www.autotechreview.com May 2013 | Volume 2 | Issue 5 Now, Also available on

It’s on 14 Interview Lowell C Paddock, President & Managing Director,

18 technology foresight Evolution of for Electric & Hybrid Vehicles

60 new Vehicle  Eco Technology (Het) – Pushing The Efficiency Envelope

AUTOMOTIVE TRANSMISSIONS —

NEW & IMPROVED CONFIGURATIONS Powered by Complete solutions in precision

metallic coil springs

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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. Springs loop, used in computers, displacement, used in adaptable to required 4. Rebound Springs brakes, etc. transmission, etc. applications.

Seat Belt Springs Used for operation of Seat Belts of 4-Wheelers, made out of textured rolled hardened and tempered high carbon steel strips in various sizes.

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

Regd. Office & Works Manufacturing Unit-II Plot No. 192 A, Sector-4, E-56, Industrial Area, Haridwar-249 401 IMT Manesar-122050 Gurgaon, Haryana, India Uttarakhand, India Tel.: +91-124-4763200 Fax: +91-124-4365189 Tel.: +91-1334-221301 Fax: +91-1334-220128 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail : [email protected] ISO 9001 EDITORIAL

IN SEARCH OF GROWTH

Dear reader,

The first month of the new financial year expectedly returned little hope and joy for the – sales continue to fall for most, and those witnessing growth are riding on the success of newly launched products in the market. While a turnaround is expected, no one knows when exactly that is going to happen.

The dip in manufacturing is yet another reason the industry is worried. A crucial cog in the of progress, it was manufacturing that largely kept the Indian economy insulated from global turmoil. With retail sales dwindling, many manufacturers have undertaken measures to control or cut production volumes.

The future potential nonetheless, is in little doubt, thanks to the country’s claimed talent pool in science, technology and research. Global consulting firm Deloitte’s global index for 2013 has ranked India the fourth most competitive manufacturing nation, behind China, the US and Germany. And there are others, who talk about China and India in the same vein, in the same order, when it comes to future manufacturing prowess.

Yet, at this stage, numbers don’t seem to be doing justice to India’s deemed potential. In 2012, the McKinsey Global Institute released a study on manufacturing, calling it the next era of global growth and innovation. It believes, developing markets would continue to drive growth in demand for manufactured goods. In addition, a strong pipeline of innovations in materials, IT, production processes and manufacturing operations give manufacturers the opportunity to design and build new products. The study also notes that manufacturing will continue to drive innovations, exports and productivity growth in advanced economies, while in developing markets like India and China it will continue to provide a pathway to higher living standards.

Through the last three decades, India has moved up the global manufacturing ladder from the 15th to the 10th position. This decade could see the country leapfrog, like Deloitte estimates, into the big league. What the industry would hope for though, is strong government support, improved financial options for consumers and better infrastructure. That should see manufacturing kick-off sooner.

DEEPANGSHU DEV SARMAH Editor New Delhi, May 2013

autotechreview.com May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 1 COVER STORY AUTOMOTIVE TRANSMISSIONS NEW & IMPROVED CONFIGURATIONS

24, 32, 38, 44 | In an automotive world that is constantly chasing efficiency – every possible means of meet- ing future CO2 requirements is being sought. These include the application of various measures to optimise the internal combustion engine and transmission or the electrification of the powertrain. In this issue, Auto Tech Review looks at several new configurations of transmissions, and solutions built around them.

GUEST COMMENTARY

12 Volvo’s Vision 2020 – ‘No Death, No Serious Injury in A Volvo ’ Tomas Ernberg – Managing Director, Volvo India

INTERVIEW

14 “Right Approach is to Apply Conventional Technologies Intelligently” Lowell C Paddock, President & Managing Director, General Motors India

2 CONTENTS

NEWS COVER STORY SHOPFLOOR

4 Interactions 24 In Search of the Optimal 56 NGK Spark Plugs India — Global 10 News Future Powertrain Technology Customised to Indian Tilmann Schmidt-Sandte, Jürgen Hammer Needs TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT 32 Construction Kit for Front-Transverse 18 Evolution of Transmission for EVs, Automatic Transmissions with NEW VEHICLE HEVs; Potential for Magnetic Nine Speeds Transmission Jürgen Greiner, Gaston Girres, 60 Honda Eco Technology (HET) — Arghya Sardar, Suresh Babu Muttana Michael Ebenhoch, Heribert Scherer Pushing the Efficiency Envelope

38 Compact Seven- and Ten-Speed Dual-Clutch Transmissions DECODING TECHNOLOGY Gereon Hellenbroich, Johannes Ruschhaupt, Coen Duindam 64 Windshield Wipers — Innovation Through Simplicity 44 Front-Transverse Transmissions from Mercedes-Benz Ralf Wörner, Ansgar Damm, OTHERS Ralph Eberspächer, Carsten Gitt 01 Editorial 03 Imprint TECHNOLOGY

50 Lighter than Ever — Trends, Evolution of Hybrid Technology Thomas Malek

54 Honda’s New i-Dtec Engine — Unconventional & Futuristic

COVER FIGURE © BMW 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 May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 3 INTERACTION TATA ELXSI, MATHWORKS

TATA ELXSI | PREPARING FOR A CONNECTED FUTURE

As the global automotive industry is increasingly to the vehicle owner’s pushing for better connectivity and monitoring phone. With the tech- within vehicles, telematics is finding an increased nology progressing widespread adoption. Apart from vehicle tracking, quickly, Sondur said telematics can play an important role in improv- that it could soon be ing the fuel economy and safety of vehicles. possible that the car Tata Elxsi, a design solution provider, has sends an image too developed a wide portfolio of products aimed at along with the the automotive industry. The company is betting message. This feature strongly on its telematics offering and is devel- would make use of the oping new systems at a rapid pace. Of 3,700 multiple cameras employees, about 90 % are engaged in product modern cars use these development activities presently. Auto Tech days. The commercial Review spoke to Anil Sondur, VP, Tata Elxsi, introduction of this about the upcoming solutions and their potential technology could be in for the Indian market. cars for the model year One of the recent offerings from Tata Elxsi has 2015 or 2016. Once the potential to change the landscape of automo- again in this case, the tive insurance. The system from the company is overall insurance cost claimed to have the potential for bringing down reduces significantly insurance premium costs for vehicles. Sondur due to a shorter reac- said the major driver for the adoption of telemat- tion time. ics from an insurance perspective would depend Just through these on legislation. For example, some European coun- two areas, telematics tries have already made ‘ecall’ mandatory. The could bring about a technology is capable of sending a notification to major cost reduction for a backend service desk as soon as a vehicle expe- insurance companies riences an impact. Post this, the tracking of the and vehicle owners. gear, the logo flips open to expose a camera unit, vehicle is immediately enabled using inputs from Telematics would also make the legal process which then transmits the display into the info- the GPS or a mobile data connection. Such usage more hassle-free as there would be more chances tainment screen. The process of fitting the of telematics can significantly shorten the re- of the said events being recorded in the form of camera, interfacing it with the logo and the sponse time for support services and reduce the images or electronics transmissions. action of the logo’s flip was completely designed costs as well. by Tata Elxsi. All of this transmission is done by a telemat- ROAD AHEAD The company has already signed supply deals ics control unit (TCU), which is a GSM-based with some customers in Europe and expects the system and is placed in the vehicle. The TCU is Tata Elxsi is presently undertaking development of business to grow at a good pace. In India too, connected to the vehicle’s electronics and network both the software and hardware for the telematics business is expected to grow at a healthy rate as architecture and is able to take signals from unit. Owing to the nature of the product, the the electronic content in cars increases. With various systems to identify an impact. On confir- company presently possesses capabilities in in- growing interest from consumers for infotainment mation of an impact, a signal is sent to the TCU, dustrial design, mechanical engineering, hard- systems and smartphones, the role of telematics which in turn uploads a message to the backend ware design and embedded software design. can only increase in the coming years. Knowing infrastructure. This message also contains the lo- Sondur told us that the company can now carry this Tata Elxsi has already developed a wide port- cation of the vehicle or the spot at which the out visualisation activities as well. This enables folio of solutions for potential customers and impact took place. the company to provide prospective OEMs with an seems to be in a good position to reap the bene- The second insurance aspect covered by the idea about the location of the telematics unit, its fits of the electronics revolution. technology is that pertaining to vehicular theft. size and its ease of access for maintenance. Present technologies are primarily aimed at pre- Owing to these capabilities, the company venting theft of vehicles but very few solutions some time back got an order from a major Euro- TEXT : Arpit Mahendra are capable of reporting the theft automatically. pean luxury carmaker. The system in discussion In case of someone trying to steal a vehicle, tele- has a reverse parking camera hidden behind the matics can send out a message about the same brand logo at the rear. On engaging the reverse

4 www.autotechreview.com MATHWORKS | SIMULATING COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS

Almost every automotive manufacturer is looking Using MathWorks tools significantly increases the ing the planned functionality, and thereby at optimising performance of its products through efficiencies and reduces development time, which leading to lesser cost. At this stage one also improving various parameters. Doing so requires leads to significantly lower costs. needs to plan the failure scenario and how the the right kind of computational tools and software system would react in case of a sensor failure. as they can greatly enhance the efficiency, while NECESSITY OF SENSORS All such variables can be accounted for using lowering costs. MathWorks is a global major in the MBD, said Jin. this domain and offers solutions to multiple in- Engine management systems for example are In India, Tata has in the past used MBD to dustries including automotive. Auto Tech Review getting complex by the day and as emission prototype the engine management system for the caught up with Wensi Jin, Automotive Industry norms tighten, there would be more sensors being Nano. In line with the low-cost strategy for Nano, Manager, Americas and Asia Pacific, MathWorks built in. The MathWorks approach, using MBD allowed Tata to carry out numerous to know more about the solutions however, asks when it is abso- simulations and confirm that they can remove two the company has come up lutely essential to have a new sensors, leading to lower cost. Mahindra too in the with in recent times. sensor. It should be seen if recent past has used MBD to optimise chassis Model-Based Design there are ways of infer- design on some of its vehicles. (MBD), from the company ring readings from Jin expects the business to grow at a healthy is something which is ex- existing sensors as pace in India and almost every OEM here is pected to generate growth that can be easier in already using MathWorks tools in some or the for the business in India some cases. In some other way. Although electronic content isn’t very and other markets. The cases there could be a high in vehicles in India presently, the demand for concept of MBD is to use a choice between a virtual lower emissions, better safety and improved info- computer generated model sensor (smart software) and tainment features is getting stronger. With each to capture the system be- physical sensor. one of these offerings depending on software, haviour. Within the model, Taking that decision can MBD is expected to continue creating solutions engineers can then carry out be done by using MBD, as one and growth for the company and its customers. simulation activities. Jin told us can carry out simulation using various that using MathWorks tools allows types of data. This will help one understand TEXT: Arpit Mahendra one to design beyond the low-level if a sensor can be done away with, while retain- components and instead model the entire system. In case of a , there are more design options due to the difference in vehicle characteristics, when compared with a conven- tional vehicle. Engineers need to evaluate hun- dreds of options before deciding upon a few, of which even fewer are finalised to make a proto- type vehicle. Jin said MathWorks tools allow engineers to build system level models, wherein they can play with various options, achieve design trade-offs and size the components. This flexibility allows for system and component level design capabilities at the same time. Such flexibility is of great use since the amount of electronics in cars is growing at a fast pace and solitary design approach is no longer the only solution. More importantly, using these tools allows for a reduction in number of prototype vehicles, which typically cost high. Another way of reducing costs through MBD is through cutting down on the inefficiencies arising during the development cycle. According to Jin, product development isn’t a very huge cost in itself but the inefficiencies spikes up the cost.

autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 5 INTERACTION MAGNETI MARELLI, ZF INDIA

MAGNETI MARELLI | AMT – PROMISING SOLUTION FOR EMERGING MARKETS

Amid a rough phase for the industry, Magneti Marelli, an Italian manufacturer of diverse auto- motive components, has been building up opera- tions and capacity at a rapid pace. The expan- sion is part of the company’s strategy to estab- lish a strong foothold in emerging markets. Starting from 2007, the company already has almost every division present in India with some sort of a localised footprint. With nine functional plants, the company is strongly focussed on de- veloping products tailored to suit Indian require- ments. We interacted with Saju Mookken, Country Manager, Magneti Marelli India, to get a first-hand account of the technologies expect- ed to drive growth in India. One of the major operating areas for the company in India is powertrain, where it has a distinct approach. Unlike some other large sup- pliers, which make engines or large modules for it, Magneti Marelli only makes components. These include throttle bodies, pumps and similar parts for both diesel and petrol engines. The company also manufactures transmissions, AMT holds a lot of promise for India from transmission. All components of the hydraulic which are expected to be a key driver of growth Magneti Marelli’s perspective. Mookken told us unit are placed in the form of a kit, which is de- in the coming years. that India is primarily a livered to the carmaker. This kit once assembled market but there is an increasing need now to in the gearbox interfaces mechanically with the AUTOMATED MANUAL TRANSMISSION automate this process. However, the Indian gear . The gear changes depending on (AMT) market demands a product that isn’t signifi- various conditions are decided by a transmission cantly higher in price or fuel consumption, yet control unit. This eliminates the need to spend For technology generation, Magneti Marelli gets a the functional benefits should be high. That heavily in developing or procuring another type major contribution from its participation in motor makes things difficult in India. Achieving this of . racing. Motorsports, although a small division, through other forms of automatic gearboxes is The potential for AMT’s growth is immense, acts as a technology incubator for the company. tough, as the technology is expensive. as the total population of automatic transmis- Testifying this is the fact that all Formula 1 cars Unlike CVTs or dual-clutch units, in the case sions currently stand in the low single digits. on the grid today use Magneti Marelli injectors. of AMTs, it’s just the gear shifts, which are This is bound to change over the next few years One key technology from the Indian perspective is carried out electronically through actuators. as the number of vehicles continues to grow. automated manual transmission (AMT), which These actuators are further controlled by hydrau- AMT’s cost benefits, both in terms of investment was developed for Formula 1 cars, but later trick- lic electro-valves. In addition, the technology is and fuel efficiency gains, should help it emerge led down to mass applications. said to be capable of offering fuel efficiency as a widely preferred solution. Mookken shared gains in the range of five to ten percent over an that carmakers too felt the same and are confi- ideal driver using a manual transmission. dent that India is ready to adopt this technology. Mookken said that not just India but other The first cars to feature AMT from Magneti emerging countries such as China and Brazil too Marelli could be on the road as early as some- need a solution such as the AMT. Magneti Marelli time in 2014, said Mookken. is already working with more than one undis- closed carmaker in India for supplying AMTs. In- terestingly, the company is already working for TEXT : Arpit Mahendra implementation of this technology on cars across various segments including the A & B segments. Adding to the positives of the AMT is the fact that it can be applied to any existing manual

6 www.autotechreview.com ZF INDIA | PLACING ITS BETS ON AMTs

ZF India, the Indian subsidiary of leading global manuals, with automatic transmissions account- driveline and chassis technology player, ZF is ing for a small share. ATs, however, are the most banking on Automated Manual Transmissions preferred when it comes to premium vehicles in E (AMT) to find acceptance in a large scale in the and above segments. Auto Tech Review recently near future. While more than half of the global spoke to Piyush Munot, India Managing Director, automotive market currently is accounted for by ZF India to understand what drives the company’s manual transmissions, ZF is confident of the confidence in AMTs. growth potentials in emerging markets like India, China, and South America. EFFICIENCY: UPPING THE ANTE A recent report by Global Industry Analysts (GIA) estimates the worldwide automotive trans- Pitched against each other, the performance of mission systems market to reach 94 mn units by manual and automatic transmissions would be at 2017, fuelled by healthy increases in the produc- par. However, in terms of efficiency and cost, there tion of passenger cars and commercial vehicles. is still a big difference. Munot said, “There is a Stringent emission norms implemented by govern- big gap between the expectations of the market ments worldwide to reduce pollution will create and what OEMs can offer to the customers. OEMs opportunities for advanced fuel efficient trans- do not feel ATs bring the value to the market that mission systems such as Continuously Variable is needed.” Transmission (CVT), Automated Manual Transmis- However, numbers from various sources in the sion (AMT) and Dual Clutch transmissions (DCT). industry tells him there is a growth in the demand to promote ATs as against MTs is far lower. There- While there is belief transmission systems for ATs. Although price remains a key factor, cus- fore, the AMT is a better fit, because they can lev- like AMTs and DCTs would largely drive future ve- tomers who understand the value they get out of erage their manual transmissions, and add value hicles, the fact that manual transmissions ATs, would be willing to pay. Having said that, to their customer,” Munot said. would continue to power future vehicles, can’t be close to 80 % of the Indian market is still domi- denied. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) stated nated by A and B segment cars. It is this potential WHY AMTs? that in 2010, more than half (54.1 %) of all au- that Munot wants to tap through AMTs. tomobiles produced worldwide had a manual Interestingly, almost all manual transmissions Automated manual transmissions have found ac- transmission. MTs are forecast to lead the charts are manufactured in-house by OEMs. So till auto- ceptance, especially because of its low costs and in 2015 as well, albeit with a decreased market- matic transmissions become more acceptable to the small space required for installation. In A, B share of 53.2 %, ➊. the masses, OEMs would continue to source them and C segments cars AMTs could be an ideal sub- In India too, most manufacturers in the mass from their suppliers, and not invest in creating stitute for ATs, Munot said. There will be strong market segments prefer not to look beyond their own capacities. “The motivation of an OEM demands in both emerging and developed markets for reduced fuel consumption, emissions, and weight along with improved driving dynam- ics, and AMTs are right to fit that bill, he said. In 53.20% MT 54.10% an earlier feature in Auto Tech Review, Munot had written that AMTs amount to about one-third of AT 30.60% 35.30% the price automotive manufacturers charge for CVT 9.14% multi-ratio transmissions. The other advantages 8.20% that work for AMTs include its capability to reduce AMDCT 4.50% fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. 1.60% PwC’s study stated that by 2015, AMTs would AMT 1.40% Transmission Type 0.80% only account for 1.4 % of the total transmission market. However, that could change once manu- ET 1.20% facturers of small and compact vehicles in AHT emerging countries adopt AMTs.

Market Share TEXT : Deepangshu Dev Sarmah 2010 2015 ➊ PwC estimates AMTs to reach a marketshare of 1.4 % by 2015 Source: PwC

autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 7 INTERACTION RSB TRANSMISSIONS

RSB TRANSMISSIONS | EYEING SUSTAINABLE FUTURE GROWTH

Challenges of the economic slowdown, resulting higher. It has moved on to passenger cars in said Nishant Behera, M&A Head and Member of in slack business over the last year, hasn’t de- recent years, and is also supply gears to tractors. the Board, RSB. It is all about being smart in terred the Pune-based RSB Group, one of India’s Secondly, the products will be hedged against dif- these tough times. The entry of several new mul- fastest growing global engineering companies. As ferent series of vehicles, different customers and tinational manufacturers into the Indian market a philosophy, the group looks at such cyclical oc- markets, explained Nishit Behera, Vice President means a lot more opportunities. While the level currences as opportunities of growth, ensuring – Corporate Planning, RSB. “Our experience tells of growth one witnessed three to four years back steady investments in building capabilities, and us that during a slowdown, not every series of ve- may not materialise again, but the window is hence preparing for future market opportunities. hicles get affected,” he said. still quite large. The company has learnt its Nonetheless, the downturn in the last fiscal There are gaps that exist within the CV lessons, and are better prepared for such cycli- was pretty severe, acknowledged Rajnikant sector, where the group needs to find its foothold cal downturns in the future. Behera, Vice President – Corporate Strategy and in. The idea, as RSB executives explain, is to Finance and Member of the Board, RSB. And the reduce its dependency on CVs as a ratio, not as GROWTH MEASURES commercial vehicles sector, on which depends the a value. While these would remain RSB’s primary group’s larger share of business, was hit the focus areas, all four quadrants of the BCG Matrix With businesses ranging from manufacturing of hardest. Although FY14 doesn’t look too promising – existing product-existing customer, existing aggregates and systems to design and validation, either, it still should be marginally better than product-new customer, new product-existing the group has no dearth of possibilities it can FY13, he noted. customer and new product-new customer – create for itself, both in India as well as overseas To secure itself from any uncertain market ex- would be adhered to. markets. Currently, RSB is present in two verticals citement, RSB is now looking at de-risking its “While talking about de-risking, we need to – automotive and construction machinery and ag- business in two ways – one at the entire business appreciate the fact that we never had that sort gregates, with around 70-75 % of group revenues level, and the other with existing products. Histor- of an opportunity in the past. Although the accounted for by the automotive business. In ically, RSB’s exposure to CVs, especially the economy is very bad, it is a question of how you terms of products, the focus is on three lines: medium and heavy duty segments, has been sustain your business and manage your cash,” , propeller shafts and gears & shafts.

RK Behera, Chairman (seated) flanked by Rajnikant Behera, Nishit Behera and Nishant Behera

8 www.autotechreview.com There is no plan yet to enter into new product to larger product makers like Getrag, American lines, unless it is inorganic. Organically though, Axles or Meritor.” the company is extending its strength in propeller The group’s expertise as an manufacturer shafts, for instance. Completely designed in- is well-recognised, even in global shores. It has house, efforts are currently underway to win over received interests from OEMs outside India to set new customers. The same strategy holds true for up plants in their markets, but the management axles as well. isn’t sure yet if this is the right time to invest in The challenge lies in moving up the value plants abroad. chain, and towards that the company is looking at extending the component know-how to get into MEETING FUTURE DEMANDS more acceptable global products. As an example, the propeller shaft has been accepted well in Two core areas of focus for every manufacturer India, and the company feels it has a good design today are that of being light and efficient. In the to take the product to markets like Mexico and area of propeller shafts, for example, a lot of ex- Brazil, if not the US. In fact, reverse innovation periments are being undertaken globally with alu- would be one of RSB’s future strategies. minium or composite materials to replace iron. SS Udgata, Director, i-Design Moving up the value chain would also mean That’s one area RSB too has been working on, and the group upping its capabilities from being a over the next three to four years, it expects such I-Design in fact, is the R&D wing of RSB component maker to an aggregate maker. For lightweight and efficient products to come to group, spun out in 2002 as a separate company to someone making gears for over two decades, the India as well. provide engineering service solutions to clients next logical step would be to make gearboxes. In terms of gears, one of the very attractive other than its parent companies. Over 150 engi- RSB is looking for opportunities in this area, and technologies right now is the DCT (Double Clutch neers work on the full cycle product development, is also investing in creating capabilities. Transmission), which are being well-accepted in including designing, prototyping and testing. “For Growth could also come through the inorgan- the US and European markets. In India though, us, I-Design is a knowledge bank, and that is ic route for all the businesses verticals it is the preference for manual transmissions outnum- something we will strive to build,” Udgata said. present in. RSB is exploring opportunities in bers automatics by a huge margin. RSB sees a Over its decade-long existence, I-Design has Europe as well as other developing markets, and gradual shift from manual to automatic, and then been a single entity, but different divisions are if someone comes by with ready knowledge of the to DCT. However, there is an opportunity for the in- now being created as per product lines. Naturally, product and capability, it could help the group dustry to leapfrog to DCTs, Nishit Behera feels. that will help focus more attention on each cut down its time to market. The focus currently But it would still take seven to eight years for product. The company also realised that it is not is on products, but Rajnikant Behera said the DCTs to come into India, he said. always a mechanical engineering product, but an group would also look at any such possibility “There is a belief within the organisation inter-disciplinary approach, and it is now working that may come about in the component level that if we are getting into gearboxes, we need to on acquiring knowledge in such areas. with synergies to its core business. get into DCTs as well. That may not be immedi- “Tribology for instance, is one such new area ate, but that’s the thought within the core group. we are working on. The other area is polymers. We ENGINEERING CAPABILITIES We are seeking opportunities in that area. Right have acquired considerable knowledge in the NVH now, our focus is to build on the manual trans- of polymers, for instance. We are also working on RSB has been constantly building up its human mission market, but we do need to start develop- carbon fibre. We have reached a certain stage, resources to meet future engineering and techni- ing our thoughts and capabilities on DCTs,” and need to start making the real fibre now. The cal challenges. It is now setting up a technology Nishit Behera said. idea is not to make carbon fibre products, but to centre for new products, but refused to divulge On lightweighting, RSB doesn’t follow a familiarise ourselves with the technology and any further details on the same. “The investment standard procedure and practice of cutting out characteristics of the product, and thereby inno- would be a challenge for us now. But to be future- extra flesh from the products. There are two other vating areas where it can be used in a limited, ready, we’ll need to keep investing in products ways lightweighting could be achieved – one, by specific manner,” Udgata explained. and processes,” said RK Behera, Chairman, RSB. changing the material composition, and second For the group, it is not about volumes, but Over the next seven to 10 years, RSB wishes by packing more features into the same product. more sustainable growth in the long run. In the to become a full-fledged Tier I company capable SS Udgata, Director, I-Design Engineering Solu- next three to five years, the vision is to become a of developing self-designed products, and sup- tions Ltd, a RSB group company said the group $ 1 bn company. Barring FY13, the group has plying to the OEMs. While such capabilities are made products lighter by changing material com- been growing at a staggering CAGR of 25-30 % in routine with manufacturers in western markets, position, where from within the same packaging the previous four to five years. “Market conditions Indian companies are still to get there. Nishit space or from the same volume of material, the are challenging, but we would want to maintain Behera sounded a word of caution, saying, “We’ll product strength could be enhanced. Also, a lot of that sort of growth,” summed up the Chairman. need to ramp up quickly, else we will be left out allied parts were eliminated in one instance by of the race and end up becoming Tier II suppliers packing in more features into the same product. TEXT & PHOTO: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah

autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 9 NEWS MISCELLANEOUS

NEW PRODUCT | AUDI R8 V10 PLUS

Adding to its rapidly expanding portfolio, Audi as one finds all new LED headlamps and newly the version powered by a V8 engine. It is already India launched the new R8 V10 Plus at a starting designed tail lamps along with a few other the leader in its segment and with the V10 Plus, price of ` 2.6 cr, ex-showroom, Maharashtra. The design elements. With the V10 Plus, the entire Audi expects further strengthening. car was launched at the Buddh International R8 range is now present in India, starting from Circuit, where the car along with other ‘RS’ models was given to select media for a drive ex- perience. The new R8 is a reflection of the best Audi has to offer presently in terms of technology. The R8 V10 Plus is powered by a 10 cylinder FSI engine with a peak power output of 550 hp, mated to a new seven speed S tronic transmis- sion. The engine is a high-revving unit and revs all the way to 8,700 rpm. The vehicle also fea- tures the company’s famed Audi Space Frame (ASF), a fully aluminium frame weighing just 210 kg for the coupe variant. Due to the in- creased power and light weight, the R8 V10 Plus is claimed to accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h in just 3.5 s and hit a top speed of 317 km/h. The Quattro permanent all-wheel drive adds further to the dynamic package along with a rear-biased variable power transmission. The exterior too has undergone mild revision

GREEN MANUFACTURING | VOLKSWAGEN INDIA THINK BLUE. FACTORY

Volkswagen India recently announced the environ- project was globally announced in 2011, and was ronment sustainability plan and aims at lowering mental achievements of its ‘Think Blue. Factory’ introduced at the Chakan plant in 2012. ‘Think the environmental impact of all company plants measures at its plant in Chakan, Pune. The Blue. Factory’ is part of Volkswagen’s global envi- by 25 % by 2018, in comparison to 2010 levels. At the Chakan plant, Volkswagen achieved a reduction of 6.4 % in specific CO2 emissions and 5.5 % for specific energy consumption in 2012, compared with 2011. The specific energy consumption has been reduced to 1.016 MWh per car, the lowest of any Volkswagen plant glob- ally. These reductions were achieved by optimis- ing on/off timings of equipments, introduction of low-energy consumption lights and increasing usage of natural light. Another step to lower emissions at the plant was the introduction of a biogas plant, which produces cooking gas for the facility’s central kitchen. In 2013, the focus will be on reducing water consumption at the plant by more than 10 % from present levels. Further ahead, the company intends to use renewable energy sources such as hydro power and is working on it for a near-term introduction.

10 www.autotechreview.com DAIMLER | BUSES INTEGRATED INTO DICV GREAVES COTTON | NEW TRACTOR In line with its global practice, Daimler AG has operate from DICV’s truck manufacturing plant at ‘USTAD’ LAUNCHED integrated its Mercedes-Benz bus division with Oragadam, near Chennai. With the integration, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd Mercedes-Benz buses will be promoted by dealer- (DICV), a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler AG. ships of BharatBenz, a brand of DICV. The Mercedes-Benz bus business was until now Commenting on the integration, Villinger said, handled by Mercedes-Benz India Pvt Ltd, Pune “As the global leader in buses, Daimler sees India (MBIL). as a market with growing potential. However, the The bus business of Daimler AG in India was luxury coach segment is still very small in com- initiated at the time when the commercial parison to the total market. We will initially focus vehicle division of the group (DICV) was still on this segment. The integration of the Daimler being set up at Chennai. Hence, the group’s bus bus division with DICV, while creating greater syn- division was managed under MBIL, again a ergies, will also open several business opportuni- wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG focused ties in the future.” on the manufacturing and mar- keting of Mercedes-Benz pas- senger cars. DICV will now handle mar- keting, sales and after-sales of Mercedes-Benz buses. The pro- Greaves Farm Equipment Business, the farm duction of the buses, however, unit of Greaves Cotton Limited, has launched will continue at MBIL’s facility in its first ever compact mini tractor named Chakan, Pune for some more Ustad. The 11-12 hp range of entry level trac- time. The bus division, headed tors is primarily designed with a three point by Markus Villinger, will now linkage, allowing for attachment of various implements for farming operations such as hauling, cultivating, seed drilling, pesticide spraying etc. The tractor is aimed at farmers with small land holdings of three to five acre. UNO MINDA | CLARTON HORN ACQUIRED The tractor is fitted with a Greaves G 600 W II engine, which is compliant with present UNO MINDA, a NK Minda Group company, acquired benefit from access to Clarton’s technology. This emission standards, easy to service, economi- 100 % shares of Clarton Horn SAU, buying out the will widen UNO Minda’s scope of products from cal and fuel-efficient. The four stroke direct stake from PMAn Domestic AG, which is affiliated entry level to premium levels of technology. injection single cylinder engine offers a to Quantum Kapital for an estimated value of € 7.5 Clarton has a manufacturing facility in La Caroli- maximum torque of 32 Nm and is claimed to mn. Clarton Horn specialises in automotive elec- na, Spain, where it manufactures trumpet, disc consume one litre of diesel per hour. tronic horns and has a strong presence in Europe. and electronic horns. Greaves Ustad features eight forward and The acquisition puts UNO Minda among the Talking about the post acquisition strategy, NK two reverse gears, water proof mechanical top two horn makers across the world, enlarging Minda, CMD, UNO Minda, said this acquisition will brakes and a pawl and ratchet type locking ar- its global footprint. The Indian company will also have no adverse impact on the employee, supplier rangement as a standard fitment. A combina- and customer eco-sys- tion of synchromesh, constant and sliding tem of Clarton Horn. mesh gear shifting with epicyclical planetary “The employees of reduction gear makes it suitable for a wide Clarton Horn are now variety of agricultural and haulage operations. a part of ever evolving Speaking at the launch, Sunil Pahilajani, UNO Minda. It is our MD & CEO, Greaves Cotton called the launch of commitment to main- Greaves Ustad a testimony of the company’s tain and grow the continuous focus on new product development company,” he said. and innovation. “It symbolises our commit- Clarton Horn is the ment of providing the farming community a biggest employer in La value for money product backed by a strong Carolina. after market support.”

autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 11 GUEST COMMENTARY

TOMAS ERNBERG, Managing Director, India

VOLVO’S VISION 2020 – ‘NO DEATH, NO SERIOUS INJURY IN A VOLVO CAR’

Volvo cars have been a pioneer in automotive safety since incep- little bit of Volvo in every car. As a next step, we have added tion. Early in the company’s history, our founders, Assar Gabri- seat-belts with pre-tensioners, in other words, before the driver elsson & Gustaf Larson, coined the vision: “Cars are driven by applies panic brakes the seat-belt in a Volvo tightens its occu- people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Vol- pants to reduce body sway, thereby minimising injuries. vo, therefore, is and must remain – safety”. As a result, safety, Over the decades since inception, we have mastered the quality and environmental care remain core values that govern protective safety systems in a car. These are systems that are ac- each of its operations, cars and actions to this day. tive post-collision. A few inventions and pioneering leaps in A step further in this human-centric approach is the compa- this genre include: ny’s new philosophy – “Designed Around You”. With this :: Laminated front windscreen. thought, the brand places the customer at the heart of its de- :: Side Impact Protection System (SIPS), which has integrated sign. Every Volvo car boasts of cutting-edge Scandinavian de- air-curtain bags. The shoulder airbag, which is integrated in sign with engineering that is executed around human values. front seats of every Volvo and the front seats are housed on a Volvo Auto brings alive “Designed Around You” in its journey roller bar, which in case of a side collision will move the seat to win the hearts and minds of Indian customers. away from the impact point. Safety inventions such as the 3-point seat belt (1959) de- :: The Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which is inte- signed by Nils Bohlin is perhaps the single most important in- grated on front seats of every Volvo saves the occupants in vention in automotive safety and is supposed to have saved case of a rear-end collision that causes whiplash injuries in millions of lives. As part of our care for safety, Volvo never pat- the neck and spine. Our award winning technology cradles ented this design. In fact, we gave it to all other car manufac- the seat and supports the passengers’ head, neck and back turers around the world without charging royalty. So, there is a assuring reduction of injuries to up to 80 %.

12 www.autotechreview.com :: Roll-over Protection System (ROPS), introduced first in a Volvo our cars will have the automatic high-low headlamps that mask XC90 protects the occupants in a roll-over. other oncoming cars, pedestrians, and cyclists, and do not blind :: Our cars are built of various grades of steel, from softer steel their eye. to boron steel, which is the most rigid steel available for cars. These are designed in a manner to crumble in impact or to be rigid. SAFETY: THE VOLVO WAY

The list of Volvos safety innovations is endless, but these are VISION 2020 only a part of how we can keep ourselves and others on the road safer. The other more important part is YOU. It has been Over the past decade or so, Volvo has been actively working about two years since I’ve been in India, and I am shocked to on our ‘Vision 2020 – No fatalities or serious injuries in a Vol- see so many people losing lives on the road. India has the vo’. I’m happy to be a part of this revolution as we have made maximum fatalities on road as compared to any other country tremendous progress to realise our vision. There are some ac- in the World at over a whopping 150,000 fatalities. Serious in- tive or preventive safety technologies that we have already juries are estimated to be over 400,000. made available for our cars. Some of them are standard, while It is time we pay a little more attention to road safety. And others are optional. by we, I mean everyone – the drivers, the occupants, the pe- City Safety: More than 65 % of all accidents occur at speeds be- destrians, the authorities, the civil engineers and the govern- low 35 km/h and in city driving conditions. Hence, a laser-assist- ment. It’s a collective education and improvement that I see as ed device standard in all Volvos (except XC90) gauges the road an enormous development to the road-safety eco-system. I see and the vehicle ahead and detects distance and time. If the driver the design of some U-turns under the flyovers, which are just doesn’t apply brakes, the Volvo automatically applies brakes (at not safe. As a driver, I do not have a view of oncoming traffic speeds below 35 km/h) to a dead-stop, thereby avoiding a colli- and this has to transform. Late night accidents and fatalities sion. This is a particularly beneficial technology for the Indian happen due to rash and drunken driving and this is where roads and driving conditions and works really well in bumper-to- drivers and authorities must convene to stop this totally. bumper traffic – a feature our customers really love. And soon Even the road construction and diversion signs are not vis- we will be introducing the auto-stop for up to 50 km/h version. ible at night causing serious accidents. People wear seat belts Pedestrian Detection: Another world first from Volvo detects pe- for the fear of being fined, and rarely do I see back-seat pas- destrian and cyclist to apply automatic brakes if a driver does not sengers wearing seat belts. What’s ever more alarming are apply brakes in time. children sitting on laps of parents in the front! There are a Pedestrian Airbags: This world-first takes people care to a totally dozen more examples which can be given but I think I have new level. Volvo cars can be equipped with this feature which conveyed my point here. All I can say is that it would really be basically is an airbag under the bonnet of a Volvo and gets acti- encouraging to see improvements in road safety in India and vated if a pedestrian is hit by the car. we as a brand are committed to this cause. Cross-traffic Alert: How many times do you back out of a park- ing lot and have to stop abruptly as the on-coming traffic almost hits your car? Not anymore in a Volvo as our radar technology keeps an eye on the rear blind-spot and alerts the driver of on- coming traffic. Read this article on Active High-beam: A technology akin to be called Sci-Fi. Soon www.autotechreview.com

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autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 13 INTERVIEW GENERAL MOTORS INDIA

“RIGHT APPROACH IS TO APPLY CONVEN- TIONAL TECHNOLOGIES INTELLIGENTLY”

At a time when the Indian automotive industry is going through one of the roughest periods, General Motors India has been investing in new products. Going forward, the focus is going to be on improv- ing a number of operational areas in order to increase growth. Lowell C Paddock, President & Man- aging Director, General Motors India recently spoke to Auto Tech Review about the approach the company would take to ensure growth.

Lowell C Paddock started working with General Motors in 1992 Before taking up his role in India, his previous assignment in marketing at Oldsmobile, after which he moved to GM North was Vice President, Program Management & Planning, GM Inter- American Operations in 1995. In this role, he led the develop- national Operations. Here he also served on the GM Korea and ment of the Global Small Car Alliance and coordinated the Global GM-AvtoVaz joint venture Board of Directors. Paddock has a Strategy Board. In 1998, Paddock moved to Germany as the Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and a Master of Director of Planning & Program Management at GM’s Shanghai Management degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg GM joint venture. School of Management.

14 www.autotechreview.com ATR _ What do you think of the present of now. The overall styling, interior space, Pune attached to the centre but they’re market scenario and what is your outlook new features and an efficient diesel more into the day to day vehicle engineer- for both short and long-term? engine make it a strong value equation for ing activities. The work done in the area LOWELL C PADDOCK _ There are a lot of customers. Because of the collaboration of ride quality too was coordinated by strong long-term fundamentals in the between our technical capability here, our Bangalore. The centre now has full vehi- Indian economy such as young popula- partners in China and our diesel technol- cle design capability, which was missing tion, growing middle-class, and low vehi- ogy centre in Turin, the vehicle has come earlier, thereby reflecting the significant cle penetration. What sets India apart is together very well. growth. All the work that was done on the strength of its rural economy, a major- the Sail earlier has now been recently ity of which is engaged in agriculture. As Take us through product development done for the upcoming Enjoy. the technology for agriculture and other capabilities in India and the role of the related areas are witnessing improve- technical centre in India. Could you talk to us about GM India’s new ments, the income in some cases is rising Of all the work done at the Indian tech- vehicle programmes and product strategy faster than that is seen in metro cities. nical centre in Bangalore, about 70 % is for the next few years in India? This is very different from a country such done for GM’s global operations. They Our product portfolio in India consists of as China, where majority of the demand work on various areas such as power- three major pillars. One is a completely influx comes from the major cities. train design, interior trim design and local product that makes sense only in In the near term, there are some head- supporting our manufacturing engineer- the Indian market. Tavera is one such winds and those are obvious to every- ing activities all around General Motors product and we plan to continue with body. These include the current market International Operations (GMIO), which such a product. Each market in the sentiment, which in the case of the car is a very diverse region. It not only com- GMIO has something that stands out. In industry is driven primarily by high inter- prises of the Asia-Pacific countries but China, for instance, it’s the Buick GLA, est rates. Three quarters of the vehicles also includes Russia, Middle East, North which is a luxury van and might not sold in the country are financed, so unless & South Africa and the brand have much demand in Japan or nearby there’s a major shift in terms of interest in Europe. areas. Similar vehicles are found in South rates, it’s hard to think of any turnaround They also support all our supply activi- African and Brazilian markets. Given the in the near term. Fuel prices also have ties from markets outside India. So all of nature of the Tavera, it’ll continue to be some impact but the prices seem to fluc- the parts we source in India for use out- heavily localised and being developed tuate pretty rapidly. However, now that side India are coordinated by the techni- using local resources. the diesel prices are largely decontrolled, cal centre. The remaining 30 % of the The next sets of vehicles are global we’ll have some balance between the pet- work is focussed on things specific to programmes, which consist of vehicles rol and diesel prices. India and that number is going to go up. such as the Cruze, Beat and Spark in the Another factor that has less of a con- For example, the work done to integrate portfolio. We plan to grow our presence in sumer impact and more of a commercial the small into the Sail was the small car segment and despite the fact impact is the weak Rupee. For companies heavily coordinated by the technical cen- that the segment has contracted, it contin- that import parts like we do, the weaken- tre. We also have satellite resources in ues to be a large one. ing Rupee makes a big impact. This in turn is accelerating the push to localise and although we’re already heavily local- ising, the weak currency pushes us to take it further. There are two key factors on localisation – one being cost, where India has an advantage and the second is capability. We can’t source everything from India as there are things which aren’t easily or economically sourced here. So while there may be capability, the required scale might not be existent. In such a case, a place such as South Korea or China may have an advantage just due to the sheer numbers.

How has the response been for the Sail and Sail U-VA, which were recently launched? The Sail is off to a very strong start, par- ticularly the notchback variant, as we Unless there’s a major shift in terms of interest rates, it’s hard to think of any turnaround in the already have more than 7,000 bookings as near term, believes Paddock autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 15 INTERVIEW GENERAL MOTORS INDIA

the rapidly evolving cost-effective technol- ogies that have to be made India-specific. I don’t think we’re going to see Indian customers paying the kind of premium one sees in the western markets, such as for sophisticated hybrid or electrically- assisted products. What we need to do is to put Indian mentality to it and figure out a way to get the most of it at a fraction of the cost. We’re already working on vehi- cle lightweighting, improving engine tech- nology, cost-effective add-ons such as start/stop and other things that can be done to reduce friction.

What technology stands out for you among those developed in India? For us it would be the three-cylinder die- sel engine for the Beat and from that we took all the learning to develop the revo- lutionary four-cylinder 1.3 l unit, which is compact and lightweight. It also has fewer Paddock feels the need to find cost-effective ways of achieving low fuel consumption characteristics of a conventional diesel engine since it’s very quiet and has a The third are our partner programmes bullet that’s going to solve the issue of broad torque curve. This engine was like the Sail and Enjoy. These were devel- reducing fuel consumption. When one developed only for India and is presently oped in cooperation with our partners at takes a look at the technology today, the sold only here. It helps that the engine is SAIC. We plan to continue this relation- first step is to make existing engines more made at a modern and flexible manufac- ship and maintain such vehicles in the efficient. Through the Beat diesel, we’ve turing facility. market and upgrade them as and when already showcased that a normal vehicle required. The Enjoy is going to be can deliver more than 25 km/l without The Talegaon powertrain facility has been launched shortly and will help us improve any compromise on day-to-day driving. making a lot of developments in the our growth. Given the importance of the So, relatively, conventional technologies recent past. How is it unique in GM’s Indian market, we’ll continue to launch intelligently applied can return very good global portfolio? new vehicles across various segments fuel economy. The facility is India’s first to have a flexi- based on need and demand. ble line, which can produce petrol and How do you plan to make the developing diesel engines at the same time. There’s The government recently announced the technology cost-effective for India? no other market that has the kind of vary- National Electric Mobility Mission Plan We need to go a step further and find ing mix between petrol and diesel as India (NEMMP) and you’ve showcased electric cost-effective ways of achieving low fuel has. In regions such as Western Europe, vehicles (EVs) earlier. What prospects consumption. That could be reducing the where diesel has a good presence, the does electric mobility offer from GM’s friction in the engine or adding the start/ price mix between both fuels is stable. In perspective? stop feature. Equipping a conventional US or China, there is no major presence of It’s a bit challenging for an all- with start/stop is possible with a diesel engines in passenger cars. However, vehicle to make a big presence in India in modest investment. It should be inte- that’ll change in the future and we’ve the near future. We don’t have the infra- grated well within the vehicle and be already announced a diesel version of the structure for that kind of product and made intelligent, which is perfectly doa- Cruze in the US. This is where the flexi range anxiety is still going to be an issue ble given today’s vehicle and engine man- plant plays an important role. Hence at a for people driving such vehicles. Having agement control systems. Through such time when the market shifted to diesel, said that, we’ve earlier announced an technology if we’re able to spread a minor we were still able to avoid inventories for electric version of the Beat in the US, but impact across a wide pool of vehicles, we petrol cars. Given the frequent oscillations it’s designed for developed market can have a huge reduction in fuel con- in the market in the past 18 months or so, requirements. We’re already developing sumption. As you move up the technol- the flexible nature of the plant has been a the technology and experience so that it ogy ladder the benefits certainly increase great asset to us. can then be deployed in markets all but so does the impact on affordability. around the world. Overall, we’re going to see an evolu- For India, I see a horizon of different tion from both sides – from the very high INTERVIEW: Arpit Mahendra solutions and there isn’t any one silver technology side with limited volumes and PHOTO: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay

16 www.autotechreview.com

TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT TRANSMISSIONS

EVOLUTION OF TRANSMISSION FOR EVs, HEVs; POTENTIAL FOR MAGNETIC TRANSMISSION

18 www.autotechreview.com AUTHORS INTRODUCTION shaft without mechanical contact. Although the basic concepts date back Transmission plays an important role in to the early 20th century, there has been enhancing the fuel efficiency of vehi- any significant advancement in the cles. In a conventional IC engine vehi- research of magnetic gears only after cle, the efficiency of engine is depend- advancements of permanent magnet ent on the speed and torque values, (PM) materials, which can produce a ARGHYA SARDAR with the most efficient region being persistent flux and magnetic force and is Scientist E & Head, Transportation Division at TIFAC, Department of within a particular speed-torque range. realise contact-less torque transmission. Science & Technology, Government Since there are wide variations in speed This article discusses trends in electric of India and torque demands in the real world vehicle transmissions alongside trends driving conditions, transmissions having in magnetic gear technology and suitable gear mechanisms are used to attempts to assess the possibility of ensure that the engine operates close to their convergence. its optimum operating range. Electric motors have a comparatively flatter efficiency curve and this fact MAGNETIC GEAR SURESH BABU MUTTANA is Scientist C at TIFAC, Department plays a major role in the improved effi- of Science & Technology, ciency of electric and hybrid electric The concept of magnetic gear was first Government of India vehicles. However, size of the motor is found in a patent on magnetic gear by dependent on the maximum torque, and Armstrong in 1901. Another patent by to ensure that the size of the motor Faus in 1941 improved upon it. The remains within desired limit, use of magnetic gear topology proposed by some gear mechanisms is necessary for him was quite similar to mechanical electric and hybrid electric vehicles too. spur gear. Martin in 1968 contributed a Mechanical gears are associated with significant improvement with the use of wear and tear, contact friction, noise, steel pole pieces. But thorough studies and regular maintenance. on magnetic gears have been under- In this context, the concept of mag- taken more in the last decade, ➊. A netic gear is relevant. A magnetic gear major barrier for the commercial appli- uses permanent magnets to transmit cations of magnetic gears was that the torque between an input and output ceramic magnets used could only sus-

YEAR AUTHORS FEATURE

1901 Armstrong Magnetic Spur Gear. Used magnetised coils

1916 Neuland Magnetic planetary gear. Used magnetised coils. Variable gear ratios

1941 Faus Magnetic spur gears

1967 Reese Input rotor with mounted permanent magnet Outer rotor - iron or steel Magnetic planetary gear 50:1 gear ratio

1968 Martin Magnetic planetary gear & parallel shaft variations

1972 Laing Magnetic planetary gear variations

1974 Hetzel Magnet spur gear

1991 Mabe Magnetic planetary gear

1993 Kikuchi & Tsurumoto Magnetic worm gear variations

1996 Yao et al Magnetic bevel gear variations

1997 Ackerman & Honds Magnetic planetary gears – problem with short circuiting

1999 Ackerman Improved magnetic planetary gear variation Steel on the outside

➊ List of important patents on magnetic gear; Source: [2] autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 19 TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT TRANSMISSIONS

tain small torque transmission. In the 1980s, after invention of neo- dymium iron boron magnets, research on magnetic gears received renewed focus. However, initial topologies were still only replacement of slots and teeth of iron core in mechanical gear by north and south poles of permanent magnets. New operational principle employing the harmonic magnetic flux has also been developed. As a result, a high torque density can be achieved. Hence, high performance magnetic gears can be marketed for industrial and commercial applications. In a milestone paper in 2001, Dr Atallah and his colleagues at Sheffield University established the the- ory of magnetic gearing (MG) [1]. There are two major categories of A derivative of Zytek’s production 70kW 300Nm E-Drive can be installed in the transmission tunnel with just MGs – Converted MGs and Field-modu- three additional connections lated MGs [3]. Converted MGs: The literature reveals not be widely used. Further it was contact between the moving parts; hence that various types of converted MGs reported that the study on Magnetic there is no wear and lubrication is not such as multi-element, involute, worm Planetary Gear (MPG) has some encour- required. The operation is silent and and skew gear types were developed aging results. MPG has the characteris- maintenance free with very low acoustic during 1980s, however, all these MGs, tics of the three transmission modes, a noise and vibration. in addition to their complexity, have a high-speed ratio, and a high torque den- Magnetic gears have higher efficiency poor torque density of less than 2 kNm/ sity. The number of magnetic planet than conventional gears. Torque densities m3. This is mainly due to the bulky gears is the key to improve the MPG comparable with mechanical gears can be package and low utilisation of PMs. transmitted torque. It was reported that achieved with an efficiency > 99 % at Later, parallel-axis MGs, which include the MPG with six magnetic planet gears full load. Part load efficiency of magnetic two different magnetic types – exhibits nearly 100 kNm/m3. gear can also be higher than that of radial and axial coupling were pro- Field-modulated MGs: In 2001, Dr Atal- mechanical gears. Magnetic gears have an posed. In addition, magnetic coupling lah and Howe proposed coaxial mag- inherent protection mechanism against characteristics of a perpendicular-axis netic gear (CMG), which is completely overload torques. If an overload torque is MG were also studied. Although the different from the converted MGs. It applied, magnetic gears harmlessly slip, configuration of parallel-axis or perpen- employs PMs on both the outer and safely re-engage when fault torque is dicular-axis MGs is very simple, their inner rotors, and has ferromagnetic removed. Mechanical gear may break torque density is so low that they could pole-pieces between the two rotors. Its down when overloaded. operation relies on the use of the ferro- For higher power ratings a magnetic magnetic pole-pieces to modulate the gear will be smaller, lighter and lower cost magnetic fields produced by each of the than a mechanical gear. In case of PM rotors. Due to contribution to all mechanical gears, only two to three teeth PMs to the torque transmission, it are engaged in a single stage. In magnetic exhibits a high torque density, namely gear, it is possible to use the full perimeter 50-159 kNm/m3. of the gear to generate torque. Thus, supe- Between the two families of MGs, the rior torque density can be obtained. For field-modulated CMGs have better utili- this same reason, high gear ratio magnetic sation of PM material and hence higher gears can be constructed without the use torque density, as well as their capabil- of multiple stages. Another advantage is ity of integration into the PM brushless inherent anti-jamming. machines to form MGPM machines.

ELECTRIC AND HYBRID VEHICLE POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES OF DRIVE SYSTEM The Ricardo 'Kinergy' high-speed, hermetically- MAGNETIC GEAR sealed flywheel energy storage system incorporating an innovative and patented magnetic gearing and One of the great advantages of the electric coupling mechanism In magnetic gears, there is no mechanical motor is its torque characteristic, which

20 www.autotechreview.com provides maximum torque from zero up to low speeds, and then it is governed by the maximum power available as motor speed increase. Electric motors have a wider power range than an internal com- bustion engine. This has two significant advantages over the typical torque-speed properties of the competing IC engine: I. It is fundamentally a more desirable characteristic spread of torque over the 's Hybrid Synergy Drive speed range in contrast to the peak lev- els of an IC engine, II. It reduces the need for complex imum motor torque. On the other hand, higher efficiency level. When necessary, transmission system with wide gear- setting the reduction ratio at a higher the system is also able to drive the ing range. value, while increasing maximum rota- while simultaneously generating Early generation electric railway locomo- tion speed of the motor, would increase electricity using a generator. The power- tives used gearless drive systems between the power loss of the reducer, thereby split device consists of a planetary gear the electric motors and the driving reducing the efficiency. box with three inputs/outputs – the wheels. For electric drive vehicles, the This has led to the consideration of internal combustion engine, and the two major driving factor for the use of reduc- using two-speed transmissions. Switch- PMSM machines. tion gear is the size of the motor. Reduc- ing appropriately between the high In case of HEVs, the concept of Elec- tion gearing between the reduction ratio gear and the low reduc- trical Variable Transmission (EVT) has and the driving wheels was introduced to tion ratio gear, will enable limiting max- been introduced. The EVT is an electro- enable the use of smaller, lighter and less imum torque of the drive motor without mechanical converter with two mechan- costly electric motors. Some form of deep increasing the maximum motor rota- ical ports (to the engine and to the dif- reduction gearing has been used in elec- tional speed. ferential) and one electrical port con- tric trolley buses. Morgan is building an electric Aero nected to the battery. The system With the advent of AC motors and Supersport with the help of Zytek, fea- replaces the clutch, gearbox, starter and controllers in the electric vehicle appli- turing a modified five-speed manual generator by only one electromechanical cations, there has been much simplifica- transmission. Furtive eGT, an innovative system. Various machine types can be tion in the transmission uses. DC motors four-speed transmission designed from used for EVTs, but PM-EVT is becoming needed a transmission to allow reverse scratch to work with an electric motor is most attractive. driving. But for AC motors, the control- being developed by Exagon Motors. ler can just command the motor to turn Fisker Automotive has also decided to the other way around. Their torque look into the transmissions as a way to curve is flatter, but their efficiency curve dramatically improve performance on is far from flat. There would be a lot to EVs. Antonov is developing a three- gain from a choice of gears. speed transmission with gearbox specifi- However, there are some problems cally designed for EVs. UK transmission associated with reducers in many of the engineering and control specialist Vocis commercial one-motor-type electric has developed electric vehicle-specific, vehicles. They lack speed shifting func- two-speed transmission during the Low tionality, and their maximum torque Carbon Vehicle Event 2011 at Rocking- and maximum rotational speed are ham Motor Speedway over in the UK. determined by a trade-off between the The powertrain of power-split HEVs acceleration performance and the maxi- is also termed as electronic-continu- mum speed required with the reduction ously variable transmission (E-CVT) sys- ratio of the reducer. Setting the reduc- tem, which was firstly adopted by Toy- tion ratio at a higher value is effective ota Prius in 1997. Then several deriva- for reducing motor weight, but it is nec- tives such as the GM-Allison compound essary to increase the maximum rota- E-CVT, the Timken compound split tional speed of the drive motor. This E-CVT and the Renault compound split results in greater power loss in the E-CVT were introduced. The Toyota reducer, leading to decreased transmis- Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) has two sion efficiency. Since size increases with motors, and depending on the situation, torque, the size of the motor becomes uses only the electric motor, or the driv- large, when the reduction ratio is set to ing power both from the electric motor a lower value, while increasing the max- and the engine in order to achieve Ricardo-designed range extended EV APU autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 21 TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT TRANSMISSIONS

and an outer rotor. Each rotor has a transfer of motion between input and out- back iron and different number of put shafts is achieved passively using permanent magnet poles. There powerful permanent magnets and an are pole pieces in soft mag- intermediate modulating element. Torque netic composite material densities comparable with mechanical between these two rotors. gears can be realised because of the high The inner rotor, SMC pole degree of magnetic coupling between the pieces and the outer rotor rotors. Gear ratios of 50:1 down to 1.01:1 play the roles of the sun, the with almost zero torque ripples are read- planet carrier and the ring ily achievable. Interestingly, low-ratio gear respectively. It is shown magnetic gears can be realised in a con- that the torque density of the ventional radial field or in an axial planetary magnetic gear can arrangement when a thin 'pancake' be more than two times the design is required. one of the mechanical planetary Magnomatics high-ratio magnetic gears gear for the same gear ratio, and use a rotating diverging air gap to modu- et al [8] Opera's electromagnetic simulation capabilities for external outer diameter. Zhu, late the fields produced by the permanent switched reluctance motors also incorporated the concept of magnetic magnet arrays on the input and output planetary gear into a permanent magnet rotors. As with the low-ratio gears, a high brushless machine to realise the required degree of coupling between the rotors MAGNETIC GEARS FOR XEVs speed and torque as well as manage the allows for a very high torque density to be power split function. achieved. Ratios of up to 1000:1 can be There are several early phase develop- Magnomatics, spun-out from the Uni- achieved in a single co-axial stage. ments indicating efforts towards use of versity of Sheffield, claims gear ratios Magnomatics’ low-ratio magnetic magnetic gear in xEV applications. Coax- from 1.01:1 to 1000:1 are possible and gear forms an integral component ial magnetic gear (CMG) and magnetic torque densities comparable with within the company's new type of per- planetary gear are the two main design mechanical gears can be achieved with manent magnet machine, the pseudo options being pursued. an efficiency of 99 % or better at full direct drive (PDD) that offers a far Efforts have been made [4] for integra- load and much higher efficiencies in higher torque density than conventional tion of coaxial magnetic gear into PM part-load conditions than mechanical motor-gearbox combinations. brushless in-wheel motor to simultane- gears can achieve. The PDD technology invented by Mag- ously meet the low speed requirement for In the low-ratio magnetic gear, a series nomatics uses the low ratio magnetic direct driving and the high speed require- of steel pole pieces modulate the fields gear. This technology combines the high ment for motor design. Such a motor produced by two permanent magnet torque density of the magnetic gear and includes four parts – the stator, the outer rotors with different numbers of magnetic the functionality and performance of a rotor, the stationary ring and the gear poles. The magnet arrays rotate at differ- brushless permanent magnet machine to outer rotor. To address the issue of com- ent speeds. The gear ratio is determined offer high torque output for direct drive plex installation and size, a different by the ratio of magnets in each array. The applications. This technology is aimed at topology has been proposed [5] employing a stationary armature to replace the inner high speed rotor of the magnetic gear.

Works have also been done on novel Alnico NdFeB SmCo powertrain for power-split HEVs incorpo- [6] rating the CMG . The system integrates Remnant Flux Density Br [T] 1.4 1.4 1.1 two PM magnetic gears together with the Coercivity H [kA/m] 275 2000 2000 CMG with the one-side-in and one-side- c out mechanical structure. By designing BH(max) [kJ/m3] 88 440 200 the modulating ring of the CMG to be rotatable, this integrated machine can Density [g/cm3] 6.7 7.5 8.4 achieve both power splitting and mixing, and therefore, can seamlessly match the Volume (cm3) 394 394 394 vehicle road load to the engine optimal Composition Al 8-12% Nd 29-32.5% Sm 35% operating region. Ni 15-26% Fe 63.9-68.6% Co 60% Replacement of the mechanical plane- Co 5-24% B 1.1 – 1.2 % Fe, Cu (balance) tary gear used in the power-split device of Fe,Cu (balance) Re 0.6-1.2% the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive with Inner-rotor torque [Nm] 47 795 755 magnetic planetary gear has been studied ➋ [9] [7]. The magnetic gear has an inner rotor Magnet material comparison; Source

22 www.autotechreview.com HEV traction drives, and is suitable for the low coercivity of Alnico makes it vul- to attract research efforts. It is expected series hybrid and/or parallel hybrid nerable to demagnetisation, this short- that continued research efforts will result topologies. coming can be solved or even positively in improvement in utilisation of perma- utilised. ➋ gives a quantitative compari- nent magnet in such topologies. son of magnetic properties among these CONCERNS OVER MAGNETS three PMs. REFERENCES Current magnetic gear designs use The first PM material applied to the mag- large quantities of rare-earth magnet [1] K Atallah and D. Howe; A Novel High-Perfor- mance Magnetic Gear; IEEE Transactions on Mag- netic gear is non-rare-earth ferrite, which material and unfortunately the high cost netics, Vol. 37, No. 4, July 2001 can only transmit low torque. Low rem- of rare-earth material makes the magnetic [2] Gareth P Hatch; Recent Developments In Per- nant flux density is obvious demerit of gear uncompetitive with alternative tech- manent Magnet Gear Systems & Machines; Pre- ferrite permanent magnets. However, fer- nology. Motor designs with integrated sented at the Magnetics 2010 Conference, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; January 2010 rite has advantages of low price, easy magnetic gears require fewer magnets as [3] X. Li et al; Comparison of Magnetic-geared manufacture and high coactivity. Alu- compared to separate magnetic gear; how- Permanent Magnet Machines; Progress In Electro- minium-nickel-cobalt (Alnico), which ever, still magnet requirement per vehicle magnetics Research, Vol. 133, 177-198, 2013 [4] Linni Jian; An integrated magnetic-geared per- takes the definite merits of high remnant will remain a major concern. manent magnet in-wheel motor drive for electric flux density and abundant elements, has vehicles; IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Con- also been used to develop magnetic ference (VPPC), September 3-5, 2008, Harbin, China gears. After the advent of the high-energy CONCLUSION [5] Ying Fan; An improved magnetic-geared per- rare-earth PM materials, such as the neo- manent magnet in-wheel motor for electric vehi- dymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) and samar- Magnetic gears have many advantages cles [6] ium-cobalt (SmCo), they become PM over mechanical gears. The possibility of Linni Jian et al; A Novel Power-train Using Co- axial Magnetic Gear for Power-split Hybrid Electric materials widely adopted for magnetic integrating it with the electric machine Vehicles gears. Rare-earth PMs, which are made and eliminating conventional mechanical [7] L Baghli, E Gouda, S Mezani, A Rezzoug; Hy- from alloys of rare-earth element, pro- transmission can strengthen the drive brid vehicle with a magnetic planetary gear; Inter- national Symposium on Environment Friendly En- duce significantly stronger magnetic field towards more compact and lightweight gines in Electrical Applications; 2-4 November than other types of PMs. for electric and hybrid electric 2010, Gharadia, Algeria Recently, there is an increasing con- vehicles. Although the first patent related [8] Xiaoyong Zhu et al; A new magnetic planetary geared permanent magnet brushless machine for cern on the price and supply of rare-earth to magnetic gear dates back to 1901, sig- hybrid electric vehicles; IEEE Transactions on elements. China is one of the major pro- nificant research efforts started only after Magnetics; Vol 48, No 11, November 2012 ducers of PMs. The prices of the elements the advent of rare-earth magnets, and [9] Mu Chen et al; Development of Non-rare-earth are based on the Chinese material market. then further intensified after Atillah and Magnetic Gears for Electric Vehicles; Journal of Asian Electric Vehicles, Volume 10, Number 2, Because of the high performance of rare- Howe theoretically demonstrated in their December 2012 earth PMs such as the SmCo and NdFeB, milestone paper in 2001 that it was possi- they are widely adopted for the manufac- ble to obtain a torque density of 100 kN/ ture of magnetic gears regardless of their Nm3 with strong NdFeB magnets. very expensive price and low reserves. During the last decade, the research on However, these will increase the cost of magnetic gears has moved from present- EV manufacturing, hindering further ing physical demonstrators, various topol- applications in EVs. ogies and analytical calculation methods The non-rare-earth Alnico PM, which to various ways of integrating magnetic consists of Al, Ni, Co and other elements gear with the motor. Supply constraints such as Cu, Ti and Fe, is a potential can- and volatile price of rare-earth magnets didate to compete with the rare-earth has also catalysed intensified efforts PMs. The prominent advantage of Alnico towards alternatives of rare-earth PMs. is its very low temperature coefficient and But since rare-earth PM-based motors are very high remnant flux density. Although widely preferred in xEV at pre-

sent, use of magnetic gear integrated Read this article on with such motors will definitely continue www.autotechreview.com

Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) is an auto- nomous organisation set up in 1988 under the Department of Science & Technology to look ahead in technologies, assess the technology trajectories, and support technology innovation by network actions in select technology areas of national importance.

Send in your feedback to [email protected] PHEV drivetrain system autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 23 COVER STORY TRANSMISSIONS IN SEARCH OF THE OPTIMAL FUTURE POWERTRAIN

Possible means of meeting future CO2 requirements include the application of various measures to optimise the internal combustion engine and transmission or the electrification of the powertrain. However, the best results cannot generally be achieved by combining the maximum potential benefits that each of these three areas have to offer. Not only would this be too costly, the technologies involved often address the same physical levers for reducing fuel consumption. Ultimately, it means that there is no such thing as the optimum powertrain but only application-specific solutions. Bosch has examined which combinations of systems are expected to be most pre- dominant in 2020.

24 www.autotechreview.com AUTHORS MOTIVATION and buys. Apart from rational aspects, such as operating costs, emotional With modern gasoline engine injection aspects in particular play a role in this systems, such as, direct injection in con- decision. Thus, optional special extras, junction with boosting, continuous varia- addressing to a large extent soft factors, ble as well as double clutch transmis- such as comfort and design, significantly sions and electrification concepts, new influence the vehicle price up to over 100 DR.-ING. TILMANN [1] SCHMIDT-SANDTE technologies are available for developing % of that for the basic vehicle . iis Director Engineering Pressure the powertrain further in the sense of Therefore, it is not sufficient to only Sensors in the Business Unit Gasoline improved performance and efficiency. In consider TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) Systems at Robert Bosch GmbH in view of the many and diverse possibili- models, when deciding on future power- Stuttgart (Germany). ties of combining these technologies with train mainstreams, and to determine one another, designing future power- which powertrain has the best cost-bene-

trains result in great complexities. With fit ratio with respect to CO2 and fuel con- the global objective of the definition of sumption reduction. Rather, emotional an optimal powertrain, this article and soft factors have to be taken into deduces future preferred solutions for consideration as a model [2, 3, 4].

PROF. DR.-ING. JÜRGEN HAMMER powertrain combinations. In order to limit the complexity, a is Senior Vice President Engineering The starting point for this is a market simple customer benefit model has been Passenger Car Systems in the Busi- model that takes the different characteris- developed, ➋. Here, the benefit is made ness Unit Diesel Systems at Robert tics of the available technologies into up essentially of five central criteria, Bosch GmbH in Stuttgart (Germany). account. In the context of this article, a which are influenced in particular by the powertrain consists of the gasoline engine powertrain: (i) potential fuel consump- (no diesel engines), transmission and tion reduction, (ii) driving performance, electrification. Electrification is to be (iii) comfort, (iv) green image and, (v) a understood as the use of electric part of electric driving experience called machines, which can feed torque into the e-motion. powertrain: beginning with powertrains This is a new evaluation criterion that provide additional electrical torque, describing the emotional electric driving but cannot be powered electrically experience that comes from the noise (e-boost), through full hybrids to plug-in spectrum, performance and the ‘no hybrids with which longer distances can longer have to fill up’ sensation. At the be driven with electrical power. same time, pure electric driving with an electric vehicle without an internal com- bustion engine is defined as 100 % OPTIMISATION CRITERIA AND e-motion. The relevance of e-motion was MARKET MODEL confirmed in a customer study [5].

Whereas fuel consumption and CO2 The major requirements for the power- emission are objectively measurable cri- train can be divided into nine central teria, in the case of performance things market drivers, ➊. Their development is are more complex. Depending on the use decisively determined by the legislation, of the vehicle on the motorway or in the vehicle manufacturers and ulti- town traffic, sometimes the maximum mately by the end customers. In this speed, and at other times the accelera- connection, the reduction of consump- tion from 0 to 50 km/h can be important.

tion and CO2 emissions is an increas- Here, the drivability is defined as a ingly important driver in current power- hybrid criterion: measurable part ele- train development. Nevertheless, future ments, such as acceleration times in the powertrains must also remain affordable low- and high-speed range, as well as the and, in addition, may not make any stationary maximum speed are weighted concessions with regard to driving per- differently depending on the customer formance and compliance with pollutant group. The soft criteria, such as green emission requirements. image and comfort, are also assessed Provided the legislator does not specifically according to customer groups explicitly stipulate technologies, various and regions. technologies are in competition with one Because specific soft factors are taken another. Ultimately, the end customer into account for customer groups in this decides which powertrains he prefers present market model, the use of the autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 25 COVER STORY TRANSMISSIONS

➊ Market drivers for future powertrains

classic segmentation of vehicles, essen- ELECTRIFIED POWERTRAINS tomer benefit of these concepts, in addi- tially in accordance with size and price tion to the e-motion shown in ④, the ful- alone, is no longer appropriate. There- ➍ shows an overview and characteristics filment of further benefit criteria is deter- fore, at Bosch so-called vehicle patterns of the concepts considered with respect mined. The saving in CO2 within the were developed, ➌. A vehicle pattern to e-motion. In the case of full hybrids NEDC was, for example, simulated for here describes the users (buyers) and the (e-drive), e-motion is perceived to a this. The specific overall benefit of the accompanying use case for their vehicle. clearly reduced extent owing to the short vehicle pattern calculated from the rela- The buyers of ‘ultimate economy’, for ranges and partly limited acceleration. tive requirement and fulfilment is shown example, focus on cost-effective individ- Intermediate stages are systems, which on the y-axis in ➎. The accompanying ual mobility. They therefore preferably have just limited electrical outputs, so costs of the systems in the form of rela- buy small vehicles with low power out- that they cannot drive electrically, but tive additional price for the end cus- puts. Design, image and sportiness are they can, for example, electrically be tomer, on top of the basic price for the important for trendy/sporty customers, parked or keep connection to the vehicle vehicle (without electrification), are often singles, so that there is a higher in front at traffic lights or in a traffic jam. entered on the x-axis. In this connection, willingness to pay for this. ‘Trendy/ In the case of systems that cannot drive it should be noted that in the case of the sporty’ vehicles are used mainly in the by electric power (e-boost), e-motion can costs, especially for batteries, significant, urban areas so that driving ranges are only be generated indirectly through forecasted reductions have already been not so important. ‘Common sense’ cars appropriate displays, and is thus not taken into consideration. are mainly premium vehicles, which are assessed as being significant. It turns out that the cost-benefit ratios used universally: as company cars with In order to ascertain the overall cus- of the electrification concepts rise more high mileages as well as vehicles for up- market daily commuting and vacation use. Willingness to pay for high-perfor- mance engines and extras is present, albeit not to so great an extent as in the ‘luxury’ pattern. For the specifically different vehicle patterns for the regions, first of all the relative importance of the benefit criteria in each case is determined by expert workshops within Bosch. In a second step, the fulfilment of the assessment cri- teria is then determined for pre-selected powertrains. An overall benefit is then ascertained from the weighted require- ments and their respective fulfilment. In a final step, this overall benefit is then related to the relevant costs. ➋ Criteria of consumer benefit assessment model

26 www.autotechreview.com ➌ Definition of vehicle patterns for Western Europe (source: Robert Bosch GmbH based on internal mobility panel)

sharply until the plug-in hybrids (PHEV) tional’ and ‘common sense’. By exploit- a) attractively priced e-boost systems for flatten out. Plug-in hybrids already offer ing recuperation potentials, enhancing the mass segments, a relatively great deal of e-motion as well comfort at start/stop, improving the low b) universal, high-performance PHEV as savings in consumption, yet do not end torque and the response characteris- concepts (large e-drive) for premium substantially impair performance (maxi- tic for moderate additional costs, they and luxury vehicles, and mum speed) and range. Battery electric can offer affordable additional benefit. c) electric vehicles (pure e-drive) with vehicles (BEV) show considerable disad- E-drive systems (full hybrids) with elec- moderately sized accumulators for pre- vantages with regard to range. This crite- tric driving will make their entry mium vehicles of the ‘trendy/sporty’ rion is clearly of importance in the case medium-term in the upper sectors of vehicle pattern for urban use. of intentional universal use, such as in ‘family functional’ and above all ‘com- the case of ‘family functional’, whereas it mon sense’ and ‘trendy/sporty’. Taking does not play such a decisive role for the the all-in-all low volumes of ‘luxury’ into DESIGN LEVER FOR urban use of ‘sporty/trendy’. consideration, ‘trendy/sporty’ is the core FUTURE POWERTRAINS Apart from the absolute customer ben- vehicle pattern for the heavily electrified efit, the willingness to pay and possibili- powertrains with extensive electric drive. Under the main objective – reduction in ties of doing so of the customer groups The overall analysis shows that taking CO2 stipulated by law – apart from the concerned must also be taken into consid- account of the costs, there is no exclu- electrification technologies already eration [6, 7, 8]. Whereas, for example, in sive optimal electrified powertrain, but at explained, there are also conventional the case of ‘ultimate economy’ the will- least three concepts are to be assessed as technologies available from the gasoline ingness to pay for extras is quite small, in being optimal: engine and transmission sectors. These the case of ‘luxury’ and ‘trendy/sporty’ it is clearly higher. This means that in the case of ‘ultimate economy’ practically all electrification concepts lie outside of this limit and thus will not form a mainstream in the medium-term. On the other hand, in ‘luxury’, PHEV can be considered as being long-term mainstream because of the high customer benefit and willingness to pay and purchasing power. ➏ shows the overall picture for West- ern Europe on the basis of this model approach. Electrification concepts on the basis of cost effective e-boost systems (mild hybrid concepts) have good prereq- uisites for being introduced in the mass segments in the case of ‘family func- ➍ Assessment of e-motion for powertrain electrification concepts (source: internal Bosch experts workshop) autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 27 COVER STORY TRANSMISSIONS

teristics through extreme downsizing or downspeeding can be partially com- pensated or even improved by electrifi- cation and thus temporary additional torques (G2 e-boost in ⑧). But there are also possible alternatives. Insofar as the maximum continuous power is not decisively important, the electrification concepts can be combined with inter- nal combustion engines with a smaller power (*sHEV). The performance will thus be reduced in turn, but consump- tion can be further reduced.

➎ Schematic cost-benefit diagram of electrification concepts for compact car class in Western Europe COST-BENEFIT COMPARISON

technologies are in competition with often achieved, accompanied by an After the design approaches for future one another, but must not be considered impairment of the dynamic build-up of powertrains were shown as an example in isolation as they influence each other the torque owing to the response charac- on the basis of the technology levers, the reciprocally. ➐ shows an overview of teristic of the charging system. Depending objective now is to ascertain the full bene- the most important levers of these three on the use case, the driveability is possi- fit specifically for the vehicle patterns and sectors. bly to be assessed worse. compare them with the costs, in order to Many motor measures refer to the If the number of gears in the gearbox be able to determine optimal powertrains. effect of de-throttling the gasoline engine. is maximally increased to an infinitely ➒ shows the results of the cost-benefit But this effect is also addressed by variable, continuous transmission (G0 considerations for selected vehicle pat- downspeeding strategies or possible load CVT in ⑧), two effects occur: by terns of compact class-sized vehicles. It is point shifts of the gasoline engine in downspeeding strategies, the engine can, clearly to be recognised that, according to hybrid powertrains. The task of an opti- on the one hand, be operated in more the vehicle pattern, individual power- mal partitioning between the sectors pre- favourable operation points. On the other trains are evaluated very differently, not

sents itself. hand, the driving performance can be only with regard to CO2 reduction, but ➑ shows as an example of various improved if at accelerations the engine’s also in the overall benefit as the sum total powertrain concepts in comparison to best performance and torque ratios can of all evaluation criteria.

their potential for reducing CO2 and evalu- be freely set. In the case of transmissions With regard to the CO2 reduction ated driving performance. With the down- with fixed gear ratios, on the other hand, required, the most efficient way with sizing approach (G2 in ⑧) – reducing dis- the choice of the respective gear ratio respect to costs is extreme downsizing placement while maintaining the engine plays a major role – whether a power- (G2 in ⑨) or to use CVT transmissions.

output by charging – the CO2 emission train is designed more towards CO2 Whereas extreme downsizing brings can be clearly reduced. At the same time, reduction or driveability. greater improvement in absolute terms

in practice a higher low-end torque is Restrictions on the acceleration charac- from CO2 aspects, it does not show in the

➏ Forecasted electrification mainstreams for Western Europe 2020

28 www.autotechreview.com overall benefit for customers. Compared development costs and expenditure for transmissions or specific power-split with extreme downsizing with manual production installations within justifiable architectures, meaning significant addi- transmission, CVT transmissions achieve bounds. In the medium term, it is also tional costs beyond the actual e-drive for a better assessment in the overall benefit true that new technologies will at first the end customer. For this reason, cost- for customers because significant conven- show even smaller volumes. It is often not effective e-boost systems seem to be the ience is gained in addition. possible on the costs side to develop com- thing for the mass segments in Western CVTs are clearly different from manual pletely new platforms in the sense of vari- Europe. gearshifts in driving perception. As this ant management, but it must be possible In premium vehicles, which are habitual feeling has not been taken into to integrate the new technologies into already mainly equipped with automatic account in the model, this can explain existing platform modules as optional transmissions, plug-in hybrids will make why the model diverges from the current components. their entrance on a larger scale. For mod- marketshares in Europe. In addition, ❿ shows the result. It is to be assumed ule platform reasons, it is to be expected when driving with an all-in-all higher in Western Europe that high proportions that these concepts will be combined with load, the lever of the load point shift is no of manual transmissions will be in downsizing of engines. Only with massive longer so effective through the CVT. Seen demand in the long term. The internal electrification are specifically-optimised in relative terms, the mechanical losses combustion engine plays a central role in gasoline engines to be expected for use in become greater. the reduction of CO2 emissions. Because e-drive architectures. In the case of city-driving in Japan, the of the favourable cost-benefit ratio, down- In Japan, on the other hand, the response characteristic at low speeds sizing in combination with direct injection majority of vehicles today are equipped through the so-called turbo lag is assessed and turbocharging will thus be pushed with automatic transmissions. The most negatively there so that PFI-CVT is to be ahead. At the same time, there is the diffi- attractive cost-benefit solution for small expected as mainstream. culty that the concepts for electric-pow- vehicles is thus to change from stepped In the long term, however, the ques- ered driving (e-drive) need automated automatic to CVT transmissions. In addi- tion arises what concepts end customers are prepared to accept if further savings in

CO2 must be realised. In the vehicle pat- terns considered, the greatest customer benefit is achieved in each case with the reduced output and adapted full hybrid concept (*HEV). For ‘Japan reasonable’ it is indeed the best cost-benefit ratio beyond CVT transmissions. However, in order to deduce the future mainstream, the willingness to pay must be taken into account, too. Whereas, for example, the full hybrid (*sHEV) lies within the expected bounds of prepared- ness for additional price in the ‘Europe trendy/sporty’ and ‘Japan reasonable’ vehicle patterns, that is clearly limited in the case of ‘Europe family affordable’ and unlikely for ‘Japan affordable’ and ‘USA ➐ Technology overview for efficiency improvement of powertrains with gasoline engines affordable’.

FUTURE POWERTRAIN MAINSTREAMS

In addition to the cost-benefit analysis, in order to deduce the powertrain main- streams for 2020 it has to be taken into account that CO2 fleet reduction in the range of up to 40 % compared with today must be achieved. In addition, the current situation in markets has to be taken into consideration insofar that existing plat- forms are preferably further developed on ➑ an evolutionary basis, in order to keep Schematic trade-off between CO2 reduction and driving performance for selected gasoline powertrains autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 29 COVER STORY TRANSMISSIONS

➒ Benefit versus future costs and consumer price difference of selected powertrains for selected vehicle patterns

tion, the PFI engines will be further opti- the long term. Nevertheless, some main- Cost-effective e-boost systems have mised and, if necessary, also converted streams can be identified for important their place in the medium-sized vehicle into direct injection systems in the upper volume segments. For convenience-ori- segments in order to open up recupera- vehicle segments too. The second main- ented segments in small vehicles, PFI-CVT tion potentials, to compensate for possible stream for Japan consists of the e-drive powertrains represent an attractive solu- launch weaknesses of extremely down- concepts, which precisely in the case of tion. Turbocharged engines with direct sized engines and to improve the starting Japanese traffic conditions can bring gasoline injection can be combined well comfort. e-drive concepts will take a large their strong points to bear with regard to with manual transmissions and are there- place in the Japanese market and in the

CO2 potential and driving dynamics in fore a fundamental mainstream. upper vehicle classes – also in large num- urban operation. For automatic transmissions, because bers as plug-in hybrids in order to com- of their high efficiency and also their bine electric-powered driving the simulta- sporty, modern image, double clutch neous possibility of high performance SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK transmissions are a preferred combination long-distance driving. with downsized engines, whereas step Because of the different requirements and automatic transmissions with high num- REFERENCES characteristics of powertrains, an increase bers of gears are used by preference in the [1] Internet vehicles configurators for Škoda and Audi. www.audi.de and www.skoda.de, as at in powertrain variants is to be expected in large vehicle classes. 11/2011 [2] Trends beim Autokauf [Trends in Car Buying]. Study, Aral Aktiengesellschaft, 2011 [3] Gastes, D.: Konsumentenanforderungen an die Eigenschaften von Elektroautos [Consumer require- ments for the characteristics of electric cars]. KIT Karlsruhe, Institut für Entscheidungstheorie und Unternehmensforschung (ETU), 2011 [4] Was junge Autokäufer wollen [What young car buyers want]. In: Automobilwoche 2011, No. 1/2, 10. January 2011, p. 17 [5] Car Clinic Touareg. Bosch internal end customer study, Robert Bosch GmbH, 2011 [6] Quotation from the Active Safety Study. Oliver Wyman, Mercer, 2006 [7] Powering Autos to 2020 – The Era of the Elec- tric Car. BCG, press briefing, Detroit, June 14, 2011 [8] Mobility 3.0. Horvath&Partners, SIIE, AIM, EBS Business School, study, 2011

Read this article on ❿ Powertrain mainstream map for 2020 www.autotechreview.com

30 www.autotechreview.com

COVER STORY TRANSMISSIONS CONSTRUCTION KIT FOR FRONT-TRANSVERSE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS WITH NINE SPEEDS

Presented as a concept study in 2009, ZF Friedrichshafen AG presented a front-transverse automatic transmis- sion ready for volume production at the IAA International Motor Show in 2011. At the global level, it taps new customer segments and can be used for different applications in an efficient way due to its flexible construction kit principle.

32 www.autotechreview.com AUTHORS INTRODUCTION The goal is to reduce the entire driveline’s energy consumption, while raising driving The International Motor Show in Geneva performance and driving comfort. Thus, it earlier this year stood witness to the must be possible to realise all developed launch of the world’s first nine-speed concepts in a cost-effective way. automatic passenger car transmission To reduce fuel consumption, it gener- from ZF. Developed for front-transverse ally makes sense to use transmissions DR. JÜRGEN GREINER drivelines, 9HP, as the transmission is with higher transmission ratio spreads is Executive Vice President Product called, features great efficiency thanks to and more gears with smaller gear steps. Development Powertrain Technology at ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Germany). a high gear spread with close gear step- While there are already seven- and eight- ping, compact design, a smart modular gear transmissions with high transmission kit principle, and high-speed and com- ratio spreads on the market for longitudi- fortable gearshifts. Produced at the new nally installed drivelines, this develop- ZF location in Gray Court, South Caro- ment has not yet occurred in the case of lina, USA, the 9HP will be launched in vehicles with a transverse-mounted front volume production in a engine. This drive configuration is partic- GASTON GIRRES towards the end of 2013. ularly used for compact and medium class is Director Control System The 9HP has been made as a modular applications, i.e. segments with small Development at ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Germany). kit so that it can be used in as many installation space requirements and high vehicle applications as possible. With cost sensitivity on the customers’ side. two model ranges, it covers a torque At the global level, those vehicles con- range between 200 Nm and 480 Nm. tinue to win marketshares. Today, in 75 This article looks at the flexible construc- % of passenger cars, the engine is tion kit of the 9HP. installed transverse to the direction of travel, ➊. This is why ZF has taken up DR. MICHAEL EBENHOCH the task to develop an automatic trans- is Director Automatic Transmission MOTIVATION mission system for this installation Transverse at ZF Friedrichshafen AG design which, at justifiable cost, enables (Germany). In order to shape individual mobility effi- significant fuel savings. ciently, the drive systems of modern motor vehicles are being continuously developed. Before fully electric drives take THE TRANSMISSION CONCEPT hold to a greater extent, automatic trans- mission systems play a central role in With respect to installation space require-

HERIBERT SCHERER such contexts. Today, they are already ments – in particular transmission length is Director Design, Business Unit more efficient in terms of fuel consump- – the size limit of front-transverse plane- Transmission at ZF Friedrichshafen tion than standard manual transmissions tary gear sets with six speeds has been AG (Germany). and still offer potential for optimisation. reached in the current state of technology.

Total Front wheel drive

100,000,000

90,000,000

80,000,000

70,000,000

60,000,000

50,000,000

40,000,000

30,000,000

20,000,000

10,000,000

0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

➊ World market share of front-wheel drive autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 33 COVER STORY TRANSMISSIONS

cept idea to use hydraulically operated constant-mesh elements, since these can Dog Shift pattern be integrated without a major impact on Double gear set the overall transmission length and still enable high efficiency. While opened multi-disk shift elements create drag torques, these losses play hardly any role in the case of dog clutches. This aspect is particularly impor- Gear Brake Clutch Dog clutch Ratio Ratio/steps tant with regard to multi-speed concepts. 1 4.70 1.65 The enhanced efficiency generated by 2 2.84 1.49 small transmission steps must not be 3 1.90 1.38 4 1.38 reduced again by drag losses due to the 1.38 5 1.00 1.24 rather complex design. 6 0.80 1.16 Overall, the realised transmission sys- 7 0.70 1.21 8 0.58 tem consists of four simple gear sets and 1.21 9 0.48 six shift elements, and in addition to R -3.80 Total 9.81 this, the two dog clutches each use two multi-disk clutches and two multi-disk ➋ Transmission ratio spread of the 9HP transmission brakes. The total spread is 9.81, which significantly reduces the engine speed and thus also fuel consumption, ➋. The If the number of speeds of the transmis- speeds as well as a as a transmission has a harmonic step range sion is increased to eight or nine for the starting element in the front-wheel drive like ZF’s eight-speed automatic transmis- benefit of a higher transmission ratio range, it was necessary to find new ways sion (8HP). The wheel set efficiencies of spread, additional gear sets and shifting to arrange the assemblies. the planetary gearset rise above 97 % in elements will be necessary. However, in ZF’s engineers put two planetary gear all gears. the conventional design of torque con- sets on top of each other, so that there are verter transmissions, these components never more than three gear sets in a row. can hardly be installed in the severely lim- This approach is easier to carry out in CONSTRUCTIVE DESIGN ited installation space. In order to increase front-wheel drive transmissions than in the sustainability of the reliable and estab- the case of longitudinally-installed trans- A torque converter is used as a starting lished planetary gearset technology, in missions because they are larger in diam- element for the 9HP because the custom- connection with a higher number of eter. It proved to be a space-saving con- ers, particularly in the USA and the Asian

Oil pan Clutch E Clutch D Control unit / TCU* Clutch C Pump* (axially parallel) Clutch B

Torque converter Dog clutch F Housing (2-part) Dog clutch A

Gear set 1 to 4 Cooler*

Differential

*not shown ➌ Cross-sectional view of the 9HP transmission

34 www.autotechreview.com 9HP28 78 kg incl. oil* housing with an aluminium cover. By default, the 9HP is connected to the vehi- cle radiator via pipes, and a transmission cooler can optionally be attached directly to the housing, ➌. With regard to the 386 transmission length and the weight of the basic model, a competitive comparison shows that, despite the mechanical expenditure for nine gears and the higher torque load of the components through 363 482 the greater range of gear spreads, a com- pact package with a good power-to-weight 9HP48 86 kg incl. oil* ratio can be achieved, ➍.

TRANSMISSION CONTROL

429 For reasons of cost efficiency and instal- lation space optimisation, ZF engineers did not use a fully-integrated mechatronics module for all sensors, actuators and the electronic control unit 367 521 (ECU) in the 9HP. Instead, the ECU is *without cooler installed separately from the now signif-

➍ Power-to-weight ratio compared icantly smaller hydraulic control unit (HCU), namely on the upper side of the transmission housing. The sensors can be found inside the transmission, and markets, esteem its high manoeuvring speeds. Various damping characteristics vehicle-side signals are connected quality. In order to minimise hydraulic can be realised in order to ensure an opti- directly to the male plug of the ECU, ③. losses, different damping systems are mal adjustment to the respective engine. In the case of the 9HP, ZF is develop- used so that the torque converter lock-up The housing consists of two essential ing and producing the complete ECU itself clutch can already be closed at low parts: a converter housing and a main for the first time. A powerful embedded

CVT with torque converter AT DT

110

100

90 9HP48 *(480/87)

80 9HP28 Weight [kg] Weight *(280/77)

70

60

*(Torque/weight incl. dual-mass flywheels) 50 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 Torque [Nm] ➎ 9HP transmission sizes autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 35 COVER STORY TRANSMISSIONS

flash controller can perform complex con- 9HP 9HP trol algorithms. Its calculation perfor- Test vehicle Serial production Potential mance is comparable to the controller used in the eight-speed automatic trans- 12.8 % mission and can be increased by approxi- 11.6 % 11.7 % +1.1 % mately 30 % on demand. Thus, the 9HP 10.5 % Further potential will also be equipped for even more com- due to optimization prehensive software functions in the Up to 16 % benefit future. The layout of the ECU printed cir- at constant speed (120 km/h) cuit board has been designed in such a way that the different hardware require- Production in fuel consumption [%] Simulation Simulation TÜV measurement ments of the OEMs can be met. As a con- Basis: 6-speed struction kit, the ECU is suitable both for a pure shift-by-wire actuation (electronic ➏ Fuel consumption and driving performance of the 9HP28 compared to competitors shift system) and for a shift-by-wire/ park-by-cable actuation (electronic/ man- ual shift system). In order to meet the increased require- as many vehicle applications as possible, 9HP in the front-transverse sector has ments for driveline efficiency, the HCU it has been prepared as a construction kit. achieved significant fuel consumption including the actuators was designed and An additional transfer case can be con- savings. Compared to the six-speed trans- built for minimal hydraulic losses. Thus, nected for all-wheel drive operation. The missions of the first generation, the 9HP the leakage losses in the control unit engine performance is then distributed to saves up to 16 % of fuel, ➏. could be reduced to a minimum. For the the front and rear axle at the transmission In order to be successful on the mar- dog clutch actuation, a fast and at the output. For an efficient implementation of ket, however, it is equally important to same time resource-saving actuation was such an all-wheel drive system, ZF has provide comfort and an attractive driving the central design criterion. developed a system with a decoupling performance for the end customer. What ZF uses its expertise in the area of function (AWD Disconnect). It actuates is also worth mentioning in this context is application-specific software develop- the rear-axle drive only when needed and the speed reduction in the highest gear. ment: The ATSYS shifting sequence con- thus saves 5 % of fuel compared to per- This provides significantly better acoustics trol contains all clutch controls, adapta- manent all-wheel drive. in the vehicle and increases driving com- tion functions and transmission protec- The nine-speed automatic transmission fort. ZF has designed all control compo- tion functions, while the ASIS driving is also start-stop capable without hydrau- nents for shorter response and shift times strategy ensures that the optimal gear is lic impulse oil storage (HIS). Since, in the in order to improve performance. selected for each driving situation – case of restarting, only one friction shift Direct multiple gearshifts further unnoticed by the driver. In general, the element needs to be closed, response increase driving dynamics. In this process, transmission software is currently a cen- times are spontaneous. In addition, the shift points and shift dynamics can vary tral component of development. It deter- 9HP can be hybridised. On the basis of a from an emphasis on comfort to very mines and optimises nearly all functions parallel hybrid architecture, the torque sporty, which makes it possible to affect that can be noticed by the customer. The converter is then replaced by an electric the performance of the vehicle according increasing memory requirements of the motor. Finally, thanks to its open software to the driver’s wishes. Thus, the 9HP transmission control thus become appar- and interface structure, as well as the meets all the requirements of modern ent in the different automatic transmis- powerful electronic control unit, it will be automatic transmissions in terms of func- sion generations from ZF, ④. possible to integrate the nine-speed auto- tion and flexibility and shows the poten- matic transmission flexibly into different tial they also bear for front-transverse vehicle concepts in terms of function and vehicles regarding their sportiness. FLEXIBLE CONSTRUCTION electronics. This diversity of the 9HP con- KIT SYSTEM struction kit makes the transmission espe- cially efficient. The nine-speed automatic transmission, which has been in volume production development for some time, is designed ENHANCED PERFORMANCE AND for torques of up to 480 Nm (9HP48). A LESS FUEL CONSUMPTION smaller version for engines with up to 280 Nm is planned (9HP28). In future, In addition to the design improvements the total engine range of vehicles of mentioned at the beginning, the con- front-transverse configuration will there- sumption-optimised driving strategy of ➎ fore be covered, . the 9HP also contributes decisively to Read this article on To ensure that the 9HP can be used for reducing fuel consumption. In total, the www.autotechreview.com

36 www.autotechreview.com ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT BIG CHALLENGE IN BATTERIES?

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The ongoing trends of downsizing and downspeeding require new transmission concepts with large ratio spread and number of gears in order to simultaneously improve fuel consumption and launch behaviour. Using a sys- tematic synthesis process, FEV has developed a new generation of dual-clutch transmissions with seven and ten gears, the xDCT family. Through a combination of the features ‘gear generation’ and ‘supported shift’, these con- cepts set a new benchmark regarding number of gears per mechanical complexity.

38 www.autotechreview.com AUTHORS MORE TURBOCHARGED ENGINES wheels, shift sleeves and shafts have to WITH SMALL DISPLACEMENT be added; thus increasing package dimensions, weight and cost. The ongoing trends of downsizing and downspeeding have led to the introduc- tion of more and more turbocharged A NEW DCT FAMILY engines with small displacement, high DR.-ING. GEREON HELLENBROICH is Team Leader Transmission Design torque and significant disadvantages in The solution developed by FEV is the at FEV GmbH in Aachen (Germany). response to previous generations of nat- xDCT family, a series of DCT concepts urally aspirated engines. This trend will for transverse installation, which effec- grow even stronger in the future, creat- tively minimise mechanical complexity ing a huge demand for ratio spread on for any given number of gears by com- the one hand in order to improve launch bining two non-conventional ideas: behaviour via short first gears, while on ‘gear generation’ and ‘supported shift’. the other hand, to reduce fuel consump- In order to generate gears, at least one DIPL.-ING. DIPL.-WIRT.-ING. tion via long last gears. switchable connection between the two JOHANNES RUSCHHAUPT Especially, dual-clutch transmissions input shafts is installed, which elimi- is Scientific Assistant in the Institute for Combustion Engines at RWTH (DCTs) without the advantage of torque nates the strong differentiation in two Aachen University (Germany). amplification by a hydraulic converter separate transmission branches and are affected by this circumstance. They allows using all gears inside the trans- will require launch ratios in the area of mission with both clutches. 20 and ratio spreads larger than 10. In This approach was presented in the order to maintain acceptable ratio steps, 1990s, and reoccurred several times this will lead to an increasing demand since then [2, 3, 4]. Although the use of a for DCT concepts with a large number single switchable connection theoreti- DIPL.-ING. COEN DUINDAM of gears [1]. cally doubles the number of gears, the is Project Engineer for Function Small vehicles and especially cost- remaining challenge is to effectively use Development Transmission and Hybrid at FEV GmbH in Aachen sensitive markets will call for concepts, these gears in a shift schedule without (Germany). which maintain today’s number of gears torque interruption. with significantly reduced complexity. The solution introduced by FEV for Current series-production DCTs feature the xDCT family is to incorporate one or a maximum of seven speeds, which can two so-called supported shifts into the be realised using three main shafts and shift schedule. For these shifts, two four shift sleeves. With conventional adjacent gears are assigned to the same gear set concepts, this complexity can- clutch, which usually requires a gear not be reduced, as each gear requires a change with torque interruption. For a separate switchable connection. To even supported shift however, torque fill is increase the number of gears, more gear provided with the second clutch using the next higher gear. The energy that is stored in the engine inertia and released during the upshift compensates for the Boundary Gear set Shift pattern Gear set Gear set conditions structure and gear ratios layout 3D model smaller torque amplification of the sup- porting gear. Only the combination of the two ideas – gear generation and supported shift – allows to effectively a) Conventional DCT b) FEV 10-xDCT c) FEV 7-xDCT use the theoretically available gears without torque interruption.

In1 In1 In1 4 3 2 CONCEPT DEFINITION Out 1+R Out 1+R Out

3+R 3 2 The need for a large number of well- In2 In2 In2 stepped gear ratios without increasing the mechanical complexity of current

Theoretical gear number: Theoretical gear number: Theoretical gear number: transmissions require new ways of gear n = 4 + 3 = 7 n = 3 + 3 + 1 · (3 + 3) = 12 n = 2 + 2 + 1 · (2 + 2) = 8 set synthesis and optimisation. There-

❶ Five steps (red) of systematic gear set synthesis (upper part) but also gear set structures a, b and c of con- fore, new gear sets at FEV are developed ventional DCT, FEV 10-xDCT and FEV 7-xDCT (lower part) using a systematic, computer aided syn- autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 39 COVER STORY TRANSMISSIONS

❷ Gear set layouts and exemplary ratio steppings of 10-xDCT (left) and 7-xDCT (right)

thesis process. During this process, all GEAR SET LAYOUTS 10-xDCT and 7-xDCT. Between second theoretically possible solutions are ana- and sixth gear the stepping is progressive, lysed until the optimum solution consid- ➋ shows two exemplary gear set lay- in higher gears the 10-xDCT is approxi- ering all boundary conditions has been outs of FEV’s xDCT family. Both the mately geometric. First gear ratio has a found, ➊. 10-xDCT gear set with four shift sleeves high value for good launch performance. The visualisation of gear set struc- and 17 gear wheels and the 7-xDCT gear With conventional gear sets, first gear tures shown in the lower part of ① set with three shift sleeves and 14 gear ratio is often limited because of centre dis- allows a very simple and fast analysis of wheels set a new benchmark for ‘func- tances and minimum gear wheel diame- the functionality possible with a certain tionality per complexity’. The configura- ters. This limitation does not exist for the transmission layout. It illustrates the tion of the shafts and shift sleeves looks xDCT family: The short first gear is made degrees of freedom and the number of similar to conventional DCTs, but two possible because the first gear is gener- switchable connections between them transfer connections (shift sleeve C) are ated using the transfer connection and for a given gear set [5]. The total number placed between the inputs, one of which second gear. of theoretical possible gears is the sum of is used for reverse. The small step between first and sec- ‘direct gears’ (direct connection between The transfer connection X1 between ond gear results from the multiple use of input and output) and ‘generated gears’ the two inputs has a choosable ratio step the transfer connection. In the case of the (gears in which the switchable connec- and will create shorter gear ratios if the xDCT it is used to ‘emulate’ the torque tion between the inputs is active). transfer is used from clutch C1 to C2. amplification of a torque converter during All possible arrangements of switcha- Respectively, if the transfer is used from the launch procedure. The benefit of this ble connections can be evaluated, for clutch C2 to C1, the ratio step will create ratio stepping is an excellent launch feel example, with respect to the theoretical longer gear ratios. In order to minimise because of the short first gear followed by number of gears and the number of effi- axial length, the connection X1 and fifth smooth acceleration in second gear. ciency-optimum direct gears. The lower gear use the same gearwheel on the part of ① shows the gear set structures input shaft. If the shift sleeve C is actu- of 10-xDCT (b) with ten usable forward ated in the direction of R, the first input SIMULATION RESULTS gears using a total of eight switchable (C1) uses the second gear to generate the connections (four synchroniser units/ reverse gear. A dedicated reverse idler is The shift schedule of 7-xDCT contains four shift sleeves) and the gear set not required. During parking manoeu- one supported shift (3 → 4), and the one structure of a smaller version, the vres second gear has sufficient torque of 10-xDCT contains two (3 → 4, 6 → 7). 7-xDCT (c), which features seven for- amplification so that a clutch-to-clutch The main challenge is to carry out the ward gears using only six switchable powershift between reverse and launch supported shifts with a shift quality com- connections (three synchroniser units/ gear is possible. parable to conventional DCT shifts. three shift sleeves). ② also shows the gear stepping of In order to analyse the feasibility of

40 www.autotechreview.com supported shifts, the shift sequence of of acceleration. Therefore a smaller quality was well within FEV’s scatter- the most critical 3 → 4 supported shift torque intervention is required. band of series-production DCTs. At part of 10-xDCT was simulated and com- The minimum acceleration during the load, full torque support can be realised pared to a conventional DCT shift, ➌. supported shift (1.3 m/s2) is slightly by positive torque intervention. For the supported shift, the dual torque smaller than during the conventional handover between the clutches and the DCT shift (1.6 m/s2). In order to assess reduced torque intervention during the the influence of this reduction on shift DESIGN STUDY inertia phase is visible. Due to the quality and to create the feel of a sup- smaller torque amplification of the sup- ported shift, measurements have been In detailed 3-D concept studies, both a porting gear, more energy, which is carried out on a vehicle with conven- 400 Nm variant of 10-xDCT and a 280 Nm stored in the inertia of the combustion tional DCT and modified transmission variant of 7-xDCT have been laid out and engine, is used to minimise the decrease control strategy. Even at full load, shift designed. For both variants, a wet dual- clutch system with actuation via engage- ment bearings is used, which significantly Conventional 3-4 clutch-to-clutch shift reduces the usual hydraulic losses.

6500 200 Depending on customer requirements, other dual-clutch systems (dry or conven- 6000 175 tional wet) can be integrated alternatively. 5500 150 As a special feature on 7-xDCT, all three 5000 125 shift forks and the park lock are actuated Engine engine speed speed with a single shift drum. This drastically Speed [rpm] 4500 Shaft shaft1 1 speed speed 100 Shaft shaft 2 speed2 speed simplifies the actuation system including 4000 Driver engine torque driver request torque 75 Torque torque with w. intervention the sensors. 3500 50 ➍ shows the gear set of 7-xDCT and 1500 2.4 the actuation via the single shift drum. Another highlight is the extraordinarily 1250 2.0 ] Torque [Nm] 2 short installation length of only 330 mm, 1000 1.6 which is made possible by 750 1.2 the compact gear set with its four main 500 Total total output output torque torque 0.8 gear planes and by the nested dual wet Torque [Nm] Output output torque torque shaft shaft 11 250 Output output torque torque shaft shaft 22 0.4 Acceleration [m/s clutch. The 10-xDCT with on-demand Vehicle vehicle acceleration acceleration electro-hydraulic actuation and optional 0 0.0 6.8 7.0 7.2 7.4 7.6 7.8 8.0 8.2 8.4 8.6 8.8 hybridisation has an installation length of

Time [s] 370 mm and is shown on the title image.

FEV xDCT 3-4 supported shift EFFICIENCY

6500 200 For all generated gears (also see ②), two 6000 175 connections in a system of three degrees 5500 150 of freedom are closed, which means the 5000 125 system is fully determined and the trans- Engine engine speed speed mission runs with active gear

Speed [rpm] 4500 Shaft shaft1 1 speed speed 100 Shaft shaft 2 speed2 speed pre-selection. 4000 Driver engine torque driver request torque 75 Torque torque with w. interventionintervention Also, compared to conventional gear 3500 50 sets, two more tooth contacts lie within

1500 2.4 the powerflow for the generated gears. However, an advantage of the xDCT fam- 1250 2.0

]ily is the reduced Torque [Nm] number of gear wheels, 2 1000 1.6 bearings and synchronisers, which signifi- 750 1.2 cantly reduces the drag losses. ➎ 500 Total total output output torque torque 0.8 shows a comparison of delta Torque [Nm] output torque shaft 1 Output torque shaft 1 speeds at non-engaged idler gears and 250 Output output torque torque shaft shaft 22 0.4 Vehicle vehicle acceleration acceleration Acceleration [m/s synchronisers for 7-xDCT versus a series- 0 0.0 6.8 7.0 7.2 7.4 7.6 7.8 8.0 8.2 8.4 8.6 8.8 production seven-speed DCT. While showing similar maximum values, the Time [s] summed delta speeds of 7-xDCT are ❸ Comparison of the conventional DCT shift to the supported shift of the FEV 7-xDCT (3rd gear → 4th gear) under the ones of the series-production autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 41 COVER STORY TRANSMISSIONS

tional seven-speed DCTs. The 7-xDCT features seven speeds using only three shift sleeves and 14 gear wheels in total. In comparison to con- ventional concepts weight, cost and installation space can be significantly decreased. As an example, the 7-xDCT with dual wet clutch offers an installa- tion length of only 330 mm. Simulations and comparative meas- urements show that the xDCT concept is fully competitive with current series- production solutions regarding shift quality and efficiency. Due to very short first gear ratios and the small gear step 1 → 2, launch quality and performance are even increased. ❹ 3-D model of the 7-xDCT gear set The xDCT family offers innovative, tai- lor-made transmission concepts support- ing both applications with high require- DCT for all gears, two to seven. In the estimation is supported by efficiency ments regarding ratio spread and number sixth and seventh gear, the difference is measurements on hardware of FEV's of gears as well as applications with tight as significant as 40 %. 7H-AMT transmission, which also uses package und high cost pressure. For more precise efficiency estimation, generated gears [6]. the drag losses, efficiencies and the influ- REFERENCES ence of gear pre-selection have been [1] Janssen, P.; Govindswamy, K.: Future Trans- mission Requirements. Lecture, VDI Getriebe in measured for the production DCT on a SUMMARY Fahrzeugen, Friedrichshafen, 2011 test bench. Especially in the NEDC-rele- [2] Toyota: Patent EP 0 756 107 B1. Registration vant part load range, the influence of drag With new ways of gear set synthesis, FEV date 24 July 1996 [3] losses on efficiency is actually much has developed the xDCT family, a series Volkswagen: Patent application DE 100 15 336 A1. Registration date 28 March 2001 larger than the influence of load-depend- of dual-clutch transmissions setting a new [4] Théry, P.: The Power Transfer DCT 7/8 Speeds – ent gear losses. Also the gear pre-selection benchmark regarding number of gears per A Way to Reach New Environmental Standards. Lec- has no significant influence on the effi- mechanical complexity. The 10-xDCT ture, 6th International CTI Symposium, Berlin, 2007 [5] Hellenbroich, G.: Entwicklung eines automatisi- ciency. Therefore, the drawback of more offers ten powershiftable, well-stepped erten Schaltgetriebes mit elektrischer Zugkraf- gear contacts in the powerflow will be at forward gears using only four shift sleeves tunterstützung und voller Hybridfunktionalität. Doc- least compensated by the significantly and three main shafts; thus maintaining tor thesis, RWTH Aachen University, 2011 [6] Hellenbroich, G.; Duindam, C.: Erprobung eines lower drag losses of the xDCT family. This the mechanical complexity of conven- Siebengang-Hybridgetriebes im Fahrzeug. In: ATZ 113 (2011), No. 9, pp. 688 – 695

10 2.5

Σn n n n Δ/ input Δ, max/ input FEV 7-xDCT 8 2.0 Seven speed DCT (series production)

6 1.5 [-] [-] input input n / n / Δ n , max Δ Σ 4 1.0 n

2 0.5

0 0.0 R1234567 Gear [-] Read this article on ❺ Delta speeds at non-engaged idler gears for the FEV 7-xDCT and a series-production seven-speed DCT www.autotechreview.com

42 www.autotechreview.com Goes Digital Tap Readand all about on... Automotive Technologies

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FRONT-TRANSVERSE TRANSMISSIONS FROM MERCEDES-BENZ

While introducing the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class, new transmissions were also developed. With the 7G-DCT seven-speed dual clutch transmission and SG6-310 six-speed manual transmission, the key objectives of low

CO2 emissions, maximum variability and short design were fulfilled. In comparison to other transmissions on the market, the 7G-DCT uses an oil-cooled multi-plate clutch instead of the dry dual clutch in order to deal with the required torque capacity of 350 Nm. The 7G-DCT replaces the CVT Autotronic.

44 www.autotechwww.autotec review.com AUTHORS FROM THE GROUND UP NEW

As part of the IAA Motor Show 2011, Daimler presented the successor model series to the Mercedes-Benz B-Class as the first model to feature the new vehicle architecture ‘New Generation Compact DR.-ING. RALF WÖRNER Cars’ (NGCC). Tailored to the overall vehi- is Entire Project Leader cle concept and layout, the 7G-DCT Transmissions Development 7G-DCT and SG6310 at Daimler AG in seven-speed dual clutch transmission and Stuttgart (Germany). SG6-310 six-speed manual transmission were developed from the ground up for front-wheel drives. The process incorpo- rated the following key objectives: :: creating an efficient overall concept incorporating a high degree of effi- ciency to fulfil current and future DR.-ING. ANSGAR DAMM requirements in terms of CO2 is Project Leader Development emissions, 7G-DCT at Daimler AG in Stuttgart (Germany). :: ensuring maximum variability through the use of a modular gear set and com- mon parts – as far as technically practical, :: compact design and low gross weight, tailored to the general vehicle packag- ing requirements, DR.-ING. RALPH EBERSPÄCHER :: a very smooth gear change and precise is Leader Manual Transmissions shift response, and Driveline at Daimler AG in Stuttgart (Germany). :: integration of additional functionali- ties such as the intelligent stop-start function, the electrically operated parking lock and reverse gear lock along with provision for additional drive system technology. Both transmissions will be offered in com- DR.-ING. CARSTEN GITT bination with the OM651 and M270 four- is Leader Development cylinder diesel and gasoline engines at Hybrid Transmissions and was until September 2011 Leader various levels of development. In this arti- Development Light Transmissions at cle, the 7G-DCT dual clutch transmission Daimler AG in Stuttgart (Germany). and the SG6-310 manual transmission are presented in greater detail.

INITIAL SITUATION

For the first time, the OM651 diesel engine as well as the completely new M270 gaso- line engine, used from the C-Class to the S-Class, will be available in the compact vehicle segment of Mercedes-Benz cars, the NGCC. A prerequisite for the installa- tion of these systems was the further development of the sandwich construc- tion method used to date, which features a hollow floor assembly and a forward- sloping engine. The evolved concept known as the ‘Energy Space’ enabled the installation of the powertrain in a conven- autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 45 COVER STORY TRANSMISSIONS

tional position in the NGCC architecture include components such as output the multi-plate clutch offers a simple without sacrificing the advantages of the shafts, idler gears, shift sleeves, differen- option to increase torque through mod- sandwich design regarding spatial ergo- tials as well as the production of the cas- ified assembly using friction plates. nomics, safety and provision for alterna- ing sections for both transmissions. :: Thermal robustness: With a permissi- tive drive technologies. ble combined vehicle/ trailer weight of In view of the implications of these over 3,000 kg, the NGCC vehicles are general technical and design conditions, it 7G-DCT SEVEN-SPEED DUAL designed to offer the driver a high level was decided not to use the transmission CLUTCH TRANSMISSION of reliability even in critical situations, from the predecessor model. Taking into when manoeuvring, stopping and account the front-transverse configuration The new 7G-DCT replaces the Autotronic moving-off on inclines. Moreover, the and the overall vehicle concept, a spur [1] continuously variable automatic trans- SUV-like vehicles planned as part of gear layout incorporating an adapted dif- mission (CVT), previously used in the the NGCC series place exceptionally ferential configuration in Q 1.2 was identi- B-Class. ➊ shows a built-up of the trans- high demands on the thermal robust- fied as the ideal solution for the new mission. Its dry weight is around 81.2 kg. ness of the starting device. model series. Based on the experience gained in the A key differentiating characteristic of the Integral in this context and appropriate area of automatic [2] and manual transmis- new gear set is the use of a double gear to the competitive environment, a dual sions, it was possible to implement the chain as well as the highly integrated clutch transmission was identified as a new product concept within a very short R-gear using the existing gear ratios. This customer-optimised solution in addition space of time. A unit whose innovative permits the extremely short design of the to the manual transmission. Analysis gear set concept, ➋, facilitated an 7G-DCT compared to competitor trans- showed that there was no product availa- extremely compact design was presented missions with an equivalent torque ble on the market that could comprehen- within three years. capacity. It was possible to combine sively provide the functions relating to Similar to transmissions already availa- gears 5 and 7 as well as gears 4 and 6

CO2 targets and packaging requirements ble on the market, the outermost of the using a single pinion gear drive each. as defined in the requirement specifica- two concentric clutches is connected to Despite the resulting compulsory combi- tions. Based on these insights and in view the uneven gears (1, 3, 5 and 7). The nation in these gears, it was possible to of the expertise accumulated by Mer- inner clutch operates the reverse (R), 2nd, achieve a smooth, progressive gear-ratio cedes-Benz in the area of transmissions 4th and 6th gears. The decision to employ step in conjunction with the design of over decades, it was decided to develop an oil-cooled multi-plate clutch, ➌, the final drive. and produce the 7G-DCT in-house. instead of the dry dual clutch – now so A completely new design was chosen Similarly, a comprehensive competi- prevalent in the market – was influenced for the reverse gear. Many systems tive analysis was also carried out for the by the following criteria: employ a separate reverse gear shaft. SG6-310. Looking at the requirement :: Low moment of inertia: The required Although this provides freedom in terms specifications, it is clear that an internal torque capacity of 350 Nm (with the of the gear ratio used, it leads to addi- implementation of the manual transmis- option to be increased) leads to signifi- tional weight, the need for extra installa- sion is also the logical solution – one cantly higher weights and moments of tion space, and higher costs. Other sys- that also enables synergies to be realised inertia for dry clutches than in the tems use the gear ratio of second gear to from the combined production of key multi-plate clutch. This results in lim- transfer torque from there to the drive assemblies within Daimler AG. These ited driving dynamics. Furthermore, shaft not directly connected to second gear, thereby reversing the direction of rotation. The disadvantage of this design is that the gear ratio of the reverse gear may be relatively high, depending on the design of the gear set. In the 7G-DCT, torque was also trans- ferred from the second gear to the other drive shaft in order to change the direc- tion of rotation. However, the output is not transferred directly from there to the output shaft via the final drive, but first using the ratio of third gear back to drive shaft 1. From here, torque is transferred onwards via first gear to the output shaft. Despite the constraints resulting from the gear chains of gears 4/6 and 5/7, this approach achieves an acceptable gear ratio for reverse gear. ❶ Build-up of the 7G-DCT dual clutch transmission with seven speeds and wet clutch The combination of two gear set con-

46 www.autotechreview.com ❷ Gearset of the 7G-DCT ❸ Oil-cooled multi-disc clutch as double clutch of the 7G-DCT

figurations with two different final drive electrical oil pump directly on the circuit grated in the dual clutch transmission. gear ratios enables the transmission to be board. This assembly technology can cope Whereas this pump served as an add-on adapted to meet all requirements arising with a very broad temperature range. solution in previous applications, it has within the NGCC series. Consequently, A particular focus during development been highly integrated into the 7G-DCT, small gasoline engines are equipped with was on minimizing the electrical inter- both structurally and functionally. a gear ratio spread of 7.142, while the faces. As a result, five position sensors, Consequently, this auxiliary oil pump larger gasoline and diesel engines achieve three speed sensors as well as two pres- is available not only for the intelligent optimum power delivery with a gear ratio sure and temperature sensors are fully stop-start function to keep the transmis- spread of 7.990. ➍ shows the table of the integrated into the control unit. The con- sion permanently pressurised indepen- gears and gear ratio spreads. nection to the circuit board is established dently of whether the engine is running. The shift sleeves for shifting gears are using flex foil and aluminium wire bonds. It can also be used to boost the mechani- actuated by innovative shift actuators, The connections for the electric oil pump, cal pump during normal driving. This pro- which are fitted as modules and integrate the nine solenoid valves and the solenoid vides scope to further reduce the size of the hydraulic function. The enclosure fit- actuator of the 7G-DCT are also integrated the vane cell pump, which already exhib- ted to the differential transmission in the control unit in the same way. As a its excellent efficiency for design reasons, reduces churning losses in the transmis- result, there is no need for a complex wir- thereby significantly improving the overall sion and improves efficiency. Reduced oil ing harness. The on-board connection for efficiency of the transmission. foaming also results in improved acous- the 7G-DCT is reduced to a five-pin plug. In addition to the functions outlined tics and excellent shift quality under even Similar to the measures already imple- above – stop/start support and boosting – the highest load scenarios. mented in Mercedes-Benz planetary gear the auxiliary pump has two further func- sets, an electrically driven auxiliary oil tions. If the cooling oil requirement pump, ➏, in vane type was also inte- increases significantly, the cooling flow MECHATRONICS WITH TWELVE SENSORS IN THE CONTROL UNIT

FOR GASOLINE ENGINES FOR DIESEL ENGINES The fully integrated hydraulics control 1 st Gear 15.943 1st Gear 15.943 unit, ➎, for the 7G-DCT is based on a nd nd thick-film substrate acting as a circuit 2 Gear 10.038 2 Gear 10.038 board on which the unpackaged compo- 3 rd Gear 6.927 3 rd Gear 6.359 nents are fixed using a conductive adhe- 4 th Gear 4.915 4 th Gear 4.335 sive. The central element is a 32-bit 5 th Gear 3.606 5 th Gear 3.205 microcontroller with integrated flash 6 th Gear 2.771 6 th Gear 2.501 memory and RAM. In addition to the 7 th Gear 2.232 7 th Gear 1.995 evaluation electronics for the sensors and Reverse gear 12.807 Reverse gear 13.950 output stages for the solenoid control sys- tem, it was also possible to place the GEAR RATIO SPREAD 7.142 GEAR RATIO SPREAD 7.990 noise suppression and actuation for the ❹ Table of the gear ratios and gear ratio spreads for the 7G-DCT autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 47 COVER STORY TRANSMISSIONS

the 7G-DCT will also be offered with all- wheel drive along with higher power and torque outputs. Taking everything into account, the overall concept of the 7G-DCT achieves fuel savings of 9 % in the NEDC com- pared with its predecessor transmission, the Autotronic. As a result, the transmis- sion performs on a par with the manual transmission for all applications within the NGCC.

SG6-310 SIX-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION

The new SG6-310 six-speed manual trans- mission for front-wheel drives was devel- oped jointly with the 7G-DCT. Designed as a three-shaft transmission, ➐, with an overall length of 357 mm, the SG6-310 is ❺ Fully integrated hydraulics control unit of the 7G-DCT extremely compact. The unit’s dry weight is around 46 kg. The drive shaft features a fixed-floating bearing, whereas the two requirement of the clutch is regulated every park-by-wire function needs an output shafts and the differential gear sys- using the auxiliary pump. Since sufficient additional source of power that is not tem use tapered roller bearings. All quantities of oil are already available in dependent on engine speed. By integrat- tapered roller bearings are mounted these areas due to the engine speed, the ing the auxiliary oil pump, this function according to the so-called Set-Right princi- boost function does not need to be used could be implemented without using an ple and consequently do not require indi- for this purpose. The auxiliary oil pump additional actuator. vidual adjustment. therefore fulfils the function otherwise To sum up, despite the wide range of Gears 1, 2, 5 and 6 are shifted on the performed by an additional control valve. functions offered by the 7G-DCT (seven lower output shaft, while gears 3, 4 and The fourth function is closely linked gears, wet dual clutch, park-by-wire), the R are shifted on the upper one. Multiple to another feature of the 7G-DCT, the integration of the auxiliary oil pump use of gear pairs contributes to a com- park-by-wire system. So that the parking means that only eight control solenoid pact and weight-optimised design. Gears lock can be engaged and disengaged valves and one shift valve need to be 4 and 5 feature a shared fixed gear, while even when the engine is not running, installed. A further developed version of the idler gears of gears 1 and R mesh directly with one another, doing away with the need for a reverse gear shaft or reverse idler gear. To meet the exacting requirements regarding ease of shifting, triple cone syn- chromesh systems are used in gears 1 and 2. All other forward gears feature a dual cone synchromesh system, with reverse gear using a single cone system. The four weight-optimised cast aluminium shift forks are guided by means of slide bear- ings on just two shift rods, which also offer benefits in overall weight terms.

OVER-TORQUE FUNCTION AND PLASTIC GEARSHIFT BRACKET

The necessary process of detecting when the transmission is in neutral for the ❻ Vane oil pump of the 7G-DCT stop-start function is implemented by

48 www.autotechreview.com through minor adjustments to pedal force, optimum sensitivity and excep- tional NVH characteristics.

SUMMARY

The newly developed transmission portfo- lio represents an important part of the technological leap achieved by the new B-Class from Mercedes-Benz as the first model to feature the new vehicle architec- ture – NGCC. In the case of the 7G-DCT dual clutch transmission, it was possible to integrate additional technology mod- ules. The company’s first dual clutch transmission combines the use of a wet starting device and the resultant very high level of robustness and comfort when pulling away with a highly efficient elec- tro-hydraulic control unit and, for the first time, added integration of the park-by- wire and intelligent stop-start functions. ❼ Build-up of the SG6-310 manual transmission with six speeds The combination of an electric and mechanically powered oil pump also helps the transmission set new bench- sensing a magnet attached to the shift ratio spreads in the diesel and gasoline marks in terms of efficiency. shaft. Activation of the reversing lamp is versions for the gears 1 to 6 and the Following on from the high standard of also triggered in the same way. The SG6- reverse gear. precision and smoothness achieved by the 310 currently has a torque capacity of 310 The gear lever is mounted in a plastic predecessor of the SG6-310 six-speed man- Nm, which can be increased to 330 Nm gearshift bracket with a mechanical lift ual transmission, development work on for short periods in the over-torque func- lock for the reverse gear and connected the new transmission focused on further tion. As a result, outputs of up to 100 kW to the shift module at the transmission optimisation. This led to yet another can be handled in conjunction with die- end by two Bowden cables for the shift improvement in shift quality coinciding sel engines and up to 115 kW with gaso- and selection movement. Carefully coor- with even lower shift force as well as fur- line engines. dinated decoupling elements on the ther optimisation of friction loss and At market launch, the transmission Bowden cables combine with a specifi- weight. SG6-310 was offered in two series of cally designed locking mechanism for the In total, both transmissions contrib- ratios, which were intensively optimised internal gearshift to enable a shift uted to the achievement of current and during development with regard to fuel sequence that is perceived by the driver future requirements as regards CO2 emis- consumption and ease of shifting as well as extremely fluid and precise. The spe- sions. Moreover, the variable gear set as start-up and acceleration response. ➑ cially designed hydraulic clutch system modules also guarantee the future viabil- shows the table of the gear ratios and gear supports the excellent ease of shifting ity of the concept in other drive variants within the NGCC.

FOR GASOLINE ENGINES FOR DIESEL ENGINES REFERENCES [1] Jungmann, T.: Genf: Mercedes stellt neue 1 st Gear 14.438 1 st Gear 13.182 B-Klasse vor. In: www.ATZonline.de, 15 February 2 nd Gear 8.169 2 nd Gear 7.339 2005 [2] Dorfschmid, J.; Döpper, W.; Jäggle, G.; 3 rd Gear 5.203 3 rd Gear 4.695 Heukelbach, K.: Evolution zum Siebengang- Automatikgetriebe 7G-Tronic Plus. In: ATZ 112 4 th Gear 3.614 4th Gear 3.322 (2010), No. 12, pp. 900 – 907 5 th Gear 2.733 5th Gear 2.429

6 th Gear 2.337 6th Gear 1.976

Reverse gear 12.994 Reverse gear 12.031

GEAR RATIO SPREAD 6.171 GEAR RATIO SPREAD 6.656 Read this article on ❽ Table of the gear ratios and gear ratio spreads for the SG6-310 www.autotechreview.com autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 49 TECHNOLOGY LIGHTWEIGHTING LIGHTER THAN EVER – TRENDS, EVOLUTION OF HYBRID TECHNOLOGY

Front ends, brake pedals, roof frames, pedal brackets, cross car beams – the lightweight potential offered by plastic-metal hybrid technology is manifesting itself globally in every variable form, through numerous series ap- plications in automotive engineering. Hybrid technology now offers even more opportunities to save weight – through the use of nylon composite sheet instead of metal.

➊ The evolution of hybrid technology will significantly help to make the car of the future more lightweight, efficient and climate-friendly (Source: LANXESS AG)

AUTHORS

Hybrid technology combines metal At the same time, functional ele- forming with plastic injection moulding, ments such as guides, fastenings and where the hybrid component is pro- bearing surfaces are moulded on directly duced in one operation. A thermofor- with the plastic. The result is an med or bent sheet profile is inserted into extremely resilient, low-distortion struc- THOMAS MALEK the injection mould and reinforced with tural component that weighs much less is Manager for Structural Components polyamide ribs. Openings, beadings and than a variant produced with metal and Hybrid Technology in the High Per- formance Materials (HPM) business unit over-mouldings ensure a durable posi- alone and, in contrast with cast, SMC or of LANXESS Deutschland GmbH, Lev- tive and non-positive connection GMT components, no longer requires erkusen (Germany) between metal and plastic. further processing.

50 www.autotechreview.com BROADER RANGE OF APPLICATION more intricate and lightweight. According to LANXESS’s calculations, this material The trend toward electric mobility and the will reduce the weight of hybrid series climate debate has given new impetus to front ends by 30 to 40 %. the topic of saving weight in automotive engineering. Hybrid technology is particu- larly in demand. Carmakers are now sys- MAJOR LEAP FORWARD WITH NYLON tematically searching for new possibilities COMPOSITE SHEET of application and focusing in particular on large structural components for vehicle Hybrid technology is about to make a interiors and exteriors, ➋. Hybrid technol- major leap forward thanks to lightweight ogy is also attractive for non-automotive nylon composite sheet. The flat semi-fin- applications. It lends itself, for example, ished products consist of a thermoplastic to the production of foot pedals and brake matrix – such as polyamide 6, for exam- levers in bicycles. ple – reinforced with a fabric made of The demands on new potential appli- such materials as glass or continuous car- cations of hybrid technology have led to bon fibres. With a density of just 1.4-1.8 ➋ The hybrid pedal bracket weighs around 10 % the development of easy-flowing polyam- kg/dm3, nylon composite sheets can be a less than a comparable plastic component and ex- hibits ductile properties in the event of failure ide 6 grades like Durethan® EF (Easy considerably lighter alternative than steel (Source: LANXESS AG) Flow) and Durethan® XF (Xtreme Flow). or aluminium, provided they are used These grades enable up to 50 % longer prudently and properly. Potential applica- flow paths in injection moulding than tions of nylon composite sheet hybrid MORE THAN 50 MN FRONT ENDS the standard Durethan® grades. At pre- technology in automotive engineering are MANUFACTURED USING HYBRID sent, easy-flowing polyamides are being engine mounts, door structures, front TECHNOLOGY considered for a large proportion of the ends and seat cross-members. hybrid projects that LANXESS is working Nylon composite sheet hybrid compos- Hybrid technology’s initial breakthrough on with partners. ites based on polyamide 6 are character- into series production occurred more New highly filled and nonetheless ised by excellent mechanical performance. than 13 years ago with its introduction in easy-flowing polyamide 6 grades such as The three-point bending test on a beam the production of front ends. In the mean Durethan® DP BKV 60 EF H2.0, a grade shows that although these all-plastic com- time, more than 50 mn front ends com- reinforced with 60 % glass fibres, posites do not quite match the stiffness of prising steel sheet and the glass-fibre- increase the service spectrum of hybrid a typical plastic/ metal composite made reinforced polyamide 6 Durethan® BKV technology with their superior property from polyamide 6 and sheet steel, their 30 H2.0 have been developed and manu- level, for instance, increased stiffness. tensile strength and energy absorption is factured using hybrid technology for well This material can enhance the perfor- twice as high. In the torsion test, stiffness over 70 vehicle models. In the course of mance of hybrid parts or make them was around 50 % higher at room temper- development, the weight of the compo- nents compared to a purely steel design has fallen by 10 to 50 %, while costs Possible applications for hybrid technology in have been cut by 10 to 40 %. automotive engineering Working with its development part- ners, LANXESS has significantly Doors, hoods Roof frames and roof expanded the range of uses for hybrid and tailgates rack modules for technology. In addition to brake pedals panoramic roofs and components for car roof frames, hybrid pedal brackets are now also Braking pedals and being made from Durethan® BKV 30 pedal brackets H2.0 using hybrid technology, ➊. The alloy aluminium is also very suitable for hybrid technology. Because Cross car beams it has a lower density than steel sheet, it Seat cross- members, door sills offers further weight-saving potential, and B pillars and this is currently being applied in many front end developments. Gener- ally, the resulting components are Front ends with integrated around 15 % lighter than their hybrid pedestrian protection counterparts in steel. ➌ Recent potential applications for hybrid technology in automotive engineering (Source: LANXESS AG) autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 51 TECHNOLOGY LIGHTWEIGHTING

0,6 the fracture behaviour that is essential for crash simulation. Organoblech-Hybrid 0,5 OUTLOOK 0,4 The innovation and performance poten- 0,3 tial of hybrid technology is far from exhausted. Alongside systems reinforced with continuous glass fibres, LANXESS 0,2 Hybrid mit Stahleinleger thus also favours continuous carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic compos- 0,1 ites, which have unusually high stiff- ness and tensile strength thanks to the 0 carbon fibres. For this reason, the simu- lation expertise gathered with long

Gewichtsbezogenes Drehmoment / Drehmoment [Nm/g] Gewichtsbezogenes 0 102030405060708090 Drehwinkel / [°] glass-fibre-reinforced nylon composite sheet hybrid components is to be trans- ferred to corresponding carbon-fibre- ➍ Hybrid part with nylon composite sheet (346 g) and steel sheet (400 g) in torsional test: A comparison of curves depicting angle of rotation vs torque shows the outstanding mechanical properties of back-injected ny- reinforced polyamide systems. lon composite sheets (Source: LANXESS AG)

Heating > TM ACQUISITION OF GERMANY’S IR emitters Forming (and possibly cutting) BOND-LAMINATES in an injection mold ... LANXESS is strengthening its innova- tive product portfolio of lightweight materials to the automotive industry Removal from the mold by acquiring German company Bond- Laminates GmbH. Although financial details were not disclosed, the trans- action has closed with immediate ... and back-injection effect. Founded in 1997, Bond-Lami- e.g. of a rib structure nates is based in Brilon, North Rhine Westphalia, and specialises in devel- oping and producing custom-made

➎ One-shot manufacturing process for nylon composite sheet hybrid components (Source: LANXESS AG) plastic composite sheets that are rein- forced with materials such as glass fibres. This composite technology is ature and tensile strength around 65 % posite sheet hybrid technology. Recently, sold under the brand TEPEX. Axel C higher, ➌. Energy absorption is also sig- the company succeeded in simulating the Heitmann, Chairman of the Board of nificantly higher. processes involved in shaping nylon Management of LANXESS said, “We To manufacture a corresponding composite sheet, which are completely see tremendous potential for this com- hybrid component, the nylon composite different to and much more complex posite technology as it spreads from sheet is first thermoformed, after which than those for steel sheet. This method the premium automotive segment to strategically placed polyamide reinforce- can be used to calculate the different the wider market.” Alongside automo- ments and ribbing are applied in an local fibre alignments in moulded nylon tive, the sports and electronics indus- injection mould. This form of nylon com- composite sheets. tries represent the other key customer posite sheet hybrid technology is already The company has also developed a markets. In comparison to metal establishing itself in series production. new material model that takes into parts, the plastic composite sheets are Meanwhile, forming and back-injection account the anisotropic material behav- easier to process, have excellent can be performed directly in the injection iour of the nylon composite sheet mate- mechanical properties and weigh up mould ➍. This one-shot process with all rial. The forming simulation is linked to to 40 % less. its handling processes is suitable for the new material model in line with the series production. integrative approach, enabling calcula-

LANXESS is now capable of simulat- tion of all key properties of a nylon com- Read this article on ing all the process steps in nylon com- posite sheet hybrid component such as www.autotechreview.com

52 www.autotechreview.com www.autotechreview.com May 2013 | Volume 2 | Issue 5 NOW, ALSO AVAILABLE ON

It’s on

14 INTERVIEW Lowell C Paddock, President & Managing Director, General Motors India

18 TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT Evolution of Transmission for Electric & Hybrid Vehicles

60 NEW VEHICLE Honda Eco Technology (HET) – Pushing The Efficiency Envelope

AUTOMOTIVE TRANSMISSIONS —

NEW & IMPROVED CONFIGURATIONS POWERED BY EACH

AUTO TECH REVIEW | SPRINGER INDIA PVT. LTD., 7th Floor, Vijaya Building, 17 Barakhamba Road, New Delhi – 110001. Ph: +91 11 45755888 | Fax: +91 11 45755889 Advertising: [email protected] | Editorial: [email protected] | Subscriptions: [email protected] Reach us at: www.autotechreview.com TECHNOLOGY DIESEL ENGINE HONDA’S NEW i-DTEC ENGINE — UNCONVENTIONAL & FUTURISTIC

That Limited (HCIL) has received phenomenal response to the newly-launched compact se- dan, Amaze, isn’t surprising, especially for its diesel offering with the brand new 1.5 l i-DTEC engine. This was to be the company’s first diesel engine in the Indian market, and consumer expectations were sky high. With ` 2,500 cr lined up for investment in a new plant, HCIL would expect the i-DTEC engine not just to drive vol- umes, but help the company earn back some of the marketshare it lost for the want of a diesel engine. We take a detailed look at the new engine, and explain why it could change the company’s fortunes in the coming years.

54 www.autotechreview.com INTRODUCTION minium construction has been used for the cylinder head and Honda Cars India Limited’s (HCIL) deci- open deck block. Using sion to stay away from introducing a advanced computer simula- diesel option in the Indian market posed tion, the block was designed several questions on the consumers’ to be lightweight and com- mind. From the company’s perspective, pact. A new high strength it just had one 2.2 l diesel option in nitride crankshaft is designed Europe, and that made no business to deliver higher strength, sense to be introduced. Moreover, the while lowering weight. In company makes some of the finest small order to make the main jour- petrol motors and were trying to play to nal and pin journal material their strength. thinner, high-strength surface The market scenario, however, treatment with nitride has changed rapidly over the past few years been used. This combination globally, instigating a mass adoption of reduces losses due to mechan- diesel across markets. In India, the ical friction. demand for diesel vehicles in particular The piston skirt has been tion. We were told that apart from was driven by the significant difference redesigned to be shorter and narrower reducing mechanical friction a key in retail price of diesel vis-à-vis petrol, and the smaller surface area makes the measure to lower NVH was the removal and also higher fuel efficiency that die- engine lighter. It also helps further of a balancer shaft. The balancer shaft sels offered. reduce mechanical friction losses. While is normally used in cast-iron engines to Distancing itself from diesel resulted optimising the piston shape, the connect- overcome the effects of sound and in a declining marketshare over the years ing rods too were lightened. Owing to vibration arising from added weight and as petrol prices rapidly went up. Honda the combined weight reduction achieved more moving parts. found a similar situation in many Euro- by the measures listed above, Honda pean markets too and quickly sought to claims a better acceleration in addition to develop a diesel engine platform. The higher fuel-efficiency. The overall reduc- CONCLUSION result was a 1.6 l i-DTEC engine, which tion in mechanical friction is to such an was also one of the first technologies extent that Honda claims the diesel unit At a time when consumer sentiment isn’t from the Earth Dreams portfolio to be to be at par with petrol engines of similar particularly good and fiscal measures are commercially launched. For India, Honda displacement on this parameter. falling short of putting the automotive has lowered the displacement to 1.5 l by The common rail injection system industry on a growth track, Honda shortening the stroke in order to take can deliver an injection pressure of up couldn’t have had a better entrant than advantage of the excise duty benefits. to 1,600 bar. Coupled with solenoid the i-DTEC. That the technology has been The engine has first been launched in injectors and finely controlled injection integrated cleverly into a compact vehicle Amaze, a sub-four metre sedan based on timing, the combustion process is more with competitive pricing, further improves the Brio hatchback. efficient than the earlier 2.2 l i-DTEC its commercial prospects. The next obvi- At the Amaze launch, we interacted unit. The cooling system too has been ous step for the company would be to add with Ryuji Matsukado, Chief Engineer, modified to offer better cooling despite more diesel models to its line-up. Department 2, Technology Development a smaller size. Owing to a specially Although Honda hasn’t officially com- Division 2, Honda R&D Co Ltd, Automo- designed circulation route, water mented on the matter, Matsukado told us bile R&D Center, who gave us an insight requirement has been reduced signifi- that the i-DTEC engine platform is flexible into all the changes made to suit the cantly and hence the water pump too and scalable. This will provide the com- engine to Indian conditions, and an over- has been made smaller. This directly pany with the option of deriving multiple view of the overall i-DTEC technology. translates into higher fuel-efficiency. versions for use in different vehicles. With In order to complement the raft of that happening, Honda could very well be engineering touches, Honda also devel- on track to not just regain its lost market- i-DTEC oped new ultra low viscosity engine oil. share but gain new ground. The specially developed oil is claimed to The 1.5 l i-DTEC engine develops a peak enhance fuel-efficiency and improve power of 98.5 hp and offers a class- engine reliability. Keeping in mind the TEXT: Arpit Mahendra leading claimed fuel economy of 25.8 dust content in various regions of the PHOTO: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay km/l. Key benefits of the engine are world, the design of the oil seal of the compactness, lightness, reduced crankshaft has been changed. mechanical friction and lower engine While aluminium offers a weight cooling system losses. benefit, it does pose some challenges in Read this article on Unlike other diesel engines, an all alu- terms of sound insulation and absorp- www.autotechreview.com autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 55 SHOPFLOOR NGK SPARK PLUGS INDIA GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY CUSTOMISED TO INDIAN NEEDS

The automotive industry today finds its largest challenge and opportunity in the form of its pursuit of efficien- cy. Towards this, the combustion process is one of the first areas to undergo improvement. At such a time when legislations too are inclined towards lower emissions, suppliers in the powertrain domain have a promis- ing future. NGK Spark Plugs India is one such company and is planning a massive expansion in the years to come. Through our visit to the plant, we got exclusive information on the production strategy and the new product plans.

56 www.autotechreview.com INTRODUCTION

It’s been about six years since NGK Spark Plugs India started production at its plant in Bawal, Haryana and since then growth has been achieved in an accelerated man- ner. The company is presently the third- largest spark plug maker in India, span- ning business across OEMs, OE spare parts as well as the aftermarket. It plans to achieve a three-fold growth in the next decade or so. That, officials said, would be driven by the multiple expansion and product strategies they have in place. In the Indian OEM segment, NGK’s present marketshare is estimated at Keiichi Okumura, MD, NGK Spark Plugs India close to 50 %, while in the aftermarket sector it’s pegged at about 12 %. Within the product portfolio, sensors and spark localisation, Okumura said. The metal plugs account for equal business for the shell could be the first part to undergo company. local sourcing, but that would be decided by volumes. Production presently takes place in two PRODUCTION & GROWTH shifts on two assembly lines, comprising of a manual and semi-automatic one. The plant in Bawal is spread across an Major machines at the plant include a gap area of 5,520 sq m and presently produces forming machine and crimping machine spark plugs only. The production process and are complemented by a final inspec- at the plant is mainly an assembly opera- tion line. The production process is all tion with an annual capacity of about 18 about precision, and witnessing the pro- mn units, while peak hourly production is cess firsthand gives a feeling similar to rated at 4,000. Parts such as insulator and that of being in a watch factory. We were metal cells are received from NGK’s oper- told that the final inspection line is unique ations in Japan and Thailand, and assem- in the way that every spark plug produced bled into the final product at the plant. at the plant goes through a visual inspec- Presently, the plant only produces nickel tion to ensure no defective pieces make spark plugs, while the iridium and plati- their way off the line. The process is car- num spark plugs are imported from ried out by people who are trained to spot Japan. The company’s product portfolio any visual anomalies in the final product. also comprises of oxygen sensors, knock Within the production process a few sensors, glow plugs and plug cap, all of steps are critical for realising the optimum which are presently imported. final quality. These include the insulator Talking of the lack of localisation, Kei- assembly, which in case of any quality or ichi Okumura, Managing Director, NGK manufacturing defect can allow the volt- Spark Plugs India, said that the volumes age to pass from the sides and reduce the in India presently do not justify local pro- efficiency of the spark. The next critical duction for most of its products. In addi- process is that of bending, which forms tion, the global strategy for NGK is to the gap between the ground and centre have one plant being responsible for sup- electrode. Any unwanted difference could plying knocked down parts to other disrupt the ideal combustion process. assembly plants in a region. In the case of The facility has full testing capabilities Asia-Pacific, the plant in Thailand plays in-house, consisting of a sparking tester, that role. air tightness tester and impact tester. The This strategy ensures the required pro- production machines are imported from duction volumes for a given plant, and NGK Japan, where they’re manufactured. managing quality too is easier. The pro- All of them play an important role in cali- duction expansion planned through the brating products to meet Indian require- next 10 years too can be managed without ments. The sparking tester ensures the autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 57 SHOPFLOOR NGK SPARK PLUGS INDIA

facturer to prevent the generation of defective parts. There is a strong focus within the com- pany to automate the production process and the new line too will be a semi-auto- matic one. As a result, despite the addi- tion of the new line, the increase in employment will only be in the range of 5-10 %.

NEW PRODUCT

Longer & slimmer metal Since there are no design and develop- shell results in more ment operations in India, all of the prod- area for combustion uct development is carried out in Japan. inside the chamber As Indian emission norms presently lag those found in Europe and Japan, it’s more cost-effective to bring a technology from Japan rather than re-develop it here. One of the recent new technologies NGK has launched is the high ignitability ➊ Design difference between a conventional and the new high ignitability spark plug from NGK spark plug, which is presently being sup- plied to Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India achievement of an accurate sparking pro- facility will be in the range of ` 20 cr. The (HMSI). This product has been developed cess. The impact tester is a key to achiev- company is also considering the assembly specifically for markets such as India and ing the right calibration for India. It cre- of some more parts, which are presently Indonesia as the requirements here are ates an artificial environment of move- imported. Any decision to that effect is quite different from that in developed ment experienced by the engine due to yet to be taken. markets. The rapid pace at which the variations on road surface. This is key to In order to meet all required produc- Indian two-wheeler market has grown performance of a spark plug under vari- tion standards of the country and its own and the potential it offers has been a key ous conditions through its life. global benchmarks, NGK’s plant follows a factor in the development of such a Helping the case of growth is the low-waste and proper treatment policy. region-specific product. expandable area at the plant, which is The company sells all of its waste mate- ➊ The difference between a conven- estimated at more than 80 % of the total rial to authorised vendors, who in turn tional spark plug and the new one is the area. By the end of 2014, a new assembly ensure proper treatment and recycling of design. A longer and slimmer metal shell line will be installed within the facility, the materials. The company recently allows for the spark to take place much thereby adding six million to the produc- received the ISO/TS 16949 certification, deeper in the combustion chamber, tion capacity. Further, a new factory will which is required by some larger OEMs thereby improving the combustion pro- be set up within the premises in the near for their suppliers. This certificate in sim- cess. The slimmer design increases the future. The total investment in this new ple words reflects the ability of a manu- combustion area within the cylinder,

Presently, only nickel spark plugs are produced at the Bawal plant R&D activities are carried out completely in Japan

58 www.autotechreview.com 100 % of the production is visually checked for defects Final products ready to be shipped to customers

allowing for more efficient burning of the sion of such technologies. Over time, this growth and the present environment and air-fuel mixture. will change, as legislations force OEMs to customer trends are expected to further We were told that the cost increment reduce tail-pipe emissions. That is when help it. With companies and governments for the new spark plug is significantly NGK expects a significant growth in the chasing efficiency more than ever, NGK’s high, when compared with a conven- two-wheeler sensors business. product portfolio seems to be well-packed tional one. Given the higher cost, we Similarly, precious metal spark plugs for a take-off. As the Indian norms and expect this technology to be adopted too are expected to contribute signifi- automotive industry get closer to western gradually by more companies, more so cantly to the business as emission norms standards, vehicles will have to use a driven by legislation. This could be one tighten. The advantage these spark plugs combination of precious metal spark reason why this spark plug is presently offer is a significantly higher life. This plugs, oxygen sensors and knock sensors. being imported. There are plans, how- happens because the precious metal, due Adding further to the prospects is the ever, to localise the assembly of this to its properties, is able to prevent elec- fact that the company is not just looking product as the demand increases. trode erosion, which affects the life nega- at bringing technology from other regions Another example of design-led tively, if present. The higher cost of these to India. As the new high ignitability improvement is the ‘V Groove’ spark products holds back companies from spark plug reflects, the lack of product plug, which has been around for some adopting it as the price sensitivity is development in India doesn’t translate time now. The ‘V’ shaped groove in the extremely high in India. With tightening into lack of India-specific products. The centre electrode helps produce a straighter norms though, it’ll be a different story as company continuously reviews the market spark towards the ground electrode. This adoption of new combustion technologies and customer demands and will develop considerably optimises the combustion will become imperative. specific products as and when they make process and improves efficiency. business sense. NGK is presently supplying oxygen At this time one could wonder about sensors to some Indian customers but the OUTLOOK the long-term global prospects of NGK volumes aren’t much as the present emis- due to their products being aimed at inter- sion norms do not necessitate the inclu- NGK has laid a strong foundation for nal combustion engines. Okumura told us that while a shift is still a long time away, NGK Japan has already developed solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) – a high-efficiency hydrogen fuel-cell and is also a testimony of the fact that NGK is making every pos- sible effort to be future-proof.

TEXT : Arpit Mahendra PHOTO: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay

Read this article on Present occupation of land at the site is just 17 %, leaving ample space for expansion www.autotechreview.com autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 59 NEW VEHICLE HMSI HET HONDA ECO TECHNOLOGY (HET) — PUSHING THE EFFICIENCY ENVELOPE

For the first time, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI)’s new Honda Eco Technology (HET) has addressed one of the key shortcomings of scooters – fuel efficiency. The need for increased efficiency is more than ever due to the rapidly increasing fuel prices. HET is aimed at reinforcing the company’s leadership in the Indian scooter market. We put all three HET-equipped HMSI scooters – the Dio, Activa and Aviator – through an exten- sive test to find out the real world worthiness of HET.

60 www.autotechreview.com the recent past. The company is making Crankshaft is usually placed in the lower every effort to differentiate its products centre of the engine and offsetting its from those sold by its competitors, includ- angle reduces the friction from the side ing its erstwhile partner Hero, which walls of the cylinder. The considerable shares the same engines. Honda Eco Tech- reduction in friction directly translates nology (HET) is one such development into lower loss of power. and has first been launched in the compa- Lowering the friction further are low- ny’s range of scooters. tension piston rings and an improved oil- Originally a scooter-dominated market, bearing seal. Usage of lighter components the advent of 100 cc fuel-efficient motor- and optimisation of existing parts has cycles had pushed them to near oblivion resulted in a weight reduction of 8.8 % in the Indian market. HMSI though, was from the earlier unit. The effects of these largely responsible to revive the scooter changes are evident on the road as the market in the country, primarily through engine feels smoother than the earlier the success of its Activa model. Consum- unit. Although the company doesn’t claim ers appreciated the smooth running and any change in performance, the lighter high efficiency of the scooters. Different powertrain could help the zippy nature of body styles ensured that the scooters the scooters slightly. found favour with consumers from vari- The second area to have undergone a ous age brackets. change under HET was the combustion The recently inaugurated technical process. This has primarily been achieved centre at the company’s Manesar plant is through changing the air intake pipe’s playing a critical role in the company’s design. The earlier design had a cavity pursuit of market leadership. HET is one inside the pipe for placing a clamp to join such contribution, which sets the bench- the part to the chassis. Now the cavity mark for the industry through products has been moved to the exterior of the pipe that are already top sellers. Scooters have and has significantly improved the air traditionally trailed motorcycles in terms flow due to a smoother surface. A new of fuel consumption. With the introduc- inclusion is the high ignitability nickel tion of HET though, this gap has been spark plugs, which are claimed to bridged significantly as the claimed fuel improve the combustion process and offer efficiency is 60 km/l. How well this tech- better reliability than conventional spark nology works and the kind of difference plugs. The overall improvement in com- HET makes to the character of these bustion plays an important role in lower- scooters is what we find out. ing fuel consumption, owing to lesser wastage of unburnt fuel. The final piece in the puzzle is the POWERTRAIN transmission, which has been optimised to not just offer higher efficiency but main- Honda’s range of scooters comprises of tain the same power level. Adjustments Activa, Dio and the top of the line Aviator, have been carried out in the pulley con all of which share a 110 cc four stroke ratios, wherein the limit for the smaller engine. The engine develops 8 hp and and larger pulley has been increased by torque of 8.74 Nm @ 5,500 rpm and is 0.8 %. This allows for the increased effi- mated to a continuously variable trans- ciency without sacrificing power. mission (CVT). Refinement levels are of top order and the scooter is a breeze to ride in congested traffic. In order to make the engines more efficient without making any major structural changes Honda engi- neers fine tuned multiple areas, the com- bination of which is known as HET. INTRODUCTION HET primarily aims at reducing the friction in the engine and features light- Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India weight components, which enables an 11 (HMSI), the Japanese automaker’s 100 % % increase in fuel efficiency over the two-wheeler subsidiary in India, has fol- older variants. In order to lower friction, lowed an aggressive product strategy in Honda engineers included an offset crank. HET enables a claim of 60 km/l for the scooters autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 61 NEW VEHICLE HMSI HET

The engine cooling efficiency too has technology after the trio of the scooters. has a strong presence on the been improved by increasing the gap The trend clearly indicates that HMSI road. The chrome surrounding panels on between the engine fins. The air routing plans to take on its main competitor by the front panel breaks the monotony of has been changed to channel more air to offering higher fuel efficiency despite sim- plastic and helps exude an upmarket feel. the spark plug, which lowers its tempera- ilar product prices. Going forward, we The Aviator is also available with an op- ture considerably from the earlier engine. expect more HET equipped models to be tional , which gives the scooter Again due to the offset crankshaft and a launched; reflecting the important role it a dynamic look along with adding the ob- revised engine structure, more air reaches will play in the short term to boost sales. vious safety benefits. the cylinder head and spark plug, result- ing in better combustion. Activa: The design language of the Acti- The result of HET’s inclusion was evi- DESIGN va is subtle and finds good favour among dent during our test cycle, wherein we buyers from all demographics. The front recorded an average fuel efficiency of 53.4 The only visual change in the HET and rear feature a mix of gentle curves km/l in a mixed cycle. Since our test equipped scooters is a small badge that and the plastic panels match the lines scooters were new, we expect a slight reads the presence of the new technol- well too. The Activa comes across as a improvement in these figures once the ogy. Despite having largely the same simple and practical scooter and the run-in period is completed. underpinnings the three scooters look mass acceptance of its design ensures its The changes to the powertrain are completely different from each other top spot among the three scooters, when small yet effective and are a direct result from every angle. talking about sales. The instrument panel of the technical centre’s work. HMSI has of the Activa is in line with the rest of recently launched the 110 cc Dream Neo Aviator: The Aviator has been positioned the body design and is clutter free and motorcycle, which will directly compete as the most premium scooter in HMSI’s easy to read. with the likes of Hero Splendor. This is portfolio and certainly looks the part. The the first motorcycle to feature the HET scooter with its larger wheels and longer Dio: Dio’s design language clearly re- flects the aim of appealing to the young consumers. The availability of some bright colours along with the sharply edged panels all around, lends it a sporty appeal. Of the three scooters, only the Dio features a headlamp on the front body panel instead of the han- dle. Functionally, this placement doesn’t make any difference but it does offer the scooter with a styling similar to that of a larger capacity scooter. The dual colour combination further adds to the sporty feel. The instrument panel carries for- ward the sporty design and has a cheq- uered background along with a sharper design overall.

Aviator is the most expensive of the three scooters and looks the part, helped by the dual-coloured front panels RIDE & HANDLING

It’s almost impossible to find a fault with the way the three Honda scooters behave on the road. Navigating through traffic is easy and handling is predictable, making it easy to use the scooters for longer durations. The seat too is supportive and comfortable and finding the right riding position is easy. Nonetheless, the Aviator’s handling is a bit different from the other two scoot- ers, owing to the larger wheels and a longer wheelbase. One can instantly feel the better handling of Aviator as it offers

Activa is the best selling scooter presently, partly due to its simple design Dio with its rakish angles and bright colours is aimed at younger buyers more stability at high speeds and

62 www.autotechreview.com All three scooters with their distinct styling broaden the brand's appeal to a wider customer base

Instrument consoles on the scooters follow the design language of the body. Plastic quality though could have been better through corners. In our opinion, the Avi- doing extremely well in the market owing cessful in reviving the once dying seg- ator is presently one of the best handling to the numerous features mentioned ment of scooters in the country. HET’s scooters in its segment in the country. above. Each scooter, despite the same introduction will further strengthen the A highlight in the dynamic package is engine, is capable of offering a different company’s leadership spot as fuel prices the combi-brake system (CBS), which ownership experience. The introduction of continue to rise. The technology also applies the front and rear brakes simulta- HET technology has further upped the reflects that at times simple yet thought- neously on using the left lever alone. The appeal of these vehicles. All three scooters ful engineering touches can offer a sig- mechanical system has been specially now set the benchmark in terms of fuel nificant improvement. This not only designed for small scooters and the efficiency, safety features and ride quality. offers benefits to the consumers but also brakes work through an equaliser. The The ex-showroom Delhi prices of the keeps the development cost in check, system also reduces nosedive signifi- scooters are mentioned in ➊. thereby increasing competitiveness in cantly, which makes it easier to control an extremely price sensitive segment. the scooter during hard braking. The company claims a lower stopping dis- OUTLOOK MODELS Price (in Rs) tance with this technology’s inclusion, which was evident during our test. HMSI’s success story is driven by focus ACTIVA 47,204

Another small yet useful inclusion is a on local technology development and DIO 44,718 small lever on the left brake lever, which competitive pricing. In the past, the acts as a handbrake. This comes in company has introduced technology AVIATOR STD 48,229 handy when stationary on inclines as firsts through some of its products and AVIATOR DLX 53,547 one can use the lever to engage the HET is another such important develop- brakes and pressing the lever further dis- ment. HET to our understanding is just ➊ EEx-showroomx-showroom pprices,rices, DDelhielhi engages the brake. one of the multiple technologies, which All three scooters offer the ideal ride will be developed specifically for the and handling combination for their tar- Indian market. geted consumers. Good weight distribu- With plans to launch newer models TEXT : Arpit Mahendra tion all around, including the sides, cou- through this year and beyond, one can PHOTO: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay pled with adequately sized tyres and a expect a significant increase in volumes neutral chassis make the three scooters for HMSI. The strong focus on R&D and one of the most convenient and easy local sourcing will go a long way in vehicles to ride in their segment. developing a wide product portfolio across various segments. Given the fact that the plan is to proactively improve, ROUND-UP HMSI could achieve its target well

before the planned timeline of 2020. Read this article on HMSI’s Activa, Dio and Aviator have been The company has already been suc- www.autotechreview.com autotechreview May 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 5 63 DECODING TECHNOLOGY

WINDSHIELD WIPERS – INNOVATION THROUGH SIMPLICITY

One of the most ordinary looking com- fuel economy. The sensor equipped ponent in a vehicle, yet critical to safety motors and their movement is synchro- is the windshield wiper system. Irrespec- nised by the ECU and the blade can be tive of weather conditions, wipers play programmed for parallel or opposed pat- an important role in delivering a clear tern sweep. view of the road ahead or behind to the The system also offers manufacturing driver. Traditionally, much change hasn’t benefits for OEMs as the distance taken place in the architecture or func- between the wiper blade and A-pillar can tioning of wipers. That, however, is be customised on the production line undergoing a significant change as com- itself. This also enables the blades to panies try to find added efficiency in travel closer to the A-pillars without resulting in wastage. AquaBlade is every possible measurable area. touching them, resulting in an increase claimed to reduce fluid consumption by in covered area. Owing to a smaller size, about 50 %, making it possible to the system can be installed under the reduce the size of the fluid container NEW APPROACH hood, leading to better safety for pedes- and reduce the space underneath the trians too, in the event of an impact. hood. In addition, unlike conventional Traditional wipers have usually had a From a functionality perspective, the wiper systems, fellow motorists and in- single or dual motors attached to linkage system has been designed to withstand cabin passengers are no longer sprayed arms connecting the two blades. This the forces of nature and act as per the by the fluid during motion or in case of arrangement takes up a lot of space situation. Software’s inclusion means the the sunroof being open. under the hood due to the presence of system can easily be adapted for various The precise spray is made possible by linkage arms extending from one end of vehicles. Equipped with an energy and a sensor, which provides a controller the engine bay to the other. Wider the thermal management device, the motors with the wiper’s exact position. The con- vehicle more is the area occupied and remains safe from overload without troller is then able to calculate the quan- the weight of these linkages. affecting the wiper’s functioning. A soft- tity of fluid required at a given time. The Bosch has now developed a new sys- ware based blockage recognition system fluid is sent to a tube embedded in the tem design, which involves two separate detects the build-up of objects such as wiper arm with perforated openings via motors, one on each end of the engine snow and sweeps only the amount of an electric motor. The spray outlets are bay. The mechanical linkages are area required. In similar conditions, con- only at the upper side of the blade and replaced by an electronic control unit ventional wiper systems can stop func- fluid is sprayed only when the wiper (ECU), leading to a space saving of more tioning, leading to a safety hazard. blade is following the sprayed fluid. than 75 % over the conventional design. Another different yet innovative The system is also lighter by more than approach to wiper design is the AquaB- one kg, translating into direct benefits for lade by Valeo. The system is designed to CONCLUSION spray the washer fluid evenly along In search of efficiency, automakers aren’t the length of the missing out any chance to find added wiper blade. The space within the engine bay, while largest benefit of reducing weight. Wiper systems are one the system is such area where some companies have improved visibil- been able to find additional space and ity as the fluid is weight reduction. Although the space wiped immedi- gained may be small, it can be used for ately after being improving the A/C, brake boosters, air- sprayed. bag modules or a head-up display. Put- Conventional ting the importance of any of these sys- systems spray the tems into perspective makes it clear how fluid onto certain important it is for us to find efficiencies spots on the in every small component/ system such windshield, as the wipers.

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