CLEPA TECHNOLOGY DAY
27 JUNE 2007
Part 3
The eighteen exhibitors at the Technology Day offered a lot more than can be described here. If your interest is aroused, their website can often give more detail. Internet is a very rich source of information but you must define the area of interest. We contribute the excitement.
Continental
Most people will associate the German Continental Corporation with tyres. The division’s passenger car tyres and commercial vehicle tyres together had slightly more sales than the Automotive Systems division on its own – 6,161 against 5,994 billion euros in 2006. Part of this division’s growth is down to the integration of Motorola’s automotive electronics business in 2006. This strengthened the division’s global presence as well as its position as technology leader in many areas of vehicle engineering, and extended the product portfolio accordingly. In the beginning of July, GM announced a follow-up order for Continental Automotive Systems for the development of better batteries, Li-ion batteries in particular. These are essential for the success of GM’s E-flex chassis, used in the 4-door Chevrolet Volt study of a plug-in light hybrid motor car.
Continental was founded in 1906 which means it celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. The Automotive Systems division employs over 30,000 people on 60 locations in 18 countries. It develops and produces electronic and hydraulic brake, stability and chassis control systems, engine management systems, transmission controllers, sensors, driver assistance systems, telematics, vehicle body electronics and security systems as well as hybrid drives and cooling fans.
How prominent Continental figures in its chosen field is testified by their 2006 daily production:- Electronic Brake Systems 64,000; wheel speed sensors 290,000, brake callipers 165,000, brake hoses 166,000, boosters 62,000, body & security modules 84,000 and telematics control modules 13,600.
Continental’s ATE brand offers a comprehensive, original equipment quality product program for the independent aftermarket. Their range includes maintenance parts like disc brake components, ABS sensors, parts for drum brakes and tools and test equipment.
Exhibits on their stand included Telematics eCall demonstration; Active-Passive-Integration Approach of active and passive safety systems; hybrid drives and ESC Electronic Stability Control. In all of these fields Continental proposes advanced developments, too many to mention here. Dr. Peter Rieth, VP Technology and Advanced Engineering in Frankfurt will be able to tell you all about it. His e-mail address is peter.rieth@contiautomotive.com.
Delphi
Delphi was made independent from General Motors in 1999 and has therefore a solid background in automotive technology. Delphi is a leading global supplier of mobile electronics and transportation systems, including powertrain, safety, steering, thermal, and controls & security systems, electrical/electronic architecture, and in-car entertainment technologies. Engineered to meet and exceed the rigorous standards of the automotive industry, Delphi technology is also found in computing, communication, consumer electronics, energy and medical applications. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Delphi has approximately 171,000 employees and operates 159 wholly owned manufacturing sites in 36 countries with sales of $26,4 billion in 2006.
Their stand on the Technology Day gave a good impression of the various capabilities. Rather funny was a small transparent car model which showed Delphi products, which was able to be driven by one man sitting on it. Also transparent models of engines explained Delphi’s know-how in engine management.
The line-up of exhibits included road safet, Hybrid, Reduced Refrigerant Emissions: Improved Mobile Air Conditioning – IMAC; Fuel Economy through augmented heat 7 cool seats; External Electro-compressor control; Bio diesel; Diesel common Rail Direct Acting; SCR System (Selective Catalyst Reduction); Direct Injection Gasoline; Ethanol Sensor; Solid Oxyd Fuel Cell and Fuel Reformer.
Delphi also meets an important aspect of today’s automotive design: the architecture of electrical and electronic leads and connections with the increasing number of devices for comfort, safety and technical efficiency. Delphi is one of the few suppliers to fill all E/E needs, from complex architecture development to quality components, including electrical/electronic distribution systems, connecting systems and intelligent electrical centers. Their aim is to distribute the load, minimise the size and bus the signals. Over the last 20 years, the amount of wiring and cable in vehicles has more than doubled, but the packaging has not. In fact, says Delphi, in most cases, it’s been reduced. With their products they are able to accomplish what seemed impossible not long ago.
One aspect of modern cars has not been dealt with in this report about the CLEPA Technology Day: RELIABILITY, or rather the lack of it. A major part of today’s breakdowns is due to these electrical and electronic connections, processors and sensors. So, the Delphi attention to this aspect of automotive design is very important. One reason of the popularity of tinkering on old cars (sorry, classic cars) is that breakdowns are easy to understand and cured without monthly mechanics training courses.
More information on website www.delphi.com
Emitec
Emitec Gesellschaft für Emissionstechnologie mbH was founded in 1986 with three employees. Today the company is a world leader on the metal substrate market for vehicle exhaust gas catalysts. Since its foundation Emitec has sold over 83 million metal substrates of the highest quality with no field failures.
The company employs around 800 people in Lohmar and Eisenach in Germany, at the Fountain Inn plant in South Carolina, USA, and at a new plant in Pune, India. Development centres are based in Lohmar and Eisenach.
The exhibits on their stand comprised exhaustr emission control system devices, such as high-performance metal catalyst substrates and Diesel Particulate Matter filter for new vehicles and retrofit solutions.
Website www.emitec.com
Faurecia
Faurecia is among the top ten automotive equipment suppliers worldwideand is a specialist in the development and production of six different modules: seats, cockpit (dashboard, instrument panel), door, exhaust systems, front end and acoustic package.
The company was formed in 1997 and sold 11.6 billion euros worth with 60,000 employees in 28 countries.
Faurecia is a typical supplier which renders a motor manufacturer more an assembler than a manufacturer. A lot of important development work is left to this kind of supplier. Their exhibits at the Technology Day gave a good impression of which standards their modules have to meet. In seats safety and comfort are often the reason why cars are sold or rejected. Also weak seat designs are revealed in the Euro NCAP crash tests. The cockpit is also demanding in safety requirements, including the airbags. A new door development was shown combining light weight with natural materials. A supplier like Faurecia has an important role in using recyclable materials as Motor manufacturers have to meet ever more stringent rules in that respect. The exhaust systems must contain the emissions control which is subject to continuous development. A relatively new requirement is pedestrian safety in accidents, carefully monitored and awarded with stars in the Euro NCAP test. Faurecia designs front ends which achieve the highest possible rating in that respect. As in acoustic packages recyclable materials are important. Good sound insulation give cars a high-quality atmosphere but they can increase the vehicle weight which reflects on higher running cost, which goes to prove that acoustics need a professional design approach.
Further information available on their website www.faurecia.com
Gates
The Gates Corporation, headquartered in Denver (USA), is a leading manufacturer of hi-tech systems and components for industrial, hydraulic, agricultural and automotive applications, not only to original equipment manufacturers but also to the aftermarket. Founded in 1911 and employing 13,000 people worldwide, sectors of activity are belt drive systems, both automotive and industrial, including tensioners and pulleys, hydraulic systems and cooling system products. Gates is part of the Industrial and Automotive Group of Tomkins plc with headquarters in London. Tomkins is a publicly traded company (NYSE) with 37,000 employees worldwide.
Part of the Tomkins Group is Schrader Electronics, also at the Gates stand, and exhibiting two interesting solutions which deserve wider application. Their Tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) prevents damage by incorrect tyre pressure and helps therefore to prevent hazardous events, to reduce CO2 emissions by reducing fuel consumption by up to 4%, and to decrease tyres over-consumption by improper tyre pressure.
Another Schrader exhibit was their Fluid Level Sensing Technology, to be used on AdBlue tanks. This solid state device is mounted externally and is able to detect urea quality. Response time <0.5 seconds, level accuracy 2 mm and temperature accuracy 1°C. An important provision for AdBlue equipped diesel cars, like those from Mercedes.
Gates exhibits included the Gates EMD starter-generator system for stop/start use; Gates E3 Drive 2 speed ABDS for fuel economy and reduced CO2 emission; Gates CabRunner eliminating engine idling fro trucks and Gates hydraulic hybrid technology for improved operating efficiency.
More information on website www.gates.com
Honeywell
Honeywell is big. Honeywell International has $33 billion sales with diversified technology with aerospace products and services, control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers, and specialty materials.
Honeywell is one of the promoters of achieving lower fuel consumption and related CO2 emission by downsizing the engine without loss of power using turbocharging.
So why turbocharging? Honeywell explains:-
While the principle of turbocherging is very simple, the application of the technology is increasingly challenging and complex from an engineering perspective.
The basic concept of a trubocharger is to recycle wasted energy from exhaust gas, thus transforming more of the fuel energy consumed into power.
A turbocharger is effectively an air pump that uses engine exhaust gases to deliver better engine efficiency and performance. These gases drive a turbine wheel (the hot side of the turbo), which is coupled to a compressor (the cold side of the turbo).
When rotating, these elements provide a larger amount of air at increased pressure into the engine’s combustion chamber. The compressed air is very hot as a result of both compressor and friction, so a charge-air cooler is used to reduce the temperature – increasing the density and allowing more air into the chamber.
Thanks to this increased air density, a larger amount of fuel can be used while maintaining the same air-fuel ratio, which results in more power from smaller engines with lower levels of exhaust emissions. Technology increasingly makes it possible for boosting performance to be controlled electronically.
The turbo is also fundamental in emissions control, notably NOx. Turbocharging coupled with high pressure fuel injection and advanced combustion solutions makes combustion more thorough, more efficient and therefore cleaner.
Redefining technical complexity. Honeywell goes on:- Today’s turbos operate in extremely harsh and complex environments, in temperatures up to 850°C in diesel engines and more than 1000°C in gasoline engines, rotating at up to 4,000 revolutions per second, coping with extreme mechanical stresses, while responding instantly and precisely, often through the ECU, to engine speeds and loads to deliver optimum performance.
Many of these technological advances have their roots in Honeywell’s aerospace heritage – and indeed this cross-fertilisation of ideas continues today to optimise the automotive advantage in areas such as aerodynamics, high temperature materials and thermal analysis.
Honeywell gave a well documented forecast of increased use of turbodiesels and turbocharged gasoline (petrol) engines.
At the Honeywell stand interesting information was issued about the UOP/ENI EcofiningTM biofuel process technology. Key inputs are feedstock: vegetable oils such as soy, canola, palm or anumal fats; hydrogen; and utilities: steam, power, N2, heating sources such as fuel oil or fuel gas. Key outputs: Green diesel, yield of 88 to 99%; light ends, comprising rimarily of propane.
The information would justify a separate article. One interesting fact is that green diesel with this process is cost competitive with petroleum diesel when the cost of crude petroleum is at or above $70 per barrel, a level which has been reached today. Rapidly growing consumption of oil in China and India makes the world oil consumption larger than new oil finds. So we are depleting mineral oil stock faster than recent forecasts.
Exhibits on the Honeywell stand were:- turbochargers and sensing systems; turbochargers for diesel and gasoline applications; sensing technologies based on Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology enabling wireless measurement of critical parameters for fuel efficiency and vehicle performance such as tyre pressure, engine torque or temperature.
More information on website www.honeywell.com
Light.Sight.Safety
This CLEPA initiative has already been dealt with in part 1 of this report.
LUK, INA, FAG
These three companies form the Schaeffler Group. LuK was founded in 1965, INA in 1946 and FAG in 1883.
When Dr. Georg and Wilhelm Schaeffler founded LuK in 1965, their goal was to supply diaphragm spring clutches to the successor of the iconic VW Beetle. Today, one out of every four cars in the world has an LuK clutch. Twenty years later, LuK launched the first dual-mass flywheel. This was followed by the introduction of components for CVTs that could handle more than 300 Nm of torque, as well as “Easytronic”- the world’s first electromagnetically-automated manual gearbox. On 1997, Luk began engineering and manufacturing torque converters in the US, Germany followed in 2004. LuK’s current R&D efforts, in addition to the continued development of conventional transmission systems, have a particular focus on alternative drivetrain concepts, such as components for dual-clutch transmissions and hybrid drivetrains.
The INA brand stands for products from the needle roller bearing to the fully variable Valvetrain. It all began when Dr. Georg Schaeffler developed the cage-guided needle roller bearing in 1949. Compared with conventional bearings, this new type of bearing was significantly lighter, more reliable, more compact and could be used at higher speeds – advantages that had a profound impact on the automotive industry, particularly in the design of transmissions. By 1951 the cage-guided needle roller bearing wa being produced in large volumes. Two years later, it was standard equipment on the VW Beetle. In 1959 INA began developing and manufacturing engine components. Today, variable valvetrain technology helps increase fuel economy and reduce emissions.
FAG’s success story began with a ground-breaking idea: In 1883, Friedrich Fischer invented the ball grinding machine. This device made it possible – for the first time in history – to produce large numbers of absolutely round steel balls by grinding. With this invention, Fischer provided the foundation for the entire rolling bearing industry. FAG has been part of the Schaeffler Group since 2001, and is represented in all three divisions – Automotive, Industrial and Aerospace.
FAG’s core competencies not only include bearings for transmissions, clutches, MacPherson struts and spring seats, but also – in particular – wheel bearings. In this area, FAG focuses on the integration of mechanical and electronic components, such as sensors in wheel bearings that measure wheel force and braking power.
The Schaeffler Group employs approximately 63,000 people on 180 locations in more than 50 countries. The exhibits comprised a cylinder head with 4-valve technology, double clutch, dry in bell hosing and tandem ball bearings.
Website: www.schaeffler-group.com
(to be continued)
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