. The plant is owned by Toyota Kirlo- due to the new plant. ployment for more than 500 members at TKAP. It skar Auto Parts Pvt Ltd (TKAP), a JV between The TKAP plant was established with an in- has also additionally created opportunities for Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan, Toyota Indus- vestment of 500 crore and while the engine plant indirect employment in our supplier fraternity. tries Corporation of Japan and Kirloskar Systems became operational in August 2012, the trans- TKAP will contribute towards localisation thereby Limited. The new facility is located in the campus mission plant became recently operational in getting an opportunity to serve our customers in of the existing plant on the outskirts of Bangalore. January 2013. Annual production capacity for the India better.”

MILESTONE | TWO MILLIONTH TRUCK FROM TATA’S JAMSHEDPUR PLANT

Tata Motors’ Jamshedpur plant recently rolled out manufactures 200 its two-millionth truck marking a production land- units of the 697/497 mark for the company. The truck completing the engines per day. production number was a Prima 2528.K. The occa- Owing to recent sion also offered an insight into the modernisation advancements in activity in the plant over the past decade or so. manufacturing tech- The Jamshedpur facility manufactures the nology, the plant’s company’s entire range of medium and heavy main assembly line commercial vehicles for both civilian and defence now rolls out one truck applications. Products from the plant are also ex- every five minutes. ported to markets such as South Africa, Russia, The foundry shop is Myanmar, the SAARC region and the Middle East. claimed to be one of The design & engineering centre at the facili- the most automated ty is claimed to be a world-class unit and is re- foundries in the world. sponsible for conceptualisation and development The advanced high of the complete truck range. The centre is pressure moulding capable of undertaking digital designing through line has a production 3D visualisation of truck models and the electri- capacity of 90 moulds cal systems. Functions such as benchmarking, per hour. Similarly, the prototype planning, vehicle assembly, chassis forging unit too is fabrication and a customisation unit are carried modern and can churn out in the same facility. out front axle beams and crankshafts at a speed of today released its two millionth truck. We have The testing unit encompasses engine perfor- 90 seconds and 120 seconds, respectively. modernised the plant through the years, which mance testing, indoor and outdoor vehicle Speaking of the production milestone, Karl today produces our most technologically rich and testing, NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) Slym, Managing Director, Tata Motors, high performing civilian and defence products, testing, durability testing and other performance said, We are proud that the mother plant of the catering to customers across the world.” related developments. The engine shop presently company, from where our operations started, has

10 www.autotechreview.com HONDA CARS INDIA | FOURTH-GENERATION CR-V KTM TO EXPAND PRODUCT PORTFOLIO Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) launched the new IN INDIA | TWO NEW CR-V at a starting price of ` 19.95 lakh, nearly a PRODUCTS IN A YEAR year after its global launch. The fourth generation CR-V is based on an all-new platform, but carries similar design traits, making it easy to associate it with the CR-V design language. The SUV is offered in four variants with two engine options, a 2 l and 2.4 l i-VTEC petrol. The 2 l variant will be offered with a six-speed manual and five-speed automatic transmission, while the larger 2.4 l variant will be offered only with a five-speed automatic box. The former engine develops about 155 hp, while the latter 5” TFT Colour screen for multi-info display, rear KTM AG, the Austrian bike manufacturer partly- generates about 188 hp. ARAI certified fuel-effi- camera, dual zone A/C, steering mounted con- owned by Bajaj Auto, has recorded sales of 8,500 ciency is rated at 13.7 km/l for the 2 l and 12 trols, cruise control and leather seats also comes units in 2012. Since its launch in January 2012, km/l for the 2.4 l version. as standard on all the variants. The top variant KTM has become the largest selling premium mo- Safety ranks high across the range as even though gets a 6.1 inch colour screen. torcycle (priced above ` 1 lakh) brand in India. the base model of the SUV is offered with six Local assembly of the vehicle has allowed Building further on this success, KTM has airbags, ABS with EBD and motion adaptive HCIL to cut prices by up to ` 2.7 lakh as com- decided to expand its product portfolio in India electronic power steering. The higher models pared to the older CR-V. In the long run, the local and will launch two new street bikes in the next also get hill start assist. The SUV comes with in- manufacturing could prove to be a boon as one year. The company will first launch the 45 hp tegrated audio including CD, MP3, USB, and iPod Honda gradually starts getting its diesel engines Duke 390 in mid-2013. Expected to be priced at connectivity. into India. The new CR-V is priced between ` about ` 2 lakh, the 390 will be a unique product Features including alloy wheels, fog lamps, 19.95 and 23.85 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. in the market at its time of launch. In early 2014, the company will launch another bike, which will be inspired by RC8 and Moto 3 racing motorcycles. Although uncon- firmed, the bike is expected to be powered by a NEW PRODUCT | FORCE MOTORS GURKHA 250 cc engine and will compete with the likes of Kawasaki Ninja 250R, the Honda CBR250R and Force Motors launched the new Gurkha off-road- 2,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a five speed the Hyosung GT250R. er at the International Bus and Utility Show synchromesh transmission with high and low More interestingly, unlike the Duke 200, which 2013. Based on the legendary Mercedes Geland- options on transfer case. A unique inclusion is was designed by KTM and Bajaj engineers collec- ewagen (G Wagon), the Gurkha is priced between differential locks on both front and rear axles, tively for the Indian market, the RC25 is expected ` 6.25-8.5 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. making Gurkha a capable off-roader. to be a global product. Both the new offerings The Gurkha is powered by a 2.6 l turbo-diesel The Gurkha comes with a factory fitted AC from KTM will be manufactured in India by Bajaj Mercedes OM616 engine. The BS III compliant unit and power steering unit, sturdier instrument Auto at its Chakan facility. The company will also engine produces about 81 hp of power @ 3,200 cluster and dual toned interiors. The front display its 1,190 cc flagship racing bike RC8 in rpm and a torque of 230 Nm between 1,800- section has redesigned headlights and a new Probiking showrooms from March 2013. grille, roof rails, alloy wheels and a stainless The KTM-Bajaj auto alliance has 70 Bajaj steel intake snorkel. Probiking dealerships in India with plans to in- The reinforced tubular chassis of the Gurkha crease the number to 75 in the coming months, is claimed to withstand torsional stresses, which making it the largest dealer network among all the vehicle gets subjected to in extreme off-road premium motorcycle brands. situations. The independent front suspension Commenting on KTM’s achievements on its with solid torsion bar has been improved to 1st launch anniversary Amit Nandi, Vice Presi- enhance Gurkha’s ride comfort. Moreover, thanks dent (Probiking) Bajaj Auto, and responsible for to a newly designed engine compartment, the KTM in India said, “When someone wants to buy a NVH levels of the vehicle are also claimed to be thorough-bred racing machine he knows that significantly lower. KTM is the only one.”

autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 11 EVENTS AUTOMACH 2013, IBUV

AUTOMACH 2013 | HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED OF THE HOUR

tion is increasingly adopted. The industry would directly benefit from higher productivity and lower costs while offering better overall quality. Contrary to the common perception of machinery killing jobs, it was highlighted that automation can lead to an increase in employment in the long-run. Environment-friendly manufacturing techniques too are gaining great importance worldwide and India can’t shy from adopting it. This however can only be done through using efficient machines, which deliver more for lesser energy. Deep Kapuria, Managing Director, Hi-tech Gears & Chairman, Steering Committee, Automach 2013 said that the Indian manufacturing sector can contribute substantially more to the GDP, provided automation is adopted, R&D is strengthened, skilled labour is developed and The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), suc- from the globe at one place. Various companies quality standards are raised. cessfully conducted the first edition of Automach showcased new and innovative solutions, which Automach 2013 managed to prove through a 2013 in association with the Society of Indian Au- could help manufacturers add efficiency to many course of three-days that automation is the need tomobile Manufacturers (SIAM). The show was of their existing processes. A good thing about Au- of hour for the Indian automotive industry. The unique due to its industry-first focus on machin- tomach 2013 was the diversity of the technology industry is presently at a stage from where it ery, robotics and automation exclusively for the showcased. There were solutions ranging from au- could grow into one of the leading vehicle automotive industry. tomated cutters to fully-automated painting makers globally. The fallout of failing to do it The Indian automotive sector is presently robots under one roof. right now is that there are many other markets transitioning to being capable of delivering high The event also played host to presentations developing at a faster pace and could leave us industrial outputs consistently with high quality. from experts across the industry. In one of the behind. Automation is one of the key methods of Despite being a country with high-population, we presentations, it was highlighted that the Indian ensuring we emerge as a prominent member of cannot use the people count as a primary resource manufacturing sector can attain and maintain a the changing world order. for growth. The reason is that to err is human higher rate of growth in the long-run if automa- nature and this nature could prove detrimental to the sector. Even countries such as China have adopted automation at an appreciable pace, re- flecting its importance. Another concern for manufacturers these days is efficient use of space as production space is getting expensive and can no longer rise as it used to some years back. Manufacturers across industries are trying to find better efficiency in each square metre of production area so that cost can be kept in check. Putting together thousands of parts and making them work together requires perfection to the levels of thousandth parts of millimeters at times. Such requirements necessitate a wider adoption of automation by Indian auto players. The only way the industry can fulfill these requirements is through widespread adoption of machinery and automation. The show served as a good platform at bringing together robotics and machinery suppliers

12 www.autotechreview.com SIAM | INTERNATIONAL BUS & UTILITY VEHICLE SHOW 2013

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers transport needs in Indian cities. Being an af- vehicle customisation companies, which serve (SIAM) held the first edition of a new show - Inter- fordable and convenient means, buses are used both personal and commercial needs. These national Bus & Utility Vehicle Show 2013 (IBUV). by all sections of the society. This presents an products included modified Maruti Suzuki Gypsy The show was held at India Expo Mart in Greater excellent opportunity for bus manufacturers and from Hyperformance Motorsports and mo- Noida, which will also serve as the new venue for the Indian bus industry is already one of the torhomes from PCP. The PCP Terrahome is a mo- the Auto Expo in 2014. We were at the show largest in the world. Along with a steady in- torhome module mounted on the back of a Mahi- through its planned four days and have formed a crease in production, recent years have also seen ndra Genio. brief report for our readers to understand the need good advancements in areas such as safety, ef- Overall, the show was a success in its own for this show. ficiency and technology. way and managed to offer SIAM and various other Visitor participation at the show was appre- The recent growth in infrastructure too has agencies with an insight into what it might take ciable despite the increased distance and lack of significantly helped the sector grow in the past to organize an event of much larger size. With the public transport in comparison with Pragati few years. City modernisation schemes such as IBUV now concluded, the industry can start Maidan. The venue in itself is modern and re- Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal looking forward to the Auto Expo with higher ex- flects global standards of infrastructure. IBUV Mission (JNNURM) have played a pivotal role in pectations than the previous edition suggested. 2013 served as a successful platform in ena- enabling the industry produce bling bus & UV makers to showcase their prod- world-class vehicles on a ucts to the central & state transport agencies mass-scale. Considering the and private fleet operators. importance of bus and utility The show also served as a test-bed for the vehicles in the growth of the Auto Show and will provide SIAM with crucial economy, SIAM conceived an feedback about various aspects. Given that this all-new platform. was an all-new show, visitor and exhibitor par- A noticeable trend at the ticipation was appreciable. Key OEM participants show was effort from all man- included Ashok Leyland, Force Motors, Mahindra, ufacturers towards efficiency, Nissan, SML Isuzu and Tata Motors. On the first both in terms of environment day of the event, Force Motors used the platform and space. Almost every to launch a new off-roading vehicle Gurkha. vehicle had some or the other Other companies also showcased their key prod- technique implemented to ucts in order to highlight their ability to help provide the maximum possible make public transportation better. volume in a given area of Buses are an important mode of public surface. Another attraction at transport in India and cater to most of the public the show was the presence of

autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 13 GUEST COMMENTARY

TONY SPIZZICHINO, Chief Executive Ofﬁ cer, Telit RF Technologies

SMART CITIES — INDIA’S NEED OF THE HOUR

INTRODUCTION dustrial Corridor. As these projects expand and mature individually, Indian cities will be ready for technology integration The concept of a smart city is a relatively new one. Cities in – which is in a nascent stage right now. the developed world are formulating technology master plans and then using these plans to develop a citywide command and control network that monitors and optimises the delivery CUSTOMISABLE MODEL of services like power, water, traffic and healthcare. The basic premise of a smart city is making infrastructure network and Seven new cities coming up along the Delhi-Mumbai Industri- delivery of services more efficient – across telecommunica- al Corridor will also use smart technologies with a total in- tion, logistics, water and gas supply. vestment of $ 90 bn over a decade. The government is looking Indian cities, in a small way, are using advanced technolo- at mass systems and digital technology that cuts across power, gy within departments to solve problems. These include traffic water, safety and transport needs. While technology firms are control, using sensors to monitor water leaks, tracking gar- working on digital master plans, the models will be customis- bage trucks through global positioning systems to ensure they able to adapt to Indian realities. dump their waste at designated landfills, energy management Typically in a smart city, sensors will provide real-time in- in smart buildings and complexes. puts to a control centre on clean water, energy, public trans- Also under development are smart townships that are con- port, public safety, education, and healthcare. Intelligent com- trolled centrally, and entire cities along the Delhi-Mumbai In- munication tools will let administrators manage and respond

14 www.autotechreview.com to emergencies quickly as well as provide residents with con- ule has short-wave radio links that help in monitoring ground- stant real-time inputs. water levels for cities and water boards. Field trials are going But what about old urban centres? Can smart technologies on involving smart water meters that employ wireless mod- help re-engineer utility systems and delivery? Water distribu- ules for radio frequency communications over a metro area tion systems, for example, were built 50 to 100 years ago and network to a concentrator/gateway that aggregates the traffic badly need upgrading. Revenues of $ 14 bn are being lost ac- and then transmits the data over GSM. cording to the World Bank, which makes a compelling eco- This is a combination of local and wide-area technologies. nomic case for better water metering. Smart water grids that Smart metering is coming to electricity, gas and water meters leverage the value of smart water meters in homes and other in that order. From a machine-to-machine perspective, there is buildings are being deployed, albeit slowly. According to a re- little difference between electricity, gas and water meters. port from Pike Research, the global installed base of smart They measure the consumption of separate resources, but meters with two-way communication capabilities will only there is no reason — no technical reason — why they should reach 29.9 mn by 2017, up from 10.3 mn in 2011. not share the same communications network. Data from all A major city in the developed world is creating an ultra three sources can go over the same local area network and be high-speed broadband network along its waterfront area, with aggregated in the same concentrator and be sent over the speeds of 100 Mbps for residences and 10 Gbps for commer- same cellular network. cial establishments. This network is supposed to help deploy a There is a massive amount of computing power inside such large number of new services like telemedicine, distance edu- wireless modules and it can be employed to identify the rele- cation, virtual tourism, and several business applications. vant resource and send the data packets to the relevant utility. Wembley Stadium in London went through a major overhaul, In fact, telecommunications service providers can help integrating all building safety systems with data, video and make cities smarter by supporting machine-to-machine (M2M) voice communications, and then using an intelligent control and machine-to-machine-to-human (M2M2H) communica- solution, making it the most technically advanced sports stadi- tions. Smart cities demand common open platforms and an um in the world. information and communication technology infrastructure that can support high-speed Internet access across wireline and wireless networks. This infrastructure requires two key THE INDIAN EXPERIENCE components: 1. An all-IP core network that can seamlessly integrate wire- Even in India, there are departments that are beginning to em- line and wireless technologies and create a converged infra- ploy smart technologies. Bangalore’s traffic police have 180 structure for buildings and ICT systems; cameras around the city managed from a control room, mak- 2. A broadband access network that can integrate systems ing it the most advanced traffic management system in India. through wireless, wireline, copper, fibre and other access In the power distribution sector, smart meters are gradual- technologies. ly being used, which have various advantages over the exist- Such an infrastructure will not only enable machine-to-ma- ing electricity meters like real time two communication, anti- chine technologies but also help enabling advanced services tamper capability, remote disconnection and reconnection ca- and applications such as telecommunication coordination, ur- pability, remote load control, energy loss calculation, automat- ban traffic management, lighting and energy management, ic energy loss calculation, automatic energy loss alert by text and access and security networks. or email, pre-disconnection advice and remote configuration There is huge pressure on the Indian government to build of multiple tariffs. Such meters can store information up to new and smart cities. Every minute, 20 Indians move into cit- 100 days. ies. A recent analysis by Booz and Company says that India’s In the state of Andhra Pradesh, for example, distribution urban population will increase by 140 mn in 10 years and 700 companies or discoms, as they are called, have been closely mn in four decades. To avoid total collapse of the urban envi- monitoring real time energy losses, voltage levels at consumer ronment, India has to build new smart cities and re-engineer end, peak demand and tamper alerts with their own staff. By the old ones. installing more smart meters, power distribution companies can monitor outage management effectively and time taken for restoration can be reduced. The consumers can also closely monitor their appliance-wise consumption and plan for load management. One of the biggest facilitators of smart technologies in urban landscapes is machine-to-machine technology. Smart meters are smart because they can disseminate information about resource use over a communication network; and machine-to- machine technology performs that job admirably. For example, a wireless module within a utility meter – with huge computing power and a powerful embedded proces- Read this article on sor – allows customers’ applications to run inside it. The mod- www.autotechreview.com autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 15 INTERVIEW TECHNOLOGY CUSTOMISATION

“WE’VE BUILT CAPABILITIES BY INVESTING IN PEOPLE, PROCESSES AND PRODUCTS”

Through the last half a century and more, the Anand Group has grown to become one of India’s most diversified automotive suppliers. A group that manages 21 global partnerships, including 15 joint ventures and six technical collaborations, challenges are manifold. Sunil Kaul, Group President – Technology, In- novation & Automation, Anand Group explains how the organisation has gone about creating an environment of breakthrough innovation, even while customising technologies from its partners for the Indian automotive industry.

A veteran of 27 years with the Anand Group, Sunil Kaul wears moved to Behr India in 1996. Between 1999 and 2004, Kaul spent several hats within the organisation. As the Group President – five years on deputation to Behr GmbH, Germany. He rejoined Technology, Innovation and Automation, Kaul is responsible to Behr India upon his return and was subsequently appointed MD direct and steer the technology and innovation focus of the group in January 2009. He is the Chairman of the Boards of Haldex as a whole. He is Managing Director, Behr India Limited and is India and Victor Gaskets India and is a member on the Board of also a member of the Anand Policy Committee and the Anand Takata India. Kaul holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Management Committee. a Certificate in Management Education Networking from the He joined Anand in 1985 at Purolator India, and subsequently Stuttgart Institute of Management & Technology.

16 www.autotechreview.com ATR_ For a group that believes in custom- change the mindset of my team. Talk to us about the Tata Nano experi- ising technologies from partners for the I didn’t want to start with product ence, especially from the view of technol- Indian industry, how do you approach innovation. We are essentially manufac- ogy customisation. innovation from a product perspective? turing companies, and we do get technol- We had many products in the Nano. To SUNIL KAUL _ There are two aspects to ogies from our joint ventures. But we do give a customer a quality product at low innovation. Primarily, innovation is not have a strong engineering focus as well. cost is always a big challenge, and to invention. Any significant improvement For the last 6-8 months, we have looked become a supplier for this project, we that is made, we call it a breakthrough at product innovation in a structured had to innovate. In the automotive seg- and that could be in any field. In opera- way. But product innovation is a lengthy ment, we normally get a blueprint or a tions, for instance, reducing inventory by process, and might take up to five years drawing specification from OEMs. Our 30 % is a big breakthrough. Within the for real innovation to happen. contact with the end consumer is mini- group, any improvement beyond 30 % is More importantly, innovation is now mal as against the OEM. But the knowl- innovation. part of the group culture. Every company edge of my product is more with me than For the last two and half years, we’ve has an innovation head leading 7-8 the OEM. In this case, we went out of the been working on a specific programme on teams working on innovative projects. way to contact the end-customer, and innovation for all group companies – His job is to teach methodology, and wherever we deemed necessary, we focussed on motivating people to take facilitate teams to use the tools to tweaked specifications. hard challenges, and also giving them a achieve their targets. We aren’t worried Normally specifications come in from tool with which they can think beyond. about results, but want to ensure we European and American companies, and It’s a programme that begins with struc- improve our methodology. We have cre- they don’t gel well with Indian condi- tured brainstorming, after which we move ated strong engineering teams in compa- tions. That’s where adaptation or cus- to benchmarking. Having looked at nies like Gabriel, Behr and Mahle, for tomisation comes in. Now, a lot of global benchmarking, and provided you still instance. For us, it’s a matter of driving customers come to us asking for custom- don’t have an answer, we look at other innovation now. ised solutions. industries as well – say for example the jewellery industry. What’s the average spend on R&D within A term that came to be accepted glob- Breakthrough innovation comes from the group? ally with the Nano is ‘frugal engineer- different fields, not from your own field – In some of our companies, we spend 2.5 ing’. Has that become a mantra for engi- that’s what we believe in. It’s possible to to 3 % of our revenues on R&D. We neering universally? benchmark and manage 5-10 % improve- have never been restrictive on funds for Frugality is in our genes. If you look at ment from your own field, but to get to 30 R&D, at least for the last two years. I the American or European way of devel- % improvement, you need to look at believe budgets need to be reviewed fre- oping a product, you can’t match the cost other fields as well. quently, say every three months, and challenge in any manner. Today, the see the direction that the project is tak- design to market time in India, at times, is How did you arrive at that 30 % figure? ing. If required, it should be modified, lower than what you have in Europe. And As a group, we are so engrossed with Kai- else restricted. you can only do that with frugal engineer- zen that everyone looks at a 5-6 % improvement every time. And with the world moving so fast, we’d be nowhere chasing 5-6 % improvements. That’s where we thought of bringing in a change of mindset. Following Kaizen is very important for sustenance, but to lead we need to go beyond. Hence, we put a thumb figure of 30 % and said if we achieve this, we’d be close to breakthrough innovation. Lot of our companies improved productivity by 30 %. They improved the yield of the basic material by 30 %, hence reducing cost of raw material to the extent of 30 %. Many within the group improved their energy consumption by 30 %. So, for the last two and half years, we’ve been working on changing the culture of the whole organisation. To me, benefits were important, but not crucial. It was more important to For over two years, Kaul has been working at changing the mindset in the organisation autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 17 INTERVIEW TECHNOLOGY CUSTOMISATION

certainly isn’t a cakewalk, and price does play a big role. Some might use cost as bait, but that’s a short-term game plan.

As far as technology is concerned, talk about the areas wherein the group has developed core competences. We don’t have a central competence pool, and I don’t believe that’s the right way of looking at developing capabilities. Each company in the group has its own core competence, specific knowledge to develop the right products, be it in the areas of electronics, mechanical or mechatronics.

Mechatronics is widely regarded as a need for the future. Would you agree? There is a thought towards mechatronics as the future, and to that measure, there is a need. We look at mechatronics in areas where the product demands that technol- In addition to human efficiency, Kaul is working at bettering machine efficiency as well ogy. For instance, we’re trying to bring mechatronics into our shock absorbers. If ing. Project managements of Indian play- It’s still a bit early for that. Most tech- it helps bringing in more comfort to the ers are weak, and that’s our biggest draw- nologies still come out of the western customers and make the vehicle drive bet- back. If we are able to improve on that, world. Technology gets modified or ter, we’ll look at it. we have the potential of becoming the improved because of environmental best in the world. norms today. While Europe is in Euro V, There is increasing competition in the When I go to the shopfloor, my pro- we’ve still not got to BS IV across the market, and you have challenges of ductivity requirements are very different country. If you go to Euro V or Euro VI, technology, people and cost. What from that of Europe or North America. I you have no choice but to innovate. But would you need to do to stay ahead of don’t pay the kind of wages they pay to by innovating within BS IV, my probabil- the curve? shopfloor operators, but that doesn’t ity of taking my technologies global is In our group, we firmly believe that 90 affect my productivity. My equivalent minimal. The Indian auto industry is still % of the business is people. We focus is on reducing capex, where my lagging behind many developed markets, approach innovation to bring about a interest rates are very high. They invest and that offers restriction as far as reverse cultural mindset change in people. And a lot on technology, but to me technol- innovation is concerned. One of our com- that, we believe, is the key to success. ogy has to come at a low price. Else, it panies in India is a role model for low We’d be people-driven rather than tech- won’t survive. cost countries worldwide, with companies nology-driven, because people can bring We have another challenge in the in Brazil, South Africa and China bench- in technology, but technology can’t organisation – we’ll double the top line marking our work. bring in people. revenues in five years, but we’ll not add people. Each of our plants is working How do you face up to competition from towards that. We have brought in more multinational suppliers – some of whom robots, but robots are standard products. are your partners – who are investing big However, application of robots is our in India? choice, and that’s where frugal engineer- These players with deep pockets see India ing comes in. We’ve been focussing on as a future market. Developing technology human efficiency as well as equipment & requires a minimum 5-8 years, and that is machine efficiency, and automation is the advantage that I have vis-à-vis global being used for material movement. So, competitors. All our companies are at the focus for us is not just on products, least 14-15 years old and we have but also on processes and methods. invested in engineering from the very beginning. Our knowledge of the local With the capabilities being developed in- market and the technologies we have house, do you think you’re ready for developed for the Indian industry holds INTERVIEW: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah reverse innovation? us in good stead over competition. But it PHOTO: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay

18 www.autotechreview.com

TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT HYDROFORMING

TUBE HYDROFORMING TECHNOLOGY: EVOLUTION AND FUTURE POTENTIAL

AUTHORS INTRODUCTION els are stamped out of sheets of steel and welded together to make suspension The demand for weight reduction in mod- pieces, engine cradles, body frames, or ern vehicle construction has led to an other products. In contrast, the hydro- increase in the application of hydroform- forming technique uses pressure to force ing processes for the manufacture of auto- ductile metal into the shape of a die, and motive lightweight components. Hydro- can be more efficient in cost and produc- SURESH BABU MUTTANA forming is a promising technology that tion-time in certain cases. is Scientist C at TIFAC, Department of Science & Technology, has greater potential for automotive appli- First used more than 30 years ago in Government of India. cations. It uses fluid pressure in place of simple applications such as modifying the punch in a conventional tool set to pipe geometries, tube hydroforming has form the part into the desired shape of the become a real challenger to the incum- die. Hydroforming allows for complex bent technology: stamping. Compared to shapes to be created without welding traditional stamping, it promises greatly parts together, resulting in a unibody simplified modules through parts consol- component structure with a high strength- idation, weight reduction via improved ARGHYA SARDAR to-weight ratio. part design, and improved stiffness and is Scientist E & Head, Transportation Some automakers rely on the more tra- structural strength of the components. Division at TIFAC, Department of Science & Technology, Government ditional stamp and weld method for fabri- Although performance improvements of India. cating components, where parts and pan- have been widely heralded in literature,

20 www.autotechreview.com top die the question remains as to why this tech- TUBE HYDROFORMING tube nology has not been widely adopted in sealing punch the automotive industry. This article In the tubular hydroforming process, the 1 2 bottom die examines in detail the process technol- initial work-piece is placed into a die Insertion of tube and closing of tooling

ogy, present status and potential for cavity, which corresponds to the final Fs structural applications, especially body- shape of the component, ➋. The dies are Fa Fa Pi in-white for vehicles. closed under the force, Fs, while the tube 33 Hydroforming is broadly classified is internally pressurised by a liquid hydroforming by pressurisation Opening of tooking and axial feeding into sheet and tube hydroforming as medium to effect the expansion of the for removal of part ➋ shown in ➊. Sheet hydroforming is fur- component (internal pressure, pi) and Process of Tube Hydroforming ther classified into sheet hydroforming axially compressed by sealing punches to with a punch (SHF-P) and sheet hydro- force material into the die cavity (axial structions combined with hydroforming. forming with a die (SHF-D) depending force, Fa). The component is formed Austenitic stainless steel for many rea- on whether a male (punch) or a female under the simultaneously controlled sons is very suitable for hydroforming. (die) tool will be used to form the part. action of pi and Fa. These steels present a very high formabil- SHF-D is further classified into hydro- Depending upon the part design, pre- ity, especially in stretch forming. They forming of single blanks and double bending and pre-forming operations could also undergo during forming a very high blanks depending on number of blanks be essential before the start of the tubular hardening, due to the transformation being used in the forming process. hydroforming process. Integration of addi- induced plasticity (TRIP) effect, in which Hydroforming of sheet material is up tional manufacturing operations in the austenite turns into martensite during to now mainly used for small batch pro- hydroforming process itself enables to deformation. Hydroforming this kind of duction due to a comparatively high improve productivity. Therefore, industri- stainless steels results therefore, in com- cycle time. Furthermore, sheet hydro- ally hydroforming tools are often plex 3D parts with very high specific forming requires higher clamping forces equipped with numerous piercing units to strength. ➌ shows cost comparisons of than tube hydroforming, causing more create holes for bolts, drain holes, refer- tube hydroforming using different grades cost-intensive presses. The first industrial ence points, collar formed holes, etc. of steels and aluminium alloys [1]. application of sheet hydroforming is Recent innovations are aimed to improve roofs of luxury-class cars. Other applica- competitiveness of hydroforming technol- tions include hood outer, door inner, ogy by reducing initial investment cost, BENEFITS OF HYDROFORMED B-pillar and side frame. increasing production rate and material AUTOMOBILE PARTS Tubular hydroforming, on the other utilisation, consolidating more parts into hand, allows production of complex single parts, and finding ways to eliminate Hydroforming offers a number of poten- shapes with much improved dimensional drawbacks, such as excessive thinning. tial benefits for automobile manufactur- control and structural rigidity. In doing so, Water-oil emulsions are the typically ers. Parts produced by this process are this single piece tube can replace several used media to apply internal pressure, lightweight, single piece and they display stamped components, normally welded or which is usually increased to 1200-2500 greater strength than that of welded joints fastened together, thereby reducing the bar and in certain cases up to 4000 bar. or components, which influences fuel weight, cost and complexity of the assem- The necessary amount is influenced economy and performance factors. Major bly. Such benefits have resulted in significantly by the wall thickness of the benefits of tubular hydroforming include: increased acceptance of tubular hydro- component, the material strength and a) Part integration and reduced part costs, forming in the automotive industry for hardening as well as by the components b) Fewer manufacturing stages and making wide variety of components. shape. tooling, Materials: Although steel is the domi- c) Increased design flexibility and compo- nant material for current hydroforming nent rigidity, applications, aluminium has begun to d) Improvements to dimensional stability, gain acceptance, especially in structural Can shape a variety of materials – mild Hydroforming e) automotive components. Common semi- steel, aluminium, high-strength steels, finished products used for are longitudi- copper, brass etc.,

Sheet Hydroforming Tube Hydroforming nally-welded tubes made of conventional f) Minimal spring back and distortion, (SHF) (THF) steel like unalloyed and stainless steel. g) Form complex geometries, not easily Hydroformed aluminium applications uti- formable by conventional methods, lise seam-welded 5xxx series alloy tubes, and Sheet Hydroforming with Sheet Hydroforming with and recent developments have focused on h) Integration of secondary manufactur- punch (SHF-P) die (SHF-D) high strength 6xxx alloys aluminium ing operations such as piercing and/or extrusions and tubes. Today steel suppli- punching operations. Single Double ers offer new steel grades like high A case study presented [3] on hydroform- Blank Blank strength steels, competing with alumin- ing versus conventional process for chas- ➊ Classification of Hydroforming ium as new materials for lightweight con- sis intermediate cross member, reports the

autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 21 TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT HYDROFORMING

$ 18 hydroforming in chassis systems was ■ Continuous Annealing $ 16 astounding. During the same time, Ford ■ Batch Annealing Motor Company introduced the first $ 14 ■ Trim tubular hydroformed engine cradle. $ 12 ■ Hydroform ■ Pre-Form Today, tube hydroforming technology is $ 10 ■ Lubricate well established, due to the very com- $ 8 ■ Bend plex shapes that can be obtained at sus- Cost per Tube $ 4 ■ Roll Form tainable cost in comparison to alterna- ■ Decoil / Slit $ 2 tive technologies. ■ Metal $ 0 The next challenge for the tube hydroforming technology in the automotive industry was to deal with structural appli- Mild Steel TRIP Steel cation. Different structural components in Dual Phase 600 5754 Aluminium5182 Aluminium 6016 Aluminium the chassis, like for instance suspension Cost per Case Assumption : L=1m, d=65mm, t=1.7mm, 6 bends, 200000 ppy frames, cross members and engine cra- ➌ Economics of Tube Hydroforming dles, were realised both in R&D projects and series production. Nevertheless, the most challenging applications in terms of benefits as listed in ➍. The critical feature technique that uses a fluid either to form form complexity can be found in the of this part is that it has got continuously or aid a part from ductile material, filled Body-in-White (BIW). changing cross section along the part the gap in the industry for manufacturing length. ④ enlists the benefits obtained by automotive structures. switching over from conventional stamp- In 1990, TI Vari-Form began produc- GLOBAL SCENARIO ing to hydroforming: ing the first high volumes structural part The above-mentioned case is for a sin- – an instrument panel beam using a low- Over the years, several initiatives have gle chassis intermediate cross member, pressure hydroforming (LPH) process been introduced worldwide on hydro- which is made of two sheets in conven- that came to be known as pressure forming technologies. Two of the most tional process, and is replaced by a single sequence hydroforming. The company prominent ones are: hydroformed tube. However, benefits of patented this technique and soon began :: Ultra Light Steel Auto Body (ULSAB) hydroforming could be much more signifi- using it to produce other parts [2]. Later, is a consortium of 35 steel producers, cant, to the range of 30-50 % in terms of high pressure hydroforming (HPH) came who are united in an effort to develop weight saving [5], when applied to com- into existence, which was originally a lightweight steel body system by plex assemblies that have larger number adapted from the tube industry. During combining high-strength steels and of part count in conventional process. that time, LPH technology was adopted advanced manufacturing technologies. in North America and HPH in Europe. Its initial design direction was a hydro- LPH was used by Vari-Form, GM, Hydro- formed intensive space frame. POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS dynamic Technologies and HPH was pro- :: EU Project Hydrotube: One of the first moted by German press manufacturers studies started in the early 2000s, Hydroformed series parts are predomi- (Wilhelm Schäfer Maschinenbau GmbH, within the EU Project Hydrotube, nantly used in construction of vehicles Siempelkamp Pressen Systeme, Huber & focused on developing hydroformed (especially chassis frame) and the number Bauer, and Hydrap). components for BIW applications, of such applications is increasing continu- Later, in 1994, the growth of tubular which came out with the prototype of ously. Typical applications are listed in ➎.

STAMPED & WELDED HYDROFORMED SAVINGS/ BENEFITS EVOLUTION OF HYDROFORMING TECHNOLOGY Raw material 5.83 kg 5.20 kg 11 % Since many years it is evident that certain Finished Part weight 5.30 kg 5.00 kg 5.7 % vehicle functions were best accomplished with tube like structures. However, the No of Parts 2 (from sheet) 1 (from tube) limitation was that until late 1980s, there was no way to economically construct a Manufacturing stages 8 Nos 4 Nos 50 % tubular part with sufficient design flexibil- Welding 32 spot welds None 100 % ity and dimensional stability. To compen- sate, the industry manufactured tube like Cycle time 5 min 2.5 min 50 % parts from several stampings that were welded together. Tube hydroforming, a ➍ Comparison between hydroforming and conventional process for chassis intermediate cross member

22 www.autotechreview.com VEHICLE BODY SYSTEMS CHASSIS SYSTEMS ENGINE, DRIVETRAIN AND OTHERS But the most recent application for hydroforming with BMW is A-pillar, Space frame, Engine cradle Exhaust manifold Side rails, roof rails Front & rearsub-frame Engine Bonnet which was produced by the German A-Pillar, B-Pillar Lower rail frames Camshafts automaker on a line designed and built Wide shield headers Suspension Frames Rear Axle by Schuler Hydroforming GmbH of Seat Frames Cross members Control arms Wilnsdorf, Germany. Radiator Supports Long members Steering columns :: General Motors: Concerning chassis Instrument panels Bumper Beams applications, General Motors exten- Dash board cowl Roll over bars sively used hydroforming in its Kappa platform. ➎ Various applications of hydroforming :: Ford: The 2013 Ford Fusion uses hydroformed steel tubes for its B-pillars an A-pillar reinforcement realised by :: Daimler Chrysler: Vari-Form, was and a hydroformed A-pillar roof rail. bending and hydroforming a conical awarded a contract to produce a hydro- Using hydroforming instead of hot- tube. This demonstrative part could formed Front End Structural Module stamped welded sheet to create the replace the 10 sheet metal parts and (FESM) for the redesigned 2004 model car’s roof-pillar structure has reduced the bent tube used in the original prod- year DaimlerChrysler Sport Utility mass, saved cost, reduced the bill of uct taken as reference, maintaining the Vehicle. Vari-Form was contracted to material (which is the number of parts same structural performance. design and produce the radiator clo- welded together to make the B-pillar), The other developmental efforts at global sure assembly for the current model of and helped improve the new Fusion’s OEMs include: the vehicle. Produced at the company's crash performance. The hydroformed :: Porsche: The multi-material body of Strathroy, Ontario manufacturing facil- steel tubes replaced hot-stamped parts. the Porsche Panamera has a dashboard ity, the hydroformed FESM is a major B-pillars are a common place to find cowl produced by tube bending and shift from traditional vehicle front-end hot-stamped boron and the hydrofor- hydroforming, which ranges between structures, which are assembled from med steel tubes are replacing it in the the two A-pillars and is connected to spot-welded stampings. Compared to 2013 Fusion. the tunnel. conventional stamped front structures, ➏ shows different automotive hydrofor- :: Audi and Jaguar: Hydroforming has the hydroforming option reduces costs, med components in use today. been recently applied to bent alumin- provides improved strength and dura- ium extrusion used in the roof rail of bility, and dramatically reduces assem- the Audi R8 and Jaguar XJ. This bly weight. A highly innovative feature EMERGING TRENDS IN approach offers the possibility of hav- of the manufacturing process involves HYDROFORMING: BIW APPLICATIONS ing a variable cross section along the the welding of tube-to-tube joints, extrusions, tailoring it to the local which reduces the number of stamped Structural components perhaps are the requirements and therefore allowing a brackets typically needed to join com- most touted hydroformed parts because of reduction in weight and number of ponents. This results in reductions in the benefits derived from hydroforming parts as well. overall cost and weight of the hydro- them, such as increased performance, formed assembly. weight reduction, and cost reduction, all :: Opel AG: German firm Adam Opel AG of which are important. Presently, the Body-in-white (Audi) is planning to produce a million engine majority of mass-produced vehicles are cradles a year using ASE high-pressure built with body-on-frame, unitised body Exhaust Systems (Daimler Chrysler) hydroforming technology developed by architecture and monocoque, ➐. B-pillar and A-pillar roof rail (Ford) Schaffer Hydroforming GmbH & Co., a The body-on-frame architecture has

Engine Cradle (Opel) Schuler Group company, which turns been in use for many decades and is still out the cradles in one piece. Previ- widely applied in the light truck, sport Hydroformed side members (USLAB) ously, they were made from welded utility, and full-size luxury car markets. It

Engine Cradle (Ford and Dodge) half-shells. The company's Bochum involves a structural ladder frame to plant starts with 2.6 mn long tubes which the driveline, suspension, and body A pillar lower and upper with cowl (BMW) that are bent and pre-formed. sub-systems are mounted. The body is Chassis Frame (Ford) :: BMW: BMW has been a strong advo- typically floated above the platform on cate of the hydroforming route. BMW rubber pads to further improve isolation Dashboard cowl (Porsche) sees a wider application for hydroform- of the passenger compartment. The ladder Suspension Parts Body Panels (GM) ing within the BIW structure, where frame is typically constructed of stamped the technology can be applied to tubu- welded members and is the primary load- EU Project Hydrotube lar members. The identified applica- carrying element in the vehicle system [4]. Chassis (Opel GM) tions include engine cradles, cross Unitised body or unit-body vehicle members, side members, roof rails, architecture integrates the body and the ➏ Examples of hydroformed parts in use B-pillars, side members and aprons. frame so that only small engine cradles or autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 23 TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT HYDROFORMING

structural cross members are required to effectively be applied for space frames scale to manufacture construction shapes distribute concentrated loads into the with lightweight materials. such as window frames and pipes. Sev- body system. The body itself is tuned to eral designs for aluminium space frame the desired structural performance and vehicles have been developed, each functions as the primary load-carrying ROLE OF HYDROFORMING IN using differing combinations of extru- element in the vehicle system [4]. SPACE FRAME DESIGN sions, castings, and sheet metal. In monocoque construction, the over- However, space frame architecture has all strength and rigidity will be obtained Space frame design provides maximum not been in widespread use. The primary using outer panels necessary for creating rigidity and torsional stiffness due to the reason is that space frame structures have the vehicle shape, with minimum rein- fact that extruded sections have less spot proven difficult to cost-effectively mass- forcement. This ensures strength and welded seams that cause losses in rigidity produce. There is a difficulty in making rigidity hence referred to as stressed-skin and can be manufactured in any complex the transition from the craft shop to the construction. It has double advantage of dimensions needed. In this design, the high volume assembly line. There come reducing waste and mass. Around 95 % vehicle structure is composed, in effect, of issues such as dimensional instability, of current automotive production world- a lattice of metal rails, similar to a bridge design inflexibility and high manufactur- wide uses the welded steel monocoque as truss. The vehicle does not rely on body ing cost. On the other hand, in extrusion the conventional form of body construc- panels for structural performance and, in and tube rolling processes, tubular mem- tion. It has provided an efficient and cost- fact, can be driven without any panels bers are produced in straight lengths. To effective means of volume production attached. The application of space frame accommodate typical vehicle assembly since the last few decades. design in vehicles can reduce weight, fuel processes, the straight tubular members The trend in vehicle body design is consumption and improve impact durabil- often must be bent or reshaped. Common changing from unibody to monocoque ity. Space frame designs utilises less num- bending and reshaping processes induce and the recent development is on space ber of parts and joints as the structural part-to-part variation that exceeds what is frame designs. Space frame technology support is by extruded parts. Joining is typically acceptable for an automated has been in automotive domain especially done through use of cast nodes or punch assembly line. in high end cars, like that by Audi, and in riveting, welding and adhesive bonding. Further, manufacturing costs will also recent years, there is considerable interest Space frame is gaining renewed atten- increase due to increased rework, and from OEMs globally to adopt this technol- tion from designers working with alter- higher scrap rates. Connecting other vehi- ogy for their passenger cars. native materials, especially aluminium, cle sub-systems to the space frame can be Further, from the materials point of ➑. It is easier to make complex rails out cumbersome. High-end vehicle producers view, steel is the dominant material for of aluminium than steel because, unlike can save money because their substan- vehicle body building. However, the moti- steel, aluminium can be extruded – tially lower investment for space frame vation towards vehicle weight reduction formed into complex tubular shapes – in structures offset the higher manufacturing within the automotive sector has created a process similar to making pasta! These cost. However, for a mass-produced vehi- a need for the replacement of mild steels extruded, hollow rails can be far stiffer cle, higher manufacturing costs can with thinner gauge high strength steels than solid bars of equivalent weight. quickly overshadow investment savings. and also aluminium and magnesium Extrusion is easily adapted to mass pro- Space frame structures could not have alloys. Hydroforming technology can duction, and is already used on a large bridged the gap between niche production and mass production without the resolution of these issues. Tubular hydroforming allows engineers to optimise their designs through cross sectional reshaping and perimeter expansion. It also can produce parts with greater dimensional stability than is required for automated assembly. These attributes, combined with the ability to inexpensively perforate holes required for vehicle subsystem interface, make hydroforming the enabling technology for space frame architecture in mass produced vehicles [4].

INDIAN SCENARIO

While hydroforming is well accepted ➐ Vehicle body design strategies and have been used extensively by the

24 www.autotechreview.com ➑ Audi Space Frame (ASF) major OEMs abroad, Indian OEMs have ated significant data that can further be But considering the demand for light- not fully exploited hydroforming technol- utilised for research investigations. weight fuel-efficient ICE vehicles and also ogy for automotive applications. How- future electric vehicles, hydroforming ever, there exists, some capability in the technology plays an important role in country in terms of machine building, FUTURE OF HYDROFORMING designing lighter, stronger high perfor- component development and design. It TECHNOLOGY mance vehicles. In India, there is a need was reported that one of the company to scale up research and development has built indigenously hydroforming Tubular hydroforming is finding applica- activities, in industry, research labs and equipment and developed process for tion in the manufacturing of components academic institutions, extensively. manufacture of automotive components with complex hollow geometries. As such, [3]. Components that have been devel- it is increasingly becoming an important REFERENCES oped by tube hydroforming include SUV element of automotive BIW assembly and [1] Byron Erath, Duane Ellsworth, ‘Hydroforming’, Brigham Young University. chassis radiator support member, chassis more and more hydroformed parts are [2] Gary Morphy, The Evolution of tube hydroform- front cross member, rear-axle trailing adopted in vehicle design. Presently, hyd- ing arm (LH and RH), motorbike chassis roformed parts are effectively being used [3] Ingrid Rasquinha, Hydroforming and hot form- parts, 3-wheeler engine mounting cross in space frame structures in high-end lux- ing for Lightweighting, International Conference & Exhibition on ‘Advances in Lightweighting Technol- member, etc. Such efforts by component ury cars. However, this technology will ogy 2012, Pune November 20-22, 2012. manufacturers need to be scaled up fur- soon penetrate into mass produced pas- [4] Richard A. Marando, Tubular Hydroforming: ther for more penetration of hydroform- senger cars as well. The Enabling Technology, Parish Division of Dana Corp., GA, USA. ing into the automotive industry. There are two potential barriers that [5] http://www.vari-form.com/vari-form-vs- Collaborative Automotive Research may delay progress of disseminating hydr- stamped-assemblies/ (CAR), under TIFAC, Department of Sci- oforming technology: ence & Technology (DST) had supported a :: Imported hydroforming machinery is consortium project on hydroforming very expensive, and involving both academia and industry. IIT :: Lack of expertise in hydroforming tech- Bombay, ARCI Hyderabad and a few com- nology such as hydroforming mould panies were involved in the development design, process analysis and design in Read this article on effort. The project aimed at designing and the Indian auto industry. www.autotechreview.com developing a chassis long member for SUVs with a target to achieve maximum weight reduction up to 15-20 % and meet Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) is an auto- the performance criteria. Initially, a single nomous organisation set up in 1988 under the Department of Science & Technology to piece design was considered and simula- look ahead in technologies, assess the technology trajectories, and support technology tions were carried out. However, due to innovation by network actions in select technology areas of national importance. manufacturing constraints in hydroforming such a large component, a three-piece Send in your feedback to [email protected] approach was adopted. The project gener- autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 25 COVER STORY EXHAUST SYSTEMS PARTICULATE EXHAUST AFTERTREATMENT OF DIRECT INJECTION GASOLINE ENGINES

With the introduction of the Euro 6 emissions standard, gasoline engines with direct fuel injection must also comply with a limit value for the number of particulates. With the support of NGK Europe GmbH, Eberspächer has investigated potential solutions for ensuring compliance with future emissions standards using a particulate filter.

26 www.autotechreview.com AUTHORS INTRODUCTION the tests, their exhaust systems, ➊, were fitted out with gasoline particulate filters In compliance with the future Euro VI (GPFs), though installed in two different standard, gasoline powered vehicles with locations. On vehicle 1, the GPF replaced direct fuel injection will also have to the front muffler, while on vehicle 2, the observe the stipulated limit value for the GPF was installed in the position of the number of particulates (PN) [1]. While the centre muffler. Replacing the front muffler DR HEIKE TÖBBEN is Specialist of the Thermodynamics and mass-related particulate limit value (4.5 by an empty pipe on vehicle 2 was Emission Concepts Department in the mg/km) is normally attained based on intended to prevent particulates deposited Basic Development Exhaust Technology at present-day technology, compliance with there from corrupting the results of the the J. Eberspächer GmbH & Co. KG in the particulate number limit value inside emission measurement. Esslingen (Germany) the engine of 6.0*1011/km (with a three- The GPF was selected and dimen- year transition period of 6.0*1012/km sioned in consultation with NGK. The size through to 2017) remains a challenge [2]. of the GPF was identical in both locations One effective measure in maintaining (2.0 l volume). This means the results limit values is the use of particulate filters, from the two vehicles are comparable. which have in fact been fitted as standard The material has a porosity optimised for

DR JÖRG J OESTERLE in diesel powered vehicles for over ten uncoated application onboard a vehicle. is Director of the Thermodynamics and years. However, the requests on a filter in This porosity offers flexibility in terms of Emission Concepts Department in the a gasoline vehicle are different than those cell structure optimisation, thanks to the Basic Development Exhaust Technology at in a diesel vehicle. The back pressure of material strength [3]. Based on a 12 the J. Eberspächer GmbH & Co. KG in Esslingen (Germany) the filter, for example, is a more important mil/300 cpsi cell structure, a back pres- criterion, as the maximum permitted back sure optimised 6 mil/220 cpsi structure pressure for a gasoline engine is lower was developed through intermediate than that for a diesel. stages [4, 5] and applied here. For the can- Moreover, an altered pressure level in ning, flanges were installed directly both applications influences the character- upstream and downstream of the GPF to istics of the turbocharger. Also, there are provide improved handling, when con- much more widely varying temperatures ducting measurements on the flow test and particulate emissions, as well as bench. Axial supports are additionally residual oxygen levels. This has a direct mounted on the inlet and outlet sides to effect on loading and regeneration, and hold the filter. means that a filter cannot be directly The exhaust system, including the adopted from a diesel vehicle, but has to GPF, was fitted out with thermocouples be adapted to the onboard conditions of and measurement fittings for the back gasoline engines. pressure as well as taps for the emission measurements. The measurement data (temperature and back pressure) and vari- TEST VEHICLE AND ous engine parameters such as the vehicle EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATION and engine speed were recorded automatically by means of a data logger in the Two standard vehicles with modern stoi- vehicle. Throughout the test period the chiometric operating DI gasoline engine vehicles were fuelled with standard com- (conforming to Euro V) were used. For mercially available gasoline, and fully syn-

❶ Exhaust system and fitting locations of GPFs autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 27 COVER STORY EXHAUST SYSTEMS

❷ Particulate emission results in the NEDC thetic oil (0W40 DBV) was used. cycle was repeated for each set-up – that two filters were at regular intervals is to say, once with the GPF and once removed, weighed and analysed (cold) on with the standard system. The vehicle the flow test bench. This was always done TEST PROCEDURES was incorporated into the company fleet. under the same temperature conditions, This meant that the temperature and back so as to rule out the possibility of corrup- The tests included various roller pressure behaviour could be tested under tion by condensate. To obtain a better dynamometer tests and long-distance road real on-road conditions on employees’ comparison of results, the measurements trials: everyday journeys. were taken at a precisely defined operat- :: NEDC test A further test block was the urban- ing point – in this case the maximum load :: Power measurements only test, involving stop-and-go driving at point of the vehicle at an exhaust mass :: Real driving conditions a maximum speed of 50 km/h over a total flow of 600 kg/h and a exhaust tempera- :: Urban-only driving distance of 1,000 km (conducted with ture of 878 °C (converting the operating In the NEDC tests, the gaseous and partic- vehicle 1 only). A requirement imposed conditions to the ‘cold’ state by means of ulate emissions were measured upstream on this test was to insert breaks between the Reynolds analogy). and downstream of the GPF in the cycle the individual journeys in order to cool The GPF was installed in vehicle 1 in on the exhaust roller dynamometer. The the system. The journeys were also July 2011, and in vehicle 2 in March 2012. NEDC conditioning and test execution required to avoid inclines, so as not to During this time the vehicles covered was in compliance with the legally bind- raise temperatures excessively. This test 54,000 and 21,200 km respectively. ing regulation [1]. In addition, measure- was conducted in winter, so as to exert an ments without GPF were performed with additional negative effect on the tempera- both vehicles in order to determine the fil- ture level (ambient temperatures from -5 EMISSION MEASUREMENTS tration performance. The power measure- to +10 °C). ments were conducted by means of a Based on back pressure and flow dis- Alongside the measurement of raw emis- dynamic run-up on the roller dynamome- tribution measurements, the loading of sions upstream and downstream of the ter. To do so, the vehicle was accelerated the GPF through the various drive profiles GPF (modal measurement) and at the tail- at full throttle up to maximum speed. The could be assessed. To implement this, the pipe, additional bag measurements were

❸ Trend in particulate numbers and mass during the NEDC

28 www.autotechreview.com NEDC shows an increase in back pressure through the GPF especially at higher speeds and under acceleration, ➎.

POWER AND ACOUSTICS MEASUREMENTS

For the power and acoustics measurement vehicle 2 was used, fitted with an empty pipe in place of the front muffler and the GPF in place of the centre muffler. The individual graphs, ➏, show the results of the power and acoustics measurement on the roller dynamometer. The ❹ Trend in exhaust gas temperatures upstream of the GPF on the two test vehicles during the NEDC temperature and the exhaust gas back pressure can be assessed in addition to these quantities. As expected, the sound pressure of the system with GPF (without front /centre muffler) is initially conducted. As for the filter function, the TEMPERATURE AND BACK somewhat higher. Above an engine speed filtration performance and thus the results PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS of 3,200 rpm the two curves run virtually of the particulate measurements are rele- identically. By optimising the mufflers, vant, only the measured filtration rate is The two fitting locations entail differing the deterioration in acoustics observed dealt with in detail in the further course temperature levels in the GPF. Moving only at low engine speeds can doubtless of this article. The limit value for the par- the GPF to position 2 significantly be positively influenced. The data dem- ticulate mass of the two Euro V certified reduces the exhaust gas temperature onstrate, however, that the GPF offers vehicles can be safely observed without upstream of the filter, which on average potential for optimising the muffler GPF. However, the PN emissions of is approximately 100 K lower than on the volume. 4.35*1012 and 3.48*1012/km respectively vehicle with the filter in position 1, ➍. The comparison of the power meas- without GPF are significantly above the This reduction may have a disadvanta- urement with GPF and the standard sys- limit value for Euro VI, ➋. geous effect on the regeneration how- tem shows no influence. The two curves By installing the GPF, PN emissions ever. This must be taken into account in are overlaid on each other. The same is can be reduced well below the stipulated GPF applications. also true of the trend in exhaust gas tem- limit value of 6.0*1011/km. This means The back pressure is likewise a key peratures upstream of the catalytic con- the currently not-yet-optimised system criterion in terms of application of a GPF verters. The only differences are at the already offers a safety factor of > 2.5. into the exhaust system. The comparison measuring point upstream of the filter The good filtration efficiency is confirmed of the back pressure trend through the and of the centre muffler on the standard by the modal particulate measurements, ➌. Both the numbers and mass of particulates are significantly reduced and the calculated filtration efficiency is, with few exceptions, > 95 %. A few minor break- throughs in the acceleration phases have no negative influence on this overall response. The fuel consumption calculated by way of the NEDC demonstrates the influence of the filter. A comparison of the results shows an increase in fuel consumption < 3 %. This result correlates with other measurements indicating a spread in fuel consumption of ± 3 % downstream of the GPF installation [6]. Optimising the system – that is to say, adjusting the filter size – may further reduce the influence. ❺ Trend in back pressure without/with GPF during the NEDC autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 29 COVER STORY EXHAUST SYSTEMS

❻ Trend in sound pressure level, power, the various exhaust gas temperatures and exhaust gas back pressure during the power measurement

system (the two are identical in their likewise influence those factors. In con- CONTINUOUS RUNNING position in the exhaust system). These tinuous running under real conditions on IN URBAN-ONLY MODE differences arise due to the installation of the road, it is shown that on the vehicle the empty pipe in the vehicle. with the GPF at the front position even In urban-only mode, the exhaust gas During the overrun phase in the speeds of 100 to 120 km/h (or lower temperatures are usually very low due power measurement the empty pipe speeds but under slightly higher load) to the low speeds and loads, and the cools down more sharply than the front are sufficient for a soot burn-off tempera- GPF is gradually loaded with soot. Over muffler and the exhaust gas temperature ture well above around 550 °C, so ena- a distance of just under 1,000 km a total falls more sharply. As seen in the NEDC bling regeneration, ➐. On the vehicle of 6.1 g of soot accumulates (average measurements, the GPF builds up an with the GPF at the rear position, the load rate 0.62 g/100 km). Evaluation of additional back pressure. Consequently, resultant temperature loss has a disad- the vehicle speeds on the individual test the maximum back pressure of the vantageous effect, as expected, and the drives in continuous running shows a standard exhaust system (at this measur- regeneration temperature is only attained maximum in the frequency distribution ing point) is increased from approxi- at substantially higher speeds of around at 45 km/h; idling speed accounts for 17 mately 62 mbar to approximately 200 140 to 150 km/h or under correspond- %. In the evaluation of temperatures mbar by the GPF. ingly high loads. along the exhaust system on vehicle 1 Continuous running of both vehicles the exothermic reaction of the catalytic throughout the test period showed, how- converter is shown by the significantly CONTINUOUS RUNNING IN ever, that even on vehicle 2 with the less higher temperature downstream of the COMBINED MODE favourable position the filter could be catalytic converter, ➑. regenerated in normal driving. Moreover, Upstream of the filter and inside it, The NEDC measurements show that the visual inspection and gravimetric analysis the maximum of the frequency distribu- location of the GPF has a significant of the filters at regular intervals shows tion is around 390 °C – well below influence on the exhaust gas temperature that the soot quantity and the resultant regeneration temperature. In addition, a and thus on regeneration and soot load- exothermic reaction in regeneration are so more dynamic temperature distribution ing. The vehicle speed and engine load low that the filter suffers no damage. – marked widening of signal – is detect-

30 www.autotechreview.com ❼ Trend in exhaust gas temperature upstream of GPF dependent on fit position (left: GPF in position 1; right: GPF in position 2)

able upstream of the substrates (owing flow at high oxygen content results in a and a virtually complete regeneration to the heat retention properties, sub- strong exothermic reaction and thus was found (0.1 g of residual load). strates serve as buffers, and significantly increased thermal loading of the dampen the fluctuations in component). temperature). ➒ shows the exothermic reaction LOADING BEHAVIOUR On completion of the continuous resulting from soot combustion during urban cycle, the GPF in the vehicle was regeneration over time. This is maximal Deposits of ash resulting from the exposed to regeneration conditions – 70 K, with the value being dependent engine’s combustion of the lubricating oil, that is to say, the vehicle speed was > on the external marginal conditions and but especially the soot load, leads to a rise 100 to 120 km/h (adequate for the GPF the soot load. The first event occurs in back pressure. Due to the centred pipe at position 1). The maximum speed was after approximately 950 s, the second guidance of the cone, the higher flow rate limited to 130 km/h. The speed was after approximately 1,100 s. In both initially results in a preferential deposition additionally varied in order to simulate cases the vehicle is driven in overrun of the components primarily in the centre deceleration and overrun phases. This mode prior to the event – that is to say, area of the filter cross-section. As the load increases the oxygen content while at the filter receives exhaust gas with an increases, deposits ultimately also occur the same time reducing the exhaust gas oxygen surplus which promotes and in the marginal areas. However, through- mass flow. These two quantities have a enables regeneration. After the regener- out the test period the flow distribution direct effect on regeneration (low mass ation drive the filter was weighed again described was only influenced slightly by the increasing ash deposits. The back pressure measurements show the typical response of a particulate filter to increasing loading. The back pressure first rises sharply, as the soot is deposited in the pores of the channel wall, ❿. Only when a certain loading is exceeded does the rate of rise decline. This is the transition where the pores are filled and the additional soot is deposited as a layer on the existing soot. For vehicle 1 the regular removal of the GPF shows loads between 0.5 to 1.0 g, with an outlier of 3.5 g. The values for vehicle 2 are significantly higher, with loads of 4 to 5 g. This reflects the differing temperature levels due to the different fit locations. The residual ash rate resulting from the uncombusted engine oil residues on vehicle 1 is initially 0.21 g/1,000 km, rising then to approximately 0.66 g/1,000 km. On vehicle 2 the calculated ash rate is ❽ Frequency distribution of temperatures along the exhaust system for continuous urban driving with vehicle 1 relatively stable across the entire driving autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 31 COVER STORY EXHAUST SYSTEMS

ing exhaust gas temperatures can assure passive regeneration even in vehicle 2 with the less favourable GPF position. Even if the GPF led to a marked increase in back pressure, this did not exhibit any influence on the performance of the vehicle. By system optimisation (changing cross-section/volume) the additional back pressure through the component can be reduced further. The acoustics measurement demonstrated the potential of the GPF for optimising the muffler volume. Further potential is offered by cooperation with an OEM and integration of engine development to adapt the ECU to the conditions with GPF. The layout measures should additionally take account of the necessary ash storage rate. To assure passive regeneration even at low speeds and under low loads, an ❾ Partial view of exhaust gas temperature and speed curves on the regeneration drive optimum fitting location for the GPF within the exhaust system should be investigated. Potential for a compact close-to-the-engine application with the distance, with values between 0.27 and examples that the GPF is very effective as known advantages may also be offered by 0.32 g/1,000 km. a particulate-reducing measure, and by a coated GPF [7, 8]. integrating it into the exhaust system a high safety factor relative to Euro VI PN REFERENCES SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK limit values can be attained. [1] EU Commission Regulation (EU) 459/2012. In: Official Journal of the European Union, May 2012 The limits are complied with even [2] ADAC EcoTest: Audi A3 1,8 l TFSI auch ohne The application of a GPF in vehicles with when the GPF is subject to only very low Filter sauber. Press release ADAC Technik & direct injection gasoline engines necessi- soot loading. This demonstrates that the Umwelt, September 2012 tates an adaptation of the layout and of selected filter material is very well suited [3] Heuß, W. et al.: The Potential of a Particulate Filter to reduce Particle Emissions of Gasoline the integration in the exhaust system, to applications in direct injection gasoline Engines. 6th Conference Emission Control, Dresden, owing to the differing marginal conditions engines. The long-distance road test – 2012 (raw emissions, exhaust gas temperatures, covering 21,200 km and 54,000 km [4] Saito, C. et al.: New Particulate Filter Concept to Reduce Particle Number Emissions. SAE Confer- back pressure level) compared to diesel respectively – has been conducted with- ence, Detroit 2011 engines. It was shown on the basis of two out problem by both vehicles. The prevail- [5] Shimoda, T. et al.: Potential of a Low Pressure Drop Filter Concept for Direct Injection Gasoline Engines to Reduce Particulate Number Emissions. SAE Conference, Detroit, 2012 [6] Mamakos, A. et al.: Feasibility of Introducing Particulate Filters on Gasoline Direct Injection Vehi- cles. In: JRC Scientific and Policy Report, EU Com- mission, 2011 [7, 8] Kern, B. et al.: Comprehensive Exhaust Emis- sion Control for the next Generation of Gasoline DI Engines. IQPC Conference, Stuttgart, 2012 Morgan, C. et al.: Three Way Filters (TWFTM) for Particulate Number Control. IQPC Conference, Stuttgart, 2012

Read this article on ❿ Trend in back pressure (calculated for the full throttle point) with increasing soot load www.autotechreview.com

32 www.autotechreview.com

COVER STORY EXHAUST SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT OF AN EXHAUST-GAS TURBOCHARGER FOR HD DAIMLER CV ENGINES

The matching of a turbocharging system to the specific requirements of an entire engine with regard to fuel consumption, emissions and service life is a key element of engine development. This is the reason for taking the decision to initiate in-house turbocharger component development as the New Engine Generation (NEG) engine series of Daimler AG was being developed. The aim of this in-house turbocharger development is to produce the best possible turbocharging system for the entire engine with regard to fuel consumption, emissions and economy.

34 www.autotechreview.com AUTHORS INTRODUCTION

In large-scale commercial vehicle production, the pre-compression of combustion air via exhaust-gas turbocharging in diesel engines has been with us since the 1960s. At the end of the 1970s, turbocharging DR.-ING. ELIAS CHEBLI is responsible for the Aerodynamics & technology also conquered the passenger Aeroacoustics in the Division Devel- car (PC) diesel engine sector. This trend opment Turbocharger Captive at the can also be seen in gasoline engines in Daimler AG in Stuttgart (Germany). the past five years. This progression towards an almost complete market penetration clearly shows that the exhaust-gas turbocharger is the most efficient unit for combustion engine turbocharging. In the heavy-duty (HD) commercial vehicle (CV) engines of Daimler AG, the DR.-ING. MARKUS MÜLLER iis Manager Development Turbo- exhaust-gas turbocharger is also – via the charger Captive at the Daimler AG in use of an asymmetric twin-scroll turbine – Stuttgart (Germany). used as an extremely efficient exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR). It is possible, thanks to the asymmetric turbine, to dis- pense with the alternative variable turbine geometry, which is also less advantageous with regard to fuel consumption, quality and economy. The advantages resulting DIPL.-ING. JOHANNES LEWEUX from asymmetric turbocharging are used is Senior Manager Development OM457/BR500/Turbocharger Com- in the modern NEG commercial vehicle mercial Vehicles at the Daimler AG in engines of Daimler AG in order to already Stuttgart (Germany). be the benchmark with regard to fuel consumption and service life for future emissions legislation. For achieving this target, it is essential to integrate the exhaust-gas turbocharger development into the entire engine development. A deep understanding of the DR.-ING. ANDREAS GORBACH interaction between the reciprocating pis- is Director R&D Heavy Duty Engines at the Daimler AG in Stuttgart ton engine and turbo-machine is required (Germany). in order to obtain the best performance from the combination of both units. The major difficulty related to the custom matching of the exhaust-gas turbocharger to the engine is due to the fact that the turbocharger modular systems available on the market do not necessarily represent an optimum for the turbocharging system of the overall concept. This problem occurs, in particular, in the commercial vehicle sector. The low unit fig- ures in comparison to the PC sector also mean that only a few turbocharger suppliers have included the CV sector in their product range. The economic and technical evaluation of this situation led Daimler AG to the decision to develop its own exhaust-gas turbocharger for the HD CV engine series, which has started in 2006. Beginning in autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 35 COVER STORY EXHAUST SYSTEMS

AF: Air ﬁlter AT: Asymetric turbine based on the evolutions in the current ATS: Aftertreatment system engine series. C: Compressor In the following sections, the necessary p: Pressures in in- and outlet steps for the development of an exhaust- ρ AF ρ ρ ATS ρ gas turbocharger are described. The basic a 1 4 a turbocharging concept will be presented, the turbocharger design shown and the

C AT mechanical validation up to production standard described.

ρ ρ 31 32 ρ 2 ρ THE ASYMMETRIC TURBINE EGR valve 3

For the six-cylinder in-line engines with between 10 and 15 l of displacement, Daimler is banking on the patented turbo- Charge EGR air cooler cooler 123456 charging concept with an asymmetric twin-scroll turbine due to the need to achieve exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) ρ 20 rates of up to 35 % in full load, achieve ❶ Circuitry concept for EGR supply with an asymmetric turbine for a six-cylinder Daimler CV engine high turbocharging efficiency (particularly in the main operating range) as well as ensure an exhaust-gas turbocharger oper- 2013, this exhaust-gas turbocharger, pro- towards asymmetric turbocharger with ating service life of over 1 mn km, while duced in the Mannheim plant, will be the subsequent specific matching of the at the same time producing an extremely offered for the first time in the NEG engine requirements has resulted in a 4 % economic engine concept. The exhaust engine internally called OM472 for the fuel consumption advantage, alone due to gas recirculation rate is mainly deter- Freightliner Cascadia Evolution; the turbo- the engine. Additional applications with mined by the asymmetrical twin-scroll compound supercharging system will still an in-house developed exhaust-gas turbo- turbine size acting together with the also be offered [1]. The model change charger will follow in the coming years engine. Here, one of the two turbine scrolls is sized such that an increased exhaust-gas flow backpressure effect is 1.05 created. The exhaust gas can thus also be Volute and nozzle used for air supply purposes due to the 1.00 Turbine impeller Diffuser cylinder group partitioning, ➊. 0.95 When the EGR valve is open, engine cylinders 1 to 3, ①, work as an EGR Relative Mach number [-] 0.90 pump, which pumps part of the stream of 1.4 exhaust gas to the engine intake through 0.85 total enthalpy [-] the recirculation channel prior to the tur- 1.0 Normalised speciﬁc bine inlet through the EGR cooler on the 0.80 0.6 air side using the generated pressure dif-

0.75 ference (p31-p20). The remaining exhaust 0.3 1.00 1.05 1.10 1.15 1.20 1.25 1.30 1.35 gas of this cylinder group flows through Normalised speciﬁc entropy [-] 0.0 the EGR scroll of the split twin-scroll tur- 1.4 bine. Cylinder group 4 to 6 is gas-tight in Absolute Mach number [-] the turbine inlet and separated from the 1.2 Impeller (MA -relative system) r first cylinder group; all its exhaust gas 1.0 passes through the larger scroll (p32) at a

0.8 generally lower pressure ratio p32/p4. The concept of the twin-scroll fixed geometry 0.6 turbine thus allows you to master a high- Mach number distribution [-] pressure EGR transport with positive 0.4 charging cycle (p20-p3M > 0;p3M=average 0.2 Volute energetic turbine inlet pressure of both and nozzle Impeller Diffuser cylinder groups), whereby an engine fuel ❷ h/s diagram and Mach number stage characteris- 0.0 tic from the detailed analysis of the 3D numeric flow 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 consumption reduction can be derived in simulation Normalised section number [-] comparison to other EGR turbocharging

36 www.autotechreview.com ❸ 3D simulation for the noise level prediction (comparison of three different design variants)

systems that do not offer any cylinder angle β from a casting perspective. This imental studies, and supported by means group partitioning. This concept was first amounts to -57° and allows for high tur- of numerical simulations, ➌. introduced with the US EPA 2004 legisla- bine efficiency, particularly in the part A so-called noise reflector is imple- tion in the OM460 CV engine. The out- load operating range of the engine. For a mented in order to decrease the compres- standing field experience with this engine further efficiency increase at part load, sor noise level as well as increase the confirmed the robustness of turbocharg- the target degree of reaction at full load comfort level in the cabin and fulfil future, ing with asymmetric turbines. is selected so that the maximum effi- more stringent noise emission legislation. ciency is moved in the direction of the For the noise reflector design, particular partial load. This optimisation signifi- care is taken to ensure that the compres- DESIGN cantly depends on the engine application sor efficiency and surge characteristics are profile of the vehicle and thus represents not negatively affected. For this purpose, Both numeric and experimental proce- a compromise between high subcompo- numerical methods have been developed dures were used for designing the nent efficiencies and low fuel consump- that allow the localisation of the noise exhaust-gas turbocharger. While a large tion. The consistent use of the complex source. This noise reflector reduces the part of the aerodynamic and thermo- numerical simulation processes was overall noise level by around 2 dB. mechanical turbine design can nowadays essential to design an asymmetric tur- be achieved in virtual prototypes based bine having a peak mechanical efficiency on existing simulation methods, a higher ɳT,mech of almost 71 %. MECHANICAL STRENGTH empirical effort is required when it comes to specifying the compressor and The blade thickness distribution of the bearing geometries. THERMODYNAMICS OF turbine impeller is designed such that the CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS resulting blade’s natural frequency (eigen- frequency) is above the fifth order of the THERMODYNAMICS OF A compression ratio of 4.2 is striven for rotor speed. In this way vibration frac- RADIAL TURBINES the design of the single stage centrifugal tures due to excitations from asymmetric

compressor. A peak efficiency of ɳC,is = turbine scroll could be prevented. The During the design of the asymmetric tur- 80 % is reached as a compromise same value is also used as design criteria bine, the individual scroll size must be between map width and optimum effi- for the compressor blades. To ensure the closely defined with the engine thermody- ciency. This is enabled by numerically required impeller service lives, their namics. Numerically simulated h/s and optimised back sweep blades with the fatigue limit is determined from the aggre- Mach number diagrams show the turbine accordingly required compressor blade gate speed values of the customer-rele- areas with the highest losses and are wrap angle. In a second step the diffuser vant test cycle, ➍. The development of used, ➋, for optimising turbine efficiency. and the ported shroud casing treatment this method includes the impeller stress The radial turbine impeller is are optimised. The individual design calculation, the derivation of a damage designed with the largest possible exit parameters of the stage are set via exper- matrix based on the material-specific autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 37 COVER STORY EXHAUST SYSTEMS

ture-borne sound and shaft orbit offset in modularised prototype assembly systems. The rotor shaft orbits measured during a ramp-up are analysed using a Fast Fou- rier Transformation (FFT) and evaluated with regard to sub-synchronous oscilla- tion rates as well as instability characteristics, ➎. The bearing damping is increased via suitable design measures until the bearing runs in a stable manner at maximum speed, at a reduced oil pressure of 1.5 bar and an oil supply temperature of 120 °C, taking into account all production and imbalance tolerances.

FUNCTIONAL VALIDATION

The aim of the functional validation is to verify the required turbocharging system ❹ Impeller service life simulation and containment simulations performance and reliability via suitable endurance test programmes on the component, engine test stands and in the Wöhler-curves and the statistical transfer- tion of the simulation results. vehicle. For this purpose, the exhaust-gas ability of the test sample results and load turbocharger characteristic maps are profiles. The analytical optimisation of the inspected continuously on the gas test impeller-back geometry and the use of BEARINGS stand during the entire development strain hardening via ultrasonic shot peen- phase, ➏. The characteristics must remain ing are key factors for increasing the ser- The classic dual float bush radial bearings constant between the individual sample vice life of the aluminium centrifugal as well as a wedge-shaped axial bearing statuses and after the endurance testing. compressor and the inconel turbine are used between the impellers. This com- To ensure the long-term quality of the impeller. The balancing marks are posi- bination is an extremely well-suited con- rotor assembly, a centre section imbal- tioned on the back of the impeller near cept with regard to the friction loss, ance is striven, which does not change the tip so that mechanical stress peaks are robustness vis-à-vis oil grade, imbalance during hot operation. This is monitored in outside the balancing mark area. and mechanical efficiency. The main a large number of turbochargers, either To ensure the in-house safety require- dimensions are determined by means of a via back measurements on balancing ments, the compressor and turbine linearised vibrational mode analysis of the machines or via the imbalance measure- housing must be able to withstand the rotor assembly. The detailed geometry is ment method during operation. It is thus bursting of the respective impeller. For then specified via non-linear ramp-up ensured that the turbocharger operates at this purpose, containment simulations simulations of the overall system. The the oil supply limit of the engine properly. are carried out to detect housing weak numerical simulation of the plain bearing This is additionally validated by a 1,000 h spots and eliminate these by improving system is continuously supported and val- low oil pressure endurance test. design. The turbocharger is then idated in the development process via the The required impeller lifetime is released after an experimental confirma- measurement of the friction loss, struc- checked by specific accelerated tests on

❺ Shaft orbit measurement including bearing bush speeds of the bearing system (red: speed turbine bushing; blue: speed charger bushing; black: speed charger)

38 www.autotechreview.com ❻ Compressor and turbine characteristic maps

cold spin test stands as well as hot turbo- side, are carried out on the gas test SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK charger and engine test benches. Com- stand. The resulting geometry optimisa- pressor and turbine impellers are operated tion is subsequently confirmed by eval- Future optimisations in the diesel engine with the largest possible amplitude from uation runs on the multi-cylinder are mainly possible if subcomponents minimum to maximum circumferential engine. The active boost pressure con- such as the turbocharging system are speed so that alternating stress is gener- trol of the engine requires a very high specially adapted to the specific require- ated in the impellers due to the centrifu- number of wastegate valve movements. ments of the engine via integrated turbo- gal force. The achieved number of cycles The actuator of the boost pressure regu- charger development. The in-house tur- up to fatigue fracture reflects the service lating valve is developed so that at least bocharger development at Daimler, life and at the same time provides valua- 4 mn cycles can be carried out without which started with the development of ble data for comparing and calibrating the failure. Furthermore, the wear in the the NEG engine OM472, has produced numeric structural simulation models. moving components is minimised by the optimal turbocharging system for the The impellers are optimised so that they suitable material combinations. use of that engine with regard to fuel achieve over 200,000 cycles at a given Vehicle tests under extreme weather consumption, service life and economic accelerated test on the hot turbocharger conditions such as coldness and hotness efficiency. This convincing end product rig. Based on the numerical structural are essential for the final turbocharger will result in further applications in the simulation, the number of cycles is con- validation. These include, for example, future with an in-house developed verted into kilometres by adopting a cus- test drives in the Spanish Sierra Nevada at exhaust-gas turbocharger adapted to the tomer-relevant cycle. 2,500 m above sea level at an ambient specific engine requirements. Hot/cold accelerated tests are carried temperature of over 30 °C and test drives out on the component test stand, followed in the USA up to 4,000 m altitude. Under by 2,000 h endurance tests on the multi- these conditions, the compressor margin REFERENCE cylinder engine to check the thermo- against surge and the maximum load tem- [1] Heil, B.; Schmid, W.; Teigeler, M.; Sladek, W.; Öing, H.; Arndt, S.; Melcher, S.: The New Daimler mechanical strength, especially that of the perature of the individual components are Heavy Commercial Vehicle Engine Series. In: MTZ turbocharger particularly hot parts. checked. In addition to Europe, further (70) 2009, No. 1 Special solutions are developed that tests take place in Asia, America and ensure the oil leak-tightness of the tur- Africa. In sum, over 9 mn km as well as bocharger, due to the typical long 150,000 h engine operating and at least engine idling phases currently available 70,000 h gas test stand time were driven in the American market. For this pur- in order to release the turbocharger. This pose, special accelerated tests, in which operating time was required in order to the pressure ratio is varied between the satisfy the high performance, safety and Read this article on bearing housing and compressor back- quality requirements of Daimler. www.autotechreview.com autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 39 COVER STORY EXHAUST SYSTEMS AUTOMATIC SHAPE OPTIMISATION OF EXHAUST SYSTEMS

Maximising the uniformity of the catalyst flow and simultaneously minimising the backpressure is an essential goal of exhaust system development, which is often complicated by restrictive underhood packaging spaces. A new optimisation tool has thus been developed at Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies (FECT) that can automatically determine a flow-optimised draft design for a particular packaging space.

AUTHORS

DR.-ING. CHRISTOF HINTERBERGER is Expert for Thermofluid Analysis at Faurecia Emissions Control Technol- ogies in Augsburg (Germany).

DR.-ING. ROLF KAISER is Manager for Durability and Ther- mofluid dynamics in the Center of Competence at Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies in Augsburg (Germany).

DR. MARK OLESEN is Expert for Thermofluid Analysis at Faurecia Emissions Control Technol- ogies in Augsburg (Germany).

40 www.autotechreview.com INITIAL SITUATION

Optimising the flow uniformity of the catalyst flow and the backpressure of exhaust systems normally requires numerous design loops – with iterations between CAD and CFD departments that can be very time consuming. This is particularly the case when optimising a manifold and close-coupled-catalyst combination. During exhaust blowdown, the gas exiting the engine cylinder can momentarily approach sonic flow, which presents particular difficulties to manage and to avoid undesirable flow separation. A further challenge in the optimisation of exhaust systems is posed by the ❶ Closed coupled catalyst and a three-in-one manifold of a twelve-cylinder engine extremely restrictive packaging spaces, coupled with durability, manufacturabil- ity and cost considerations. As an example of conventional optimisation, a close-coupled-catalyst and three-in-one manifold from a 12-cylinder engine is shown in ➊. The catalyst position is fixed (based on the packaging space) as is the manifold geometry (based on an existing part). Thus, the only permitted changes were to the inlet pipe/cone region itself. Starting from the original design, ① (a) – which exhibited highly non-uniform flow in the catalyst cross-section – several successive design changes were taken to ❷ Sketch of package space (a) and of CFD model (b) determine an optimised solution, ① (b). The final design achieved a nearly uniform catalyst flow, which is required for computational times. In contrast, the For the purposes of the automatic an efficient conversion rate. This exam- adjoint method tool presented here has geometry optimisation, the turbulent flow ple illustrates how relatively minor geo- extremely modest calculation times and in the exhaust system is treated as being metrical changes can result in signifi- has the notable advantage that both a incompressible and a standard high-Re k-ɛ cant functional improvements. painstaking geometry parameterisation turbulence model [5] is used. The geome- The continually reduced development and a stepwise adjustment of the meshed try itself is described using an immersed times have further increased the demand volume become superfluous. Instead, boundary method. As shown schemati- for an automatic optimisation programme only the packaging space needs to be sup- cally in ② (b), the meshed region is char- that is based on the fluid dynamics simu- plied as a meshed volume, ➋. acterised by flow (fluid) and non-flow lation. Starting from the available packag- (solid) sub-regions. Since the volume ing space, an optimal solution should be mesh itself only provides a stepwise rep- found in a reasonable period of time. MODELLING resentation, the geometry is based inter- Using shape-based optimising is impracti- nally on a level-set-approximation, which cal for several reasons. An obvious disad- The optimisation programme Cago (Con- yields an exacter and smoother geometry vantage is the parameterisation itself, tinuous Adjoint Geometry Optimisation) description. Using this approach greatly which may be possible for simple geome- developed at Faurecia is based on the improves the overall computational effi- tries (e.g., pipes) but which is generally continuous adjoint CFD method from ciency since it precludes any need for non-trivial for the complex free-form Othmer et al. [1] implemented in Open- mesh movement or re-meshing. geometries used for catalyst inlet cones. foam [2]. The calculation method used in Since the flow fields are determined Cago is only briefly described here, with before the shape parameters are adjusted, details to be found in [3], while the theo- COST FUNCTIONS the optimisation is inherently sequen- retical basis of the adjoint process is tially, which leads to unacceptably long described by Othmer in [4]. The optimisation of the inlet cone geome- autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 41 COVER STORY EXHAUST SYSTEMS

try is expressed in terms of cost functions in ③ (b and d). The red regions are neg- ties reveals the conflicting goals: a fur- to be minimised. The primary goal is a ative sensitivities, which degrade the ther indentation of the geometry would high flow uniformity combined with a respective target function. It is thus pos- improve the uniformity but at the cost low backpressure. Correspondingly, the sible to identify a recirculation zone of higher backpressure. cost function includes the deviation of the after 24 iterations, ③ (a), that will cause The geometry optimisation for a current velocity profile from the target backpressure and can therefore be suc- more complex packaging space is shown velocity profile as well as the energy loss cessively blocked. The geometry after in ➍. The packaging space was meshed between cone inlet and outlet. Adding 460 iterations is shown in ③ (b) along with 300,000 polyhedral cells. The opti- extra weighting to the velocity deviation with the instantaneous velocity profile misation was complete after ten hours in the outer circumference of the catalyst at the front of the catalyst. The exces- on a standard workstation (3.0 GHz allows the centricity of the catalyst flow to sive velocities on the right side of the Intel Core Duo CPU). With a slightly be included into the cost function. catalyst are reflected in the sensitivities higher administrative effort, the optimi- for the uniformity. The negative sensi- sation can also be run in parallel on a tivities (red regions) define regions in cluster, which reduces the calculation ADJOINT CFD METHOD which the introduction of additional time to approximately one hour. obstructions would improve the catalyst The optimisation with Cago of a cata- The optimisation method is based on idea flow uniformity. This leads to an inden- lyst inlet cone for a naturally aspirated that the sensitivity (i.e., gradient of the tation in the geometry (immediately engine is illustrated in ➎. The inlet cone cost function) with respect to the geome- after the inlet) that improves the uni- is the central geometric element for try change can be calculated for every formity. After further iterations, the redistributing the flow from each of the point on the surface geometry. It also geometry reaches a final form as shown cylinders. Since it is important that the accounts for the influence of the geometry in ③ (c and d). A comparison of the flow from each cylinder satisfies the changes on the flow field. Viewed mathe- uniformity and backpressure sensitivi- uniformity target, each cylinder is calcu- matically, the fluid dynamics equations are treated as a constraint (via a Lagrange function) for the optimisation problem. For this optimisation method, the Lagrange multiplier is the so-called adjoint flow field. This adjoint flow field has no physical meaning, but is a mathe- matical construct that allows the sensitivity of the cost function with respect to local changes in the geometry to be calculated. The decisive advantage of this method is that no additional and costly flow solutions are required since the sensitivities can be calculated directly as a scalar product of the primary and adjoint flows. The simultaneous calculation of primary and adjoint flow fields, as well as the corresponding geometry adjustments, is associated with simulation times for the entire optimisation process that is on the same order of magnitude as a single (normal) flow calculation.

APPLICATION

As an example of the optimisation process, a simple packaging space with a transverse inflow, given schematically in ② (b), is taken. The development of an optimised geometry and the sensitivities calculated by the adjoint method are shown in ➌, with sensitivities for back- ③ pressure shown in (a and c) and sen- ❸ Sensitivities for backpressure in inlet cone (a, c) and for flow uniformity across the catalyst (b, d) after 24 iter- sitivities for the flow uniformity shown ations (a), after 460 iterations (b) and after 2500 iterations (c, d); final cone geometry after 2500 iterations (c, d)

42 www.autotechreview.com lated individually as steady-state within WORKFLOW design process, which also includes man- Cago. For the automatic geometry opti- ufacturability and other design aspects. misation, the geometric sensitivities for The workflow for the development of a The final CAD model is subsequently veri- backpressure and uniformity for all cyl- pipe /cone inlet geometry is shown sche- fied with conventional (non-optimising) inders are combined, with the sensitivi- matically in ➏. The available packaging CFD, whereby the adjoint flow equations ties for the cylinder with the poorest space is initially defined, meshed and an for backpressure and uniformity are also uniformity being weighted most heavily. optimal draft design is calculated via calculated. The resulting surface sensitivi- This optimises the uniformity for indi- Cago. The draft geometry is exported in ties, ⑥ (b), highlight the geometry regions vidual cylinders as well as for the aver- IGES format, which can be read in a CAD in which the cost function is particularly age flow. system and serves as a guide during the influenced. This information flows into the final design and is also used for the optimisation of geometry details.

CLOSURE

An automatic geometry optimisation method based on adjoint methods has been presented. The practical feasibility has been demonstrated for complex packaging spaces. Although the current treatment addressed catalyst systems exclusively, the optimisation method can be used for a variety of applications. The calculated sensitivities of the cost function ❹ Automatically generated inlet cone for the provided packaging space steer the automatic adjustment of the surface geometry and also provide a guide- line for the CAD designer during the design process. The process is extremely efficient, thus the time for the entire optimisation process remains on the same order of magnitude as a conventional CFD calculation. This allows the automatic geometry optimisation to be an integral part of the product development process.

REFERENCES [1] Othmer, C.; de Villiers, E.; Weller, H. G.: Im- plementation of a continuous adjoint for topology optimization of ducted flows. AIAA-2007-3947 ❺ Catalyst inlet cone for four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine [2] Weller, H. G.; Tabor, G.; Jasak, H.; Fureby, C.: A Tensorial Approach to Computational Continuum Mechanics using Object Orientated Techniques. Computers in Physics 12 (6), pp. 620 – 631, 1998 [3] Hinterberger, C.; Olesen, M.: Automatic geometry optimization of exhaust systems based on sensitivities computed by a continuous adjoint CFD method in Openfoam. SAE 2010-01-1278 [4] Othmer, C.: A continuous adjoint formulation for the computation of topological and surface sensitivities of ducted flows. Int. J. Num. Meth. Fluids 58, pp. 862 – 877, 2008 [5] Jones, W. P.; Launder, B. E.: The prediction of laminarization with a two-equation model of turbulence. Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 15, pp. 301 – 314, 1972

Read this article on ❻ a) Workflow for catalyst cone development, b) surface sensitivities for subsequent geometry optimisation www.autotechreview.com autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 43 TECHNOLOGY SAFETY SAFETY BY SELF-LOCALISATION USING SATELLITES, LANDMARKS

Due to modern driver assistance systems like ACC, ESC and electronic brake assist, the frequency of accidents occurring in comparatively simple traffic scenarios is continuously decreasing. The research project Ko-PER (Cooperative Perception) was initiated to reduce the number of accidents occurring also in more complex situations, for example at intersections, in case of occlusions or non-visibility. In this project, KIT, Sick AG and the University of Passau, in collabora- tion with other research partners, investigate approaches to preventive safety, based on superior analysis and inter- connection of in-vehicle perception systems, satellite navigation, on-board maps and landmark recognition.

44 www.autotechreview.com AUTHORS INCREASING RATIO OF COMPLEX ACCIDENTS

The progressive market penetration of active and preventive safety systems like for instance ESP (ESC or DSC), ACC and EBA has resulted in a considerable reduc- DR.-ING. DIPL.-ING. ROLAND KRZIKALLA tion in the number of single-vehicle acci- is Coordinator of Research Projects dents and rear-end collisions. Typically, Dealing with Infrastructure Sensorics these types of accidents occur in scenar- and Environmental Perception in ios of comparatively low complexity. Vehicles Utilising Laser Scanners at Sick AG in Hamburg (Germany). Consequently, the relative number of Within the Research Project Ko-PER, accidents in more complex traffic situa- he is the Head of the Working Group tions is increasing continuously. This is Vehicle Self-Localisation. particularly so for scenarios in which occlusions, impaired visibility and the unexpected behaviour of other traffic participants play a crucial role, in through traffic and at intersections as well. In Germany, the share of serious accidents at intersections already exceeds DIPL.-INF. ANDREAS SCHINDLER is Scientific Assistant for the Areas 35 % – and the tendency is rising. Environment Perception and Land- Hence, one of the goals of the funded mark-based Vehicle Self-localisation project Ko-PER is to investigate whether at the Forwiss Institute of the Univer- sity of Passau (Germany). the hazard potential of complex scenarios can be reduced by taking advantage of cooperative perception; that is, by combining the perception results of a multitude of neighbouring vehicles and – in the vicinity of intersections – also by integrating the results of infrastructure-based sen- DIPL.-ING. MATTHIAS WANKERL sor networks. To that end, the local per- is Scientific Assistant for the Area ception output is wirelessly communi- GNSS/INS Data Fusion Concepts for cated; the individual recipient vehicles Vehicle Self-localisation at the Insti- tute of Systems Optimisation (ITE) of merge this information with their own Karlsruhe Institute of Technology findings to obtain a virtually complete (KIT) in Karlsruhe (Germany). real-time representation of the traffic situation, which will be concurrently analysed. ➊ shows the building blocks required for this approach. Here, the base of the pyramid corresponds to the sensor front-end and the top of the pyramid to the sensor back-end layers of the informa- DR. RER. NAT. DIPL.-PHYS. tion-processing chain. REINER WERTHEIMER was Consultant for Machine-based A fundamental precondition for the Perception, Driver Assistance and fusion of the perception results of individ- Preventive Safety at BMW Group ual observers is their ability to identify Research and Technology in Munich (Germany). He is Head of the their own position reliably (self-localisa- Research Project Ko-PER even since tion in terms of position, orientation, and his retirement in 2011. time). The representation of local perception results merely in terms of relative coordinates is not sufficient: A statement such as “At a distance of 42 m, 31° to the left, there is …” is obviously useless unless it is accompanied by information as to at what time and from where the corresponding observation was made. A sufficiently accurate vehicle self- autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 45 TECHNOLOGY SAFETY

localisation in real time (orientation better nals, the resulting positions and orienta- track accuracy claimed at the beginning. than a few degrees, position better than a tions are, however, subject to drifting, the It is, however, expected that the fusion lane width), essential for cooperative extent of which strongly depends on the with vehicle measurement data (odome- safety, constitutes a considerable chal- quality of the INS. By means of sensor ter, vehicle dynamics model) will further lenge. For that reason Ko-PER investigates data fusion of the inertial measurements improve localisation results in the future. the potential of a number of quite differ- and the satellite signals, it is feasible to The navigation result (3D position, ent approaches, some of which will be estimate and offset the INS errors (for velocity and orientation) concurrently briefly introduced in this article. example scale factor, bias) by using a Kal- provided by the TCS is used in two ways: man filter. If no satellites are available at as an autonomous, geo-referenced locali- all (GNSS outage), the merged system, by sation solution, and also for a more pre- TIGHTLY-COUPLED GNSS/INS virtue of the inertial sensors, is even able cise and robust initialisation of highly to sustain localisation results over a accurate relative localisation approaches The quality and availability of position period of some seconds. (for example by means of map-match- and velocity measurements provided by With the so-called Loosely Coupled ing). These are described in the follow- a Global Navigation Satellite System GNSS/INS approach (LCS), the indepen- ing paragraphs. (GNSS), like GPS, Galileo, Glonass or a dently calculated position data of the combination of them, are influenced by GNSS receiver is used as input for the local environmental conditions. The sat- data fusion. If fewer than four satellites COOPERATIVE GNSS ellite signal quality can be seriously are available, the GNSS receiver is not impaired due to multipath errors caused capable of providing any information to For many preventive safety functions in by signal reflections. In addition, shad- support the INS position. vehicles, the determination of the relative owing effects (trees or buildings) may In contrast, the Tightly Coupled Sys- positions of vehicles is sufficient, as long reduce the number of visible and hence tem (TCS) implemented in the Ko-PER as the association of the vehicles has been available satellites significantly. If fewer project incorporates the individual raw correctly determined. Since the run-time than four satellites are visible, a stand- data of all the visible satellites in the data of the GNSS signals (the so-called pseudo alone GNSS receiver will not be able to fusion process. This not only allows for range) is subject to systematic errors (for determine a position. an optimal weighting of the various GNSS example due to a varying charge distribu- In contrast to the GNSS, an Inertial signals, but even ensures an aided navigation in the ionosphere), which have com- Navigation System (INS) determines its tion solution if fewer than four satellites parable effects on the input data of adja- position and orientation with short-term are visible. cent GNSS receivers, it should be possible accuracy by measuring and integrating Evaluation of the developed system to eliminate these systematic deviations accelerations and rotation rates; an INS is yields horizontal position accuracy of the when determining the relative position. thus independent of external information. order of magnitude of meters, ➋ and ➌. By means of an exchange of GNSS raw Due to the integration of differential sig- This does not entirely satisfy the road data, the conditions are investigated under which an improvement of the relative localisation results is feasible. Experi- mental results for this ongoing development are not yet available.

Car functions KO-TAG TRANSPONDERS MMI AT INTERSECTIONS driver intention A description of the vehicle self-localisa- Risk analysis tion approach using infrastructure-based scene interpretation Ko-TAG transponders has already been given in [1]. One main objective of this research project consists of the vehicle- Inter-vehicle (cooperative) perception based detection and recognition of pedestrians (including their relative position), taking advantage of RFID transponders Wireless communication carried along in mobile phones or satch- els, for instance. Stationary transponders at intersections can be used equally well Intra-vehicle perception & for absolute vehicle self-localisation, pro- Intersection-based perception Self-localisation vided that the transmission signal contains the absolute position of the station- ❶ The Ko-PER processing chain depicted as a pyramid ary transponder.

46 www.autotechreview.com 1450

1400 Reference 1350 TCS LCS 1300

1250 North, relative [m] ❷ Excerpt data from a 1200 test drive: comparison of TCS position and LCS 1150 geo-referenced position −1300 −1200 −1100 −1000 −900 −800 −700 −600 −500 −400 (map source by courte- sy of Stadt Karlsruhe, East, relative [m] Liegenschaftsamt)

HIGH-PRECISION DIGITAL MAPS completes the 3D representation. accurate reference measurements. :: Highly efficient calculation of distances: Thereby a global accuracy of approxi- A number of applications, such as land- The fast computation of distances to mately 10 cm has been adduced for the mark-based self-localisation and the lanes and road markings is essential road markings. mutual association of vehicles and lanes, for a variety of tasks (lane association, situation analysis and intersection assis- intersection assistance, vehicle self- tance, require digital maps of high preci- localisation). Using arc splines, the LASER SCANNER AND sion. The digital map developed in Ko required distance computations can be ROAD-COLLATERAL LANDMARKS PER thus contains detailed information on carried out directly and efficiently. individual lanes, road markings and so- :: Minimality: The method for generating In industrial environments, landmark- called point landmarks such as reflector the arc splines ensures the minimal based localisation methods usually posts, traffic signs and trees. This map is possible number of segments for any require special objects that differ signifi- characterised by the following features: chosen accuracy. Hence, the resulting cantly from their surroundings, for exam- :: Innovative curve modelling: Lanes and representation yields minimal memory ple special checkerboard or stroke pat- road markings are represented by storage requirement, while guarantee- terns when using cameras, or retro-reflec- smooth arc splines (SAS), which are ing the desired precision. tive objects when using laser scanners. curves that are composed of line seg- :: Open map format: In order to ensure a These so-called landmarks are to be ments and circular arcs. This model- high level of exchangeability and installed at places, where the localisation ling, in comparison with that of a extensibility, the map data is stored in has to be carried out. On road sites it is polygonal curve, significantly reduces the so-called OpenStreetMap format [2]. not viable to install such objects. Vehicle memory requirements. The addition of :: High precision: The precision of the localisation thus has to use existing a corresponding SAS elevation profile map has been evaluated using highly objects as landmarks – for example, road signs, reflector posts or lamp posts. Special laser scanners developed for vehicle applications are capable of detect- 60 TCS ing these kinds of landmarks, which are ➍ LCS schematically shown in . With a digital 40 map that includes the global coordinates of the landmarks, it is feasible to associate 20 error [m] the landmarks locally detected by the laser scanner with the landmarks in the Horizontal position 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 digital map; by means of suitable object data association, the global position of the Number satellites vehicle can thus be computed. This computation is based on a so- 8 Bound 4 satellites called Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). 6 The EKF is initialised with an existing 4 GNSS position (required accuracy 5-15 2 Number of m). The input data of the EKF includes

visible satellites 0 the distance and the angle of the meas- 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 ured landmarks relative to the associated Time [s] landmarks from the digital map. The pre- ❸ Position error and number of visible satellites – also see ② diction step of the EKF utilises the veloc- autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 47 TECHNOLOGY SAFETY

❹ Road collateral landmarks detected by laser scanners (red) (left); using associated landmarks (green), the vehicle position can be calculated with a precision that allows correct track association (middle); digital map with landmarks (blue) (right)

ity and the yaw rate of the vehicle. The error is restricted to the GNSS accuracy. correspondences. state of the Kalman filter includes the The association of the video-gener- current position as well as the orienta- ated road markings with information of tion of the vehicle. LANDMARKS AND ROAD MARKINGS – the digital map gives an excellent estima- The estimated overall accuracy of this LASER SCANNER AND CAMERA tion of the lateral position and orienta- localisation approach lies – under quite tion of the vehicle on the road. Using the favourable conditions (sufficient number Using the high-precision digital map, an landmarks extracted by the laser scanner, of properly associated landmarks) – advanced landmark-based localisation the longitudinal position of the vehicle within the range of the measurement approach was developed as a next step. In can be further improved. Here, a particle accuracy of the used map or the laser addition to the detection of elevated filter establishes the probabilistic scanner, respectively that is >10 cm. objects like traffic signs or tree trunks, a approach for fusing the input data. First According accuracy limits can be expected video camera enables the extraction of experimental investigations show that at intersections as well as in rural areas at plane objects like road markings. All of this approach enables global positioning given conditions. If the estimated accu- these objects are associated with elements to an accuracy of within 0.5 m laterally racy of the algorithm is getting worse than of the digital map, ➎, in order to deduce and under 1 m longitudinally. The orien- the available GNSS position, the estimated the position of the vehicle from the tation error is under 1°. In order to combine all the particular advantages of the individual self-localisation approaches, the corresponding results are subjected to a suitable data fusion procedure. This ensures elimination of most dropouts and outliers of the individual localisation methods. More detailed information and additional references regarding Ko-PER and its self-localisation approaches can be found in [3].

REFERENCES [1] Schwarz, D.: Erweiterung der Fahrzeug-zu- Fahrzeug-Kommunikation mit Funkortungstechni- ken. In: ATZelektronik 7 (2012), No. 5, pp. 323 – 329 [2] http://www.openstreetmap.org/ [3] http://ko-fas.de/english/ko-per-cooperative-perception.html

❺ Association of landmarks via digital map; shown are: computed lane centre lines (orange), road markings (white) with correspondences from lane recognition (red pyramids), detected point landmarks like tree trunks and guide posts (yellow) including correspondences found in the map (distance differences: magenta), top Read this article on right: camera image of the driving scene (Figure © BMW Group Research and Technology) www.autotechreview.com

48 www.autotechreview.com

TECHNOLOGY HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE INTERFACES USING GESTURES — TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY, TOMORROW’S INNOVATIONS

Gesture recognition will not be the only solution for less driver distraction, companies will rely on in the future – instead, it will be one of a range of interactive technologies. Of these, gesture-based interaction is considered to be the most technologically advanced. Harman explains the different development steps.

50 www.autotechreview.com AUTHORS GUIDELINES FOR DISTRACTION- its part, the car industry points out that FREE INTERACTION drivers can be distracted by other things as well – a deep conversation with a Carmakers have several goals in mind – passenger, noise, eating while driving or they want to offer customers an attrac- rummaging in the glove compartment. tive infotainment package, but they also need to adhere to safety regulations, RICK KREIFELDT which are traditionally quite strict for MULTIMODALITY is Vice President, Research and the important US market and the similar Development at the Corporate Technology Group Harman EU guidelines. Gesture recognition will not be the only International in Karlsbad (Germany). The USA’s National Highway Traffic solution companies will rely on in the Safety Administration (NHTSA), the fed- future – instead, it will be one of a range eral regulator for road and car safety, of interactive technologies. Manufacturers takes a particularly strict line regarding associated with the automotive industry excessive distraction and its causes. Just are, therefore, already working on multi- recently, the NHTSA’s safety experts mode HMI solutions and will continue released a catalogue of guidelines dealing refining this technology over the coming HANS ROTH with in-car safety after data analyses sug- years. These systems’ hallmark is their is Director Business Development at gested that using smartphones and satel- impressive combination of input methods Harman Infotainment Division in Karlsbad (Germany). lite navigation has increased the number using spoken commands, buttons and of road accidents. The NHTSA wants to gestures, and their “output” in the form of see a ban on using devices when in traf- visual, audio and touch-based informa- fic – the organisation stated that the tion. Of these, gesture-based interaction is problem was not that drivers have to considered to be the most technologically take a hand off the wheel to use devices, advanced. Examples for different gestures but that they paid less attention to traffic are to be seen in ➊. OLAF PREISSNER conditions around them. As a result, the is Manager Design/Human Factors NHTSA has called on the car industry to at Harman Infotainment Division in Karlsbad (Germany). reduce the potential for distraction that HOW DOES GESTURE RECOGNITION arises from having a large number of WORK? infotainment features in cars. It wants to ensure that certain functions can be When developing gesture-recognition deactivated once the car is in motion. tools, the first thing to do is to classify Europe also has guidelines in place the different types of gestures. It is called European Statements of Princi- important to select gestures that people DR THOMAS VÖHRINGER-KUHNT ples (ESOPs), and they have more or not only intuitively use for specific func- is Senior Engineer Human Factors at less the same purpose. The Society of tions, but which sensors can easily rec- Harman Infotainment Division in Karlsbad (Germany). Automobile Engineers (SAE), an inter- ognise and differentiate. Hand gestures national federation, wants drivers to be are not the only option – facial expres- able to perform tasks on gesture-recog- sions can also be used, as browser nition systems in no more than 15 s. For developer Opera showed with its 2009 interface solution. In the automotive industry, facial gestures would be a great advantage because they would eliminate the need for drivers to take one hand off the wheel, but they have one particular drawback – social acceptability is unlikely to be forthcoming. There is greater tolerance for hand gestures, and they are much more useful than traditional interface systems because drivers only have to make a simple gesture to work a function instead of stretching out an arm, while taking their eyes off traffic to look at a control panel. Manu- facturers have to study which gestures ➊ Examples of gestures are suitable for in-car use and create a autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 51 TECHNOLOGY HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE

catalogue of options. more innovative option, but it is also guish different kind of movements, e.g. Examples of commonly used gestures technically more complicated. in direction or speed. The sensor can are the OK sign, a clenched fist with the Several different kinds of technology therefore recognise standard movements thumb pointing up, while others include are used for recognising gestures – like tapping, turning, pushing, pulling, the combination of thumb and index fin- Microsoft’s Xbox features a camera-based and wiping, ➋. The Halios principle ger, pointing to the side or straight system, but infrared sensors have proven eliminates any changes in the sensitivity ahead, grasping, the “telephone” gesture to be more efficient for the car industry. of the photodiode caused by ambient composed of outstretched thumb and Contact-free infrared technology can be light or temperature changes. Therefore, pinky held up to the ear, and the com- used to monitor positions or phases, but optoelectronic sensors based on the Hal- mon gesture of dismissal, when people combining these two methods promises ios principle are particularly resistant to want to reject or brush things aside. the best results. In position-based gesture any influences of ambient light condi- These kinds of gestures can be recognition, the sensor uses the position tions (sunlight, flashlights, neon lamps), assigned to different functions which it calculates for an object, while the eliminating the need of using optical fil- users access via the infotainment system, phase-based system uses the changing ters or any other kind of adjustment. and manufacturers should match the positions of a moving signal to identify The low power consumption is a functions with the gestures that rate the direction an object is moving in. result of the robust measurement princi- highest for intuitiveness – the simplest Combining both methods increases accu- ple. Short measurement times (long and clearest gestures can be used for rate recognition rates so the system integration or filtering of the values is actions (e.g. select, open/close), select- attains the reliability necessary for its not necessary) together with the inte- ing devices (e.g. radio, satnav, climate inclusion in a standard production sys- grated 16 bit micro-controller allows control, etc.) and instrument control (e.g. tem. This technology relies on complex optimisation of the sample frequency yes/no, loud/quiet, higher/lower, etc.). recognition algorithms to understand and and the power consumption reduces to interpret different gestures. an application specific minimum. The system is neither influenced by extreme TECHNICAL RECOGNITION illumination nor changing environmen- OF GESTURES EXAMPLES IN DEVELOPMENT tal lights. The temperature stabilisation prevents failures in measurement typi- Once the catalogue of gestures is ready, One example of innovative use of con- cally introduced by the temperature the next step is to ensure that appliances tactless input using infrared technology depending drifts of the intensity of can recognise these standardised hand is Halios by Mechaless Systems GmbH, infrared-LEDs. The reaction time of the movements: this can involve physical an Elmos Semicondutcor AG company. system can easily be adapted by soft- contact on a touchpad or touch screen, With Halios sensors, it is possible to ware. The measurement is done by cur- or it can be contactless using an infrared identify movements of objects (e.g. parts rent bursts, which last only 250 μsecs. sensor, camera or some other method. of a body) in close and far distances to The receiving signal is then processed in Contact-free gesture recognition is the the sensor. The sensor is able to distin- the 16 bit microcontroller by the customer specific application, ➌. At the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, one of the infotainment specialist Harman and Swiss company Rinspeed presented E909.06 Driver 1 their joint creation, the Dock+Go con- LED 1 cept car. Taking the Smart as its tem-

Oscillator plate and adding a docking trailer, this study car’s special feature is how it con- nects the driver, car and the world of digital information. Its infotainment system combines integrative smart phone Driver 2 Distance D technology and the cloud-based Aha Object LED 2 platform with a flexible human-machine interface (HMI), ➍. The concept’s objective is to enable drivers to access digital contents intui- Amp. PD tively, easily and with maximum safety Halios Control logic while driving. Even though the car features a wide range of HMI technologies, gesture recognition and voice-activated

Halios Surface of systems for different functions, distrac- Signal optical sensor tions can still be reduced to an absolute ➋ Typical Halios circuit minimum. Users need one hand to take

52 www.autotechreview.com care of basic tasks and do not even have how these systems might look in a few ON THE WAY TO to make physical contact with buttons years’ time. You do not have to go to SERIES PRODUCTION or screens, while the voice-controlled major auto shows like Detroit, Frank- systems enable the driver to access furt, Geneva and Beijing to see them – It is clear there is no lack of innovative additional services or command Aha’s they are also on display at consumer concepts, but how do infotainment sys- automated vocaliser to read their goods fairs like the CES in Las Vegas, a tems currently make use of gesture rec- e-mails or Facebook, Twitter feeds. The clear sign that integration and synergy ognition? Does the industry have any integrated office solution means the car effects between consumer and automo- prototypes that will be ready to go into can be transformed into a mobile office: tive electronics are becoming increas- production in the near future? Among drivers can have Aha read out e-mails, ingly more important. carmakers and parts suppliers, several or they take a look at their business cal- One innovation is the multi-touch premium brands have already under- endars or transfer stored addresses to steering wheel developed by researchers taken their first projects with gesture the navigation system. at Duisburg-Essen University’s Pervasive recognition systems and are now more Computing and User Interface Engineer- or less ready to start series production. ing department. Their work has produced Sensor technology for the contactless FROM THE LAB TO a steering wheel prototype whose entire recognition of simple gestures is already THE PRODUCTION LINE surface area functions as a display and in use – multitouch screens’ interface which responds to the touch: it is cur- systems are one example. Infrared prox- Leading carmakers and infotainment rently capable of recognising 20 gestures, imity sensors were even a feature in the producers such as Harman are currently including the pinch-to-zoom gesture Ferrari 612 Scaglietti’s infotainment sys- focusing a lot of attention on gesture familiar from the iPhone. Tests conducted tem. Alongside gesture recognition, car- recognition applications that use prox- on this prototype have proven that using makers also use forced feedback as imity sensors. Their innovations are at gestures reduces drivers’ visual “work- another tool, for example in the CUE every stage of the development process load”. The test persons were able to work (Cadillac User Experience) system from – on the drawing board, in testing and certain controls without having to take General Motors. Audi has produced a in actual use in cars. Concept cars and their eyes off the road for as long as is the touchpad with letter recognition as a demo technology provide an insight into case with conventional interface panels. next step in the development of touch-

AVDD VDDC NRST TMODE

KA - + AMP_KA ResetClock Test AMP_AN J RAM AN + CPU core T TM0 - A 16 bit TM1 G Flash VPP

LED1 MISO

MOSI 8 LED2 GPIO SPI SCK Multiply interface Halios CS VDDIO LED3 control RX Guard LIN SCI TX Digital/ IRQ GPIO LED4 analogue control interface SDA SDA I2C Timer interface SCL SCL LEDC

E909.06

➌ Block diagram of the Halios sensor E909.06 (source: Elmos Semiconductor AG) autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 53 TECHNOLOGY HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE

gress from premium carmakers to economy class cars. Developers and manufacturers still have several challenges ahead of them before they can start mass-producing gesture recognition systems. One particularly difficult hurdle will be getting sensors to recognise freehand gestures and cope with the latency period between recognition and interaction. Technologi- cal aspects are not the only consideration – user acceptance is another issue. How- ever, researchers and companies are confident that people will warm to gesture recognition, and they point to the success of the intuitive interface systems that smartphones use – after all, it was not so long ago that these innovations also represented a new and unfamiliar form of technology. ➍ Concept car Dock+Go from Rinspeed Gesture recognition’s success will depend on several factors. If manufacturers want high acceptance levels during based information input: the system is puter screen, when they walk away and and immediately after the launch phase, it used for important orders or entering even play a game of Tetris. makes sense to use gestures common in destinations on satnavs. The technology is very cool but as the consumer electronics sector as a CNET points out, there are likely some touchstone. Companies should also restrictions on use. Microsoft tells that restrict themselves to simple gestures so ROLE MODEL: CONSUMER MARKET they don’t know how close the user must users are not put off by a completely new be to the microphone and speaker for the and excessively complicated repertoire of Companies like Microsoft drive innova- device to track gestures correctly. All of gestures. Interaction should also be as tions from the perspective to the con- the tests in the sample video show a user self-explanatory as possible – here, the sumer market into automotive. Microsoft relatively close to the computer. Addition- magic word is, inevitably, intuitiveness. has been a pioneer in gesture control with ally, the company doesn’t know if there If a system combines different input their Kinect motion sensing device but a are any restrictions on where the micro- methods, i.e. gestures, voice commands new venture from a Microsoft Research phone and speaker(s) must be placed for and actions, it should still follow a coher- project team aims to essentially do the optimal results. ent overall blueprint, one which is also same thing without the cameras. Sound- evident to users. Manufacturers could also Wave allows the user to control their com- take time to consider if deploying computer with hand gestures that are recog- CHALLENGES THAT CAN LEAD mon gestures, instead of producer-specific nised via sound waves. More specifically, TO SUCCESS ones, encourage quick, widespread SoundWave is a real time sensing tech- acceptance, though this concession to nique that works in conjunction with a The concepts and prototypes developed customers is of course something that dif- microphone and a speaker. The technol- by researchers and companies in the ferent companies will have to weigh up ogy emits an inaudible tone, which then industry would seem to have a lot going for themselves. After all, different info- uses the Doppler Effect to detect a fre- for them, but they still have a long way tainment systems need to stand out from quency shift to recognise the hand gesture to go before they have the potential to their peers, both now and in the future, in action. take the world by storm. Technological and they operate along different lines as a The user does not have to wear any systems, which work reliably in every- result. Against this backdrop, it could be special sensors on their body for the day conditions, require a lot of time and the buyers who end up deciding – intui- detection algorithm to work and music money, and the cost factors alone can tively – which system ultimately wins out can even be played simultaneously prevent them from quickly becoming a in the end. through the speakers without any adverse staple feature in most makes of car. As effects. The research team demonstrates with scores of other innovations in auto- several different applications, where motive technology, gesture recognition SoundWave could be useful, including systems will make their debut in top-of- scrolling through a document or webpage, the-range models and then gradually be Read this article on using the technology to lock a user’s com- fitted in other makes as they get pro- www.autotechreview.com

54 www.autotechreview.com

SHOPFLOOR FIEM INDUSTRIES FIEM INDUSTRIES – RELYING ON TECHNOLOGY FOR FUTURE GROWTH

Starting out as a manufacturer of automotive lights and rear view mirrors, FIEM Industries Pvt Ltd has continued to add to its repertoire and portfolio over the years, transforming into an advanced technological player. The company today manufactures some of the most advanced lighting systems, and have diversified into areas such as lightweight frames, plastic body panels and LED-based solutions for industrial and infrastructure application. We visited the company’s plant in Sonepat, Haryana to witness the transformation the company has made.

56 www.autotechreview.com INTRODUCTION

Walking into the FIEM facility in Sonepat, Haryana, one could sense that the company is standing on the cusp of a major expansion. The company has experienced significant growth over the past few years, and the future holds good promise. Over the next three years, FIEM expects to grow at a CAGR of about 40 %, and by more than 100 % in the two years thereaf- ter. Investments in new technologies and business areas are translating into good results for the company, and clearly, officials are confident of continuous growth. S Narayanan, Head, Commercial & FIEM's product range has undergone a significant expansion in the past few years owing to investment in R&D International Operations, FIEM, told us that the company expects to close the a sheet metal supplier to a complete in and outside India. FY13 with total revenues coming in just module provider. This has begun with In the area of lighting too, the com- short of ` 600 crore. The target is to the development of the sheet metal pany has achieved some segment firsts, reach ` 1,000 crore in the next three frame for Mahindra Reva’s upcoming including a LED two-wheeler headlamp, years, and breach the ` 2,000 crore level electric car, e2o, earlier known as NXR. claimed to be the first of its kind in Asia. in the next five years or so. The move is anything but ordinary since With an established foothold in the two- the frame is a critical part for any car wheeler segment, FIEM is now looking at and in the case of an electric car the strengthening its position in the four- NEW PRODUCTS – PARTS TO technical requirements become more wheeler lighting sector. Towards this, the MODULE stringent. Developing the frame involved company has already developed a LED- a lot of learning and experimenting with based searchlight and fog lamp for mass- FIEM is presently one of the largest sup- material technology. In the end, FIEM production in four-wheelers. While these pliers of lighting solutions in the country was able to develop a production-worthy products are already in supply, the com- within the two-wheeler segment. Its forte system on its own, owing to the invest- pany expects an increase in sales, pri- lies in the scooter segment, where it com- ment made in new product development. marily due to the fact that these products mands almost 85 % of the Indian market- In addition, the company also has an are flexible in nature. This means that share. In addition, the company is looking order to supply headlamps and tail the company can supply the same tech- at expanding its exports and is already lamps for the e2o. nology in different sizes and specifica- supplying lamps to Honda for some of The biggest positive for the company, tions for multiple applications, thereby their international motorcycles, including beyond financial gains, was the estab- widening its potential customer base. a 670 cc product. Some of the major lishment of an advanced platform. With FIEM has also ventured into non-auto- export markets for the company presently many OEMs looking at ultra-light com- motive business recently, and has estab- are the UK, Italy, Germany, Indonesia, pact vehicles in and outside India, FIEM lished a new division to manufacture Japan and Austria. seems to have invested in a promising solar-based and conventional LED lamps In India, FIEM is presently the exclu- future. The success with e2o will act as a for domestic and commercial purposes. sive supplier of all lamps and plastic body statement of its newly developed, yet For the same, FIEM has inked a technical panels to the Honda scooters produced at capable technical expertise, thereby pav- agreement with Singapore-based Bright- HMSI’s Tapukara plant, Rajasthan. The ing the way for many such orders both Lite Systems. The company expects this quick expansion in the company’s prod- division to play an important role uct portfolio has been possible largely in the targeted growth of the because of a focussed approach for tech- company, mainly due to the nology development. Even though the want of adequate electricity company took help of some foreign part- in our country. LEDs reduce ners initially, it is presently handling its power consumption signifi- product development independently. cantly and their wide adoption FIEM established an R&D centre in Rai, in areas such as street lamps Haryana, about two years back, which and industries will considerably has helped the company develop a range lower the power requirement. of new products and technology. All of the above mentioned develop- What is encouraging to note is the ments clearly indicate the level of effort company’s success in transforming from Vibration tester for lamps that FIEM has put into development of autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 57 SHOPFLOOR FIEM INDUSTRIES

houses almost all of the required major testing equipment. This allows for a quick and cost-effective product development cycle, a reason for the success achieved by the in-house R&D centre in a short span of time. The R&D centre employs about 35 engineers exclusively for new product development. Apart from them there are other engineers working indirectly with or for them. The R&D lab at the facility is abuzz with action and it isn’t hard to figure out that this is a hotspot for new ideas. In the short-term the lab will roll out multiple new products aimed at creating the company’s presence in new segments. The R&D capabilities are now flexible enough Fitment duties on the assmebly line are largely manual in nature, yet well-organised to undertake product development, based primarily on customer-input and through working with their engineers. technology. The company established an established as an individual entity about The idea of working closely with cus- independent R&D lab just about two two years back. The company started tomers has made the company realise the years back and most of the discussed off by investing 1 % of its total revenue importance of moving to fully LED-based new products have been developed there. on R&D, and plans to steadily increase lighting solutions. Even though the cost of The company has also applied for pat- that share going forward. LED lights is presently higher than con- ents on some products, but officials Owing to the technical support agree- ventional lamps, FIEM like most compa- refused to divulge any details on them. ment with Ichikoh, FIEM has access to nies is confident of the technology becom- FIEM also has a technical agreement some of the most advanced manufacturing inexpensive with mass-adoption and with Ichikoh of Japan, but their involve- ing machines at its facilities. Under the expects most of its production to convert ment was mainly limited to setting up arrangement, FIEM supplies mirror to LED in the next five-odd years. the plant in accordance with Japanese plates to the Japanese company, which quality guidelines. The product develop- uses them in turn for use in finished ment has been FIEM’s responsibility and products for its customers. At the Sone- ON THE PRODUCTION FLOOR the results seem to be turning out well. pat plant too, manufacturing quality and processes are in line with Japanese The facility employs some smart and cost- standards. We were told that this effective production methods, one of RESEARCH & PRODUCTION arrangement ensures error-free produc- which is related to supply of material tion on the assembly lines. within the plant. Paint, primer and related In terms of investment in R&D we were The Sonepat plant is one of the most materials are carried through pipes run- told that funds were accounted sepa- advanced among the eight plants it oper- ning across the plant. The material is fed rately for the unit only when it was ates across the country. The facility into designated inlet areas, which have a

Usage of equipment such as Goniometer enables precise adjustment of light beams Circuit boards are manufactured in a highly-automated and controlled environment

58 www.autotechreview.com The facility manufactures 80,000 lamps per day FIEM supplies 100 % lamps to Honda scooters The material transfer system is smart and economical

piped outlet at specific points. This pro- the company for the production work. key factor here is that being a lamp sup- cess, although simple and inexpensive to plier, FIEM starts working with a cus- build and maintain, significantly quickens tomer right from the design conceptuali- the material transfer and seeing it work OUTLOOK sation stage. This not only allows FIEM to was quite an experience. gain better understanding about the cus- The photometric test laboratory and The projected growth over the next five tomer requirements but also gives it a the vibration tester at the facility deserve years seemed like an uphill task to us ini- potentially longer development window. a special mention as very few companies tially. However, that perception changed The strong drive to increase exports is in the country have an equally advanced quickly when we went through the com- another step that should help the com- set-up. The goniometer testing module is pany’s production and research areas and pany continue climbing up the learning an important part of the testing and devel- met the people in charge. The product curve and maintain/improve its margins. opment process. Using this equipment, diversification one would see FIEM under- The company already has orders from engineers can precisely calibrate the dis- going in the next few years is impressive. brands such as Harley-Davidson and Tri- tance and angle for the high and low- Even though the automotive industry will umph, which speak well about FIEM’s beams of a lamp. The overall facility infra- continue to be the major business contrib- quality. Orders such as these could help structure looks modern and efficient and utor, the new domestic and industrial LED the company win some major orders out- confirms with all necessary standards. lighting business will form a significant side India. The physical presence of the The facility presently manufactures about part of total revenues soon. company in states such as Tamil Nadu, 80,000 lamps on a daily basis and has Within the automotive domain the Haryana, Rajasthan and Karnataka is room for further expansion if required. company plans to increase its competi- another factor, which will contribute to a An incredible aspect of the FIEM shop- tiveness by focussing on supply of com- sustainable profitability. floor is that all assembly-line workers at plete vehicle sets rather than individual Provided the focus on innovation stays the plant are women. These women are parts. This would mean supply of all as sharp it is presently, FIEM Industries natives from nearby areas and are lamps, mirrors and panels for a certain seems to be in a good position to write a selected through a preliminary screening vehicle. This would benefit the company story of success. Making it even better based on certain parameters such as edu- in terms of higher production as well as would be the fact that it is driven by cation. Once selected, they are trained by better technical development. Another indigenous technology development. While such a business model wouldn’t work well for every company, it does show that innovation too is a business model that companies can look at for a profitable future.

TEXT : Arpit Mahendra PHOTO: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay

More on this article Modern amenities and infrastructure allow the facility to satisfy global quality expectations www.autotechreview.com autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 59 NEW VEHICLE AUDI Q5 NEW AUDI Q5 — PERFORMANCE ENHANCED

The earlier Audi Q5 wasn’t outdated by any means and was selling well by segment standards. The second most successful premium brand in the country today, however, wanted to strengthen its foothold in the segment by bringing in an improved variant of the mid-size SUV. The new Q5 is what most of us look for – greener, leaner, quicker and overall much better. Our detailed review lends an insight into the technologies that went through an improvisation cycle.

60 www.autotechreview.com INTRODUCTION

Audi’s ‘Q’ series of SUVs has been a success in India since its launch, owing to the striking and voluminous looks, gen- erous equipment levels and appreciable performance and comfort. Through its mid-life cycle, the Q5 was due for an update in order to keep it competitive as ever. The highlight about the facelift is its 360° approach, which translates into an improvement for all kinds of consumer expectations. Although not many major systems have been replaced, almost everything has become more efficient than in the older Q5. The major change though comes in the form of reworked engines, which offer more Combination of various grades of steel along with aluminium adds torsional rigidity while reducing weight power yet higher efficiency.

% ultra-high-strength steel, 12.3 % turbocharging. This configuration DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION – SUBTLE advanced high-strength grades, 44.5 % increases overall efficiency and reduces & PLEASING high-strength steel and 30.8 % deep the size and weight of the engine. Varia- drawn steel. The result of all this is an ble turbochargers ensure the throttle The new Q5’s design change is an evolu- appreciably low kerb weight of 1,680 kg response is smooth and almost instanta- tion of the older one and hence it could for the Q5 2.0 TDI. neous throughout the rev band. The be hard to differentiate between the two engine does a good job of moving the versions from a distance. Getting closer almost two-tonne SUV at a brisk pace. to the vehicle though reveals some differ- POWERTRAIN – EVOLVING During our test the 0-100 km/h accelera- ences to the keen eye. The most obvious EFFICIENCY tion run was recorded in 9.4 s using a one is the new headlamps and the LED handheld GPS device. pattern. The grille, bumper and air dam The engines options for India include two Power and efficiency is further helped design too has been revised and helps diesels and one petrol option – a 2 l and 3 by the common rail system, which can the new Q5 come across as a slightly l TDI and the 2 l TFSI engine. Our test car create a maximum pressure of 29,000 psi sharper vehicle. was equipped with the 2 l TDI unit, the or 2,000 bar. This high pressure leads to The flatter roofline lends the Q5 with one that has continued to sell the most. better combustion of fuel, resulting in a dynamic and more road-hugging look. The unit develops 177 hp and a peak higher power and lower emission. Com- All changes maintain the dimensions of torque of 380 Nm between 1,750 and bined with multi-hole nozzles and piezo the older Q5, while providing a better 2,500 rpm. Audi claims a 15 % increase injectors the 2 l TDI is one of the most and wider look from the front yet a in fuel-efficiency along with a considera- power-dense yet efficient engines in its sharper view from the side. The frontal ble increase in power. The engine now class. Our test included an equal split area of 2.65 sq m results in a low drag features one of the best specific outputs in between highway and city run during coefficient of 0.32. The result of this was its class at 88.5 hp/l. which the Q5 delivered an indicated fuel- evident during our test and even at As is the case with the TDI line-up, the efficiency of 11.8 km/l, while ARAI certi- speeds exceeding 150 km/h, wind whis- 2 l engine features direct injection and fied fuel-efficiency is 14.6 km/l. Given the tle was almost inaudible, translating into a quiet cabin. With the designers completing their job, it was time for the material engineers to pitch in and their contribution has lightened the Q5 considerably. The hood and tailgate are now made from aluminium and the tailgate alone is lighter by 8.1 kg than a similar steel part. The engineers used a variety of steel options in various areas to lower weight while achieving higher tensile strength. The body-in-white consists of 9.1 % form-hardened steel, 3.3 Panoramic roof lends a spacious feel to the cabin New LED design does away with the diagonal pattern autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 61 NEW VEHICLE AUDI Q5

does on all other Audi vehicles. Body roll is minimal and the plush ride quality makes for comfortable seating even at high speeds. The differential’s location in front of the clutch and torque converter also helps overall stability. This placement allows for the front axle to be pushed to a more forward position, leading to a longer wheel- base and better distribution of axle loads. The addition of torque-vectoring in the new Q5 adds considerably to the handling of the vehicle and high-speed manoeuvres are now easier to pull-off. In a nutshell, the software monitors and determines A diagramatic explanation of the S tronic's working in the 1st and 2nd gear which wheel is about to lose grip. A frac- tion of time before the slip occurs, the system gently brakes the wheel in order to weight, segment and performance of the low-sound from the engine. Although the maintain traction. vehicle, this is an appreciable number. changes in the reworked engine are not The retuned spring, damper and stabi- The vehicle also boasts of low carbon massive, their effects are easy to notice. lisers add further to the dynamic package emissions at 159 g/km in a combined People who’ve driven the Q5 earlier will of the Q5. Even off-road, the Q5 handles cycle. This has partly been made possible immediately notice these changes and well and is able to tackle bad terrains due to the use of exhaust-gas recirculation appreciate them. The Q5’s powertrain with ease. The off-roading capability is (EGR) and its implementation. In TDI emerged as a well-sorted all-rounder for testified by a ground clearance of 200 mm engines, the EGR redirects a significant us, owing to the flexibility of TDI engines and approach & departure angles of 25° . amount of exhaust gas to the cylinder, to be reworked from mild to extensive lev- A major and welcome improvement leading to a lower concentration of oxy- els for various applications. comes in the form of a new electrome- gen in the air-fuel mixture. These exhaust chanical power steering system, claimed gases then prevent chemical reactions to lower fuel consumption by 0.3 l per 100 from taking place in the cylinders. The DYNAMICS km. The steering is significantly better result of both these changes is a reduction than the older unit and now offers better in combustion temperature, which in turn Audi’s ‘Q’ range of vehicles is well-known feedback at high speeds. With a gear ratio lowers the formation of nitrogen oxides for the ability to handle more like a car in of 15.9:1, the unit is pretty direct in and overall emissions. most cases. The Q5 continues on the nature and offers good confidence when The engine is mated to Audi’s well- same line and reflects good dynamic driving fast. known seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch properties. Needless to say, the famed The Q5 was already a dynamically unit. The transmission responds well and Quattro works brilliantly in the Q5 as it sound vehicle and with the updates it has up-shifts are realised pretty quickly. Downshifts are a tad slow in standard mode but identifiable only when pushing hard. One good thing is the ability to con- figure various systems to suit the driver’s requirement. One can programme the engine and suspension to be in comfort mode, yet have better performance from the gearbox by putting it in dynamic mode. A unique thing about the transmission is its integration into the engine’s thermal management system. This significantly shortens the warm-up phase and saves energy. NVH levels are appreciably low and the cabin is pretty silent even at speeds of 150 km/h. The overall performance of the reworked engine is significantly better. A centrifugal pendulum in the dual-mass flywheel significantly contributes to the The rear three quarter view resembles other models from the 'Q' family

62 www.autotechreview.com MMI Navigation Plus comes with a 60 GB hard drive

Changes in the cabin are subtle and not won't make their presence felt in the first go All controls in the cabin are ergonomically designed

now got even better. It delivers the com- top-of-the-line infotainment system for the OUTLOOK fort and supple ride quality of a car cou- Q5 and features a DVD drive and 60 GB of pled with the off-roading benefits and hard drive in addition to the usual con- The Q5 is a well-sorted vehicle with sig- space advantage of an SUV. nectivity features. Display is taken care by nificant multi-tasking abilities. The mid- a seven-inch screen with a resolution of cycle update has now added a fair bit of 800 x 480 pixels. One also has the option zing to the new Q5 as well, and it’s a bet- INTERIORS & SAFETY to play music from the phone via a Blue- ter performer in almost all areas. At this tooth connection, saving time and mem- time one needs to consider Audi’s scala- The interiors of the Q5 feature subtle ory space. ble and flexible platforms, which are touches aimed at enhancing the opulence exactly in line with its parent Volkswa- of the cabin. The new interior colour gen’s global strategy. A fair bit of Audi’s schemes help add a fresh feel to the cabin SAFETY products are in mid-cycle stages and this in this mid-cycle update. The centre con- is where Audi’s flexible platforms are con- sole is slightly angled towards the driver, Like any other premium carmaker, Audi tributing significantly. The electromechan- translating into a wraparound effect and has ensured safety levels at par with ical steering seen in the Q5 for example, better ergonomics. The instrument nee- global competition and technology availa- was launched earlier in the refreshed A4. dles and steering column stalks have been bility. The Q5 comes loaded with a wide Similarly, Audi has a bouquet of scalable redesigned and add in a small way to the array of safety technologies including air- technologies, which it can easily modify high-quality effect. bags all round, ABS with EBD, ASR and for a specific application and lend a func- Front seats are well-cushioned and ESC. A notable technology here is the tionally useful update to the consumer offer good support all round and are per- Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), which rather than a visual one. fectly suitable for long drives. Legroom at adds proper off-roading credentials to the The pricing is competitive and given the rear is good but the thigh support is Q5’s resume. The system can operate on the vast number of technologies one gets less than adequate and could be an issue various surfaces and can automatically access to, the Q5 returns good value for for tall people during long journeys. A brake the wheel on slippery surfaces. The its sticker price, starting at ` 43.16 lakh, compensating factor here is the rear seat system can operate up to a maximum ex-showroom, New Delhi. rest angle, which can be set between 24° speed of 100 km/h, thereby making the and 30°. The flexible seating is something Q5 capable of handling almost any ter- owners will greatly appreciate as one can rain. Another new inclusion is the assis- TEXT : Arpit Mahendra use various seat settings to accommodate tance system, which can detect a lapse in PHOTO: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay / Audi things ranging from mountain bikes to the concentration of the driver and sug- large cases. gest a break. Read this article on The MMI Navigation plus unit is the www.autotechreview.com autotechreview March 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 3 63 DECODING TECHNOLOGY

TELEMATICS: SIMPLICITY TO DRIVE ADOPTION

Our mobilised generation is presently into a complete undergoing a shift in lifestyle, partly due package that works to the effects of technology. Vehicles of to both help simplify all forms have become an integral part of Hyundai owners’ our lives globally and this trend is only lives and reduce dis- expected to grow in the coming years. tracted driving. The most crucial effect of this on our “We’ve carefully lifestyle is the increasing time we spend studied how drivers in our vehicles. The need of the hour is rely on smart phones to find a way to effectively utilise this and navigation sys- time as businesses, personal and social tems as an innova- aspects become increasingly virtual. tive link to the out- A solution to these requirements side world. Blue Link came in the form of ‘Telematics’, which brings that seamless in simple words is a combination of tel- connectivity directly ecommunication and wireless informa- into the car with tion technologies such as GPS. The con- technology like voice nection is established via a device text messaging, POI paired with the on-board diagnostics of web search down- a vehicle, which collects and transmits load, and monthly information to and from various infor- vehicle reporting.” mation sources. Telematics can be used A new product in for multiple purposes including vehicle the MirrorLink driv- change them every year. Cars on the tracking, connectivity and safety among ing project by the Car Connectivity Con- other hand are retained from anywhere many others. sortium is the Drive Link smart phone between five years to more than a dec- Globally, many companies have done application by Samsung. The application ade. A negative effect of this varied extensive work on the technology and has been approved by the Japanese development cycle is that telematics plat- have helped it grow quickly in a short Automotive Manufacturers Association. forms become outdated way before that span of time. Indian companies too The app allows the user to access impor- of a vehicle. have joined the bandwagon as smart tant phone features through voice com- The panel acknowledged the opportu- phone sales and traffic continues to mands, while driving. The app can even nity available in the form of the time grow at a spiraling rate. Mahindra Tele- read out messages, emails and social people spend in the car. However, they matics and Mahindra Engineering have media updates aloud, if specified. Mir- made it clear that people still don’t have jointly developed a telematics service. rorLink connectivity enables the phone clear expectations from their vehicle tele- This service can offer navigation, info- to feed the information to a compatible matics. It’s up to the OEMs to draw a tainment, remote diagnostics and fleet in-car screen or speakers. One can also line else the systems might become so management. The XUV 500 is a good control the phone using the controls on complex that people at some time might platform to see some of these technolo- the steering wheel through this app. stop using it altogether. gies working well. While the technology seems a perfect The future of telematics offers great Hyundai’s Blue Link Telematics Plat- fit for fulfilling future connectivity opportunity but demands even greater form is another such service, which has requirements, there is another school of introspection into the development path. found good traction among consumers. a slightly different thought. A panel at The technology definitely requires car- The platform offers voice recognition the JD Power International Automotive makers to work in close coordination system for performing POI search in Roundtable in Orlando, Florida stated with smart phone developers. More addition to all the above mentioned ser- that telematics are at a risk of becoming importantly, it requires for development vices. The service also offers safety fea- too complicated and distracting for driv- of systems and interfaces that are an tures such as carsh notification and ers. A key problem in this scenario is the extension of smartphone features along assistance and roadside assistance. Barry difference in development cycle of smart with other safety and convenience fea- Ratzlaff, Director, Customer Satisfaction phones and cars, which is poles apart at tures. This will have to be the case since & Service Business Development, Hyun- the least. Smart phones are usually parallel development cycles will only be dai Motor America said the offering com- developed in less than a year in present a detriment rather than a solution for bines safety, service and infotainment circumstances as consumers tend to either of the industries.

64 www.autotechreview.com Complete solutions in precision

metallic coil springs

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www.autotechreview.com February 2013 | Volume 2 | Issue 2 NOW, ALSO AVAILABLE ON

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14 INTERVIEW Laurence J Fromm, VP - Business & Strategy Development, Achates Power Inc

18 INNOVATION What India Can Learn From Other Asian Markets

60 NEW VEHICLE Mercedes-Benz B 180 - Redefining Compact Class

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18 INNOVATION What India Can Learn From Other TECHNOLOGY FEBRUARY 2013 Asian Markets 60 NEW VEHICLE Mercedes-Benz B 180 - Redefining Compact Class ෽ INDUSTRYINDUSTRY INSIGHTSINSIGHTS VOLUME 2 | ISSUE ෽ EXPERTS OPINION ෽ NEW TECHNOLOGY REVIEW ෽ IN-DEPTHIN-DEPTH RESEARCHRESEARCH RNI NO.: APPLIED FOR ISSN 2250-3390 WWW.AUTOTECHREVIEW.COM GASOLINE ENGINES —

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