Tte 0913

In this issue:
Mercedes-Benz unveils its all-new

9G-Tronic automatic unit with the
promise of not only high-quality
shifting but also great fuel efficiency
Radical plans from GM Europe to
revamp its line-up, starting with
a 6-speed manual, smooth AMT
and upmarket 8-speed development
The materials that R&D engineers
are working on today for
tomorrows lightweight gearboxes
How suppliers are helping OEMs to
meet stringent emissions legislation
with advanced transmission designs
AN ENGINE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION
SEPTEMBER 2013
www.enginetechnologyinternational.com
PLUS
Are transmissions for electric vehicles
destined to forever be simplistic
single- and 2-speed designs?
Cloud nine
ZF creates the worlds first 9-speed automatic transmission
for passenger cars. Exclusive tech details inside!
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Visit us at EMO 2013 exhibition.
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Zrich / Switzerland
+41 44 832 22 11
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Reishauer Corporation
Elgin IL / USA
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EM
O
Hannover

09/16 to 09/21/13
Hall 26
Booth A21
TransmissionTechnologyInternational_EN_210x297+3.indd 1 25.07.2013 07:49:45
18
02: TORQUE TALK
TTi reveals early details of the 9G-Tronic unit,
Mercedes-Benzs high-tech automatic with torque
converter, which promises high-quality shifting
and great fuel effciency for executive sedans
10: GREEN INVESTMENT
As part of a US$5bn new-technology program,
GM Europe will get itself a new family of
transmissions, starting with a 6-speed manual,
refned AMT and upmarket 8-speed automatic
12: EUROPEAN RIVAL
In an attempt to keep up with BMW, Mercedes-Benz
and Audi in its home market, Cadillac turned to Aisin
for help when creating an 8-speed transmission
14: BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
An innovative hybridized AMT promises to overcome
the shift speed and quality problems of conventional
AMTs, while offering the key performance, cost
and emissions advantages of hybrid DCTs
18: EMISSIONS MISSION
With further emissions legislation around the corner,
the transmission is fast becoming the easiest and most
cost-effective R&D area in which to realize effciency
gains, but have some car makers overlooked this fact?
24: MATERIAL MATTERS
With the emergence of alternatives to aluminum and
steel, which materials are R&D engineers working on
today for tomorrows lightweight gearboxes?
36: SIMPLE MEASURES
Are transmissions for next-generation electric
vehicles destined to be forever rudimentary single-
and 2-speed designs?
72: LAST WORD
Resident columnist Matt Davis gets on his soapbox to
discuss the problems with todays EV transmissions
12
CASE STUDIES
30: Inneum
32: Allison Transmission
34: SKF
42: Reishauer
46: EMAG Automation
48: Afton Chemical
50: BorgWarner
52: Tremec
54: Smart Manufacturing
Technology
56: Hgans
58: Lubrizol
60: Ultimate Transmissions
62: AVL
64: Linamar Corporation
66: Fives
68: Varibox
69: Sonceboz
70: Buzuluk
CONTENTS 01
September 2013 | Transmission Technology International
COVER STORY
04: NUMBERS GAME
The development story behind ZFs 9HP innovation the worlds frst 9-speed
automatic transmission for passenger cars
24
The industrys rst 9-speed automatic with a torque converter
promises not only high-quality shifting but also great fuel
efciency for the business eet end of the passenger car market
nEngineers at Daimler have created the
rst 9-speed passenger car transmission with
a torque converter. Called the 9G-Tronic,
the innovative gearbox debuts in the
Mercedes-Benz E 350 BlueTec model, which
goes on sale shortly after the Frankfurt
Motor Show later this month.
The German car maker says its new
high-tech transmission helps the latest E-Class
offering to become one of the most fuel-
efcient six-cylinder diesel models in its
sector, with fuel consumption for the sedan
reduced to 5.3 liters/100km, while CO2 output
is an impressive 138g/km. Much of this
greenness comes from the transmissions broad
ratio spread of 9.15 for gears one to nine,
enabling an overall reduction in engine speed.
In the real world, this means the E 350
BlueTec can drive at 120km/h in ninth gear
with an engine speed of just 1,350rpm. With
the V6 diesel operating at lower revs more
of the time, the 9G-Tronic is also partly
responsible for improving the comfort
and NVH levels of the new E-Class, to the
point that external noise is cut by 4 dB(A).
02 WHATS NEW? DAIMLER 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC
Transmission Technology International | September 2013
The 9G-Tronic makes the Mercedes-Benz E 350 BlueTec one of the most efcient six-cylinder diesel models in its class
Executive decision
Tech spec: gear ratios
Final-drive ratio: 2.24
First gear: 5.50
Second gear: 3.33
Third gear: 2.32
Fourth gear: 1.66
Fifth gear: 1.21
Sixth gear: 1.00
Seventh gear: 0.87
Eighth gear: 0.72
Ninth gear: 0.60
Reverse: -4.93
Left: The new 9-speed
automatic from
Mercedes-Benz is
oozing with high-end
technologies including a
highly efcient vane cell
pump; a patented nine-
stage gear set concept
with four planetary
gear sets and six shift
elements; optimized
torque converter with
double turbine torsional
damper and centrifugal
pendulum; and a fully
integrated mechatronic
module with control unit
and electrohydraulic
valve body arrangement
Development targets
A particular focal point during the 9G-Tronic
development program was ensuring ease of
shifting, and M-B engineers chose a raft of
measures to realize that aim, including a novel
direct control system that enables ultra-short
gear changes to be made. Whats more, the
combination of a double torsional damper
and centrifugal pendulum technology in the
torque converter further improves the general
comfort and feel of the transmission,
particularly when climbing through the gears.
The engineering team was also asked
to make sure that the 9G-Tronic sported
a compact and lightweight construction,
a task made more challenging due to the
addition of two gears and the capability to
transfer up to 1,000Nm of torque. Having
undertaken detailed design studies, the teams
efforts resulted in a package that requires the
same installation space as the 9G-Tronics
predecessor unit while also being lighter.
A two-piece housing design has also been
retained for the 9-speed automatic, with the
torque converter housing made from
aluminum, while the transmission housing
with a weight-optimized plastic oil pan
becoming even lighter through the use
of magnesium alloy.
Another goal of the project was the need
to implement nine gears with a minimal
number of planetary gear sets and shift
elements. Intensive computer-based system
analysis and mock-up studies were undertaken
in an effort to realize an arrangement with
four simple planetary gear sets and six shift
elements. Three speed sensors monitor
operation and provide the transmission
control unit with corresponding data for
effective shifting, making it possible for
several gears to be jumped at once when
accelerating or decelerating.
The new 9G-Tronic unit benets from
a design that incorporates two pumps,
ensuring the reliable and highly efcient
supply of durable and shear-resistant second-
generation synthetic engine oil. The smaller
mechanical main pump, featuring an off-axis
design, is sited next to the main shaft and is
chain driven and fed by a separate electric
auxiliary pump. This arrangement allows for
the ow of lubrication and coolant to be
controlled actively on demand. It also means
that the 9G-Tronic can benet from stop/start
functionality. Daimler says that thanks to
the worlds rst direct control system in
a planetary automatic transmission, it is also
possible to substantially increase hydraulic
efciency within the transmission.
The 9G-Tronic unit has been designed to
be suitable for rear-wheel and all-wheel drives
as well as hybrid and plug-in hybrid setups.
Following its application to the E-Class range,
M-B says the 9-speed automatic will be
widely used across nearly all model series
and engines. TTi
Editor Dean Slavnich
Assistant Editor John Thornton
Production editor Alex Bradley
Chief sub editor: Andrew Pickering
Deputy chief sub editor Nick Shepherd
Proofreaders Frank Millard, Kari Wilkin,
Lynn Wright
Art director Craig Marshall
Art editor Ben White
Design contributors Louise Adams,
Andy Bass, Anna Davie, Andrew Locke
James Sutcliffe, Nicola Turner, Julie Welby

Contributors Farah Alkhalisi, Nargess
Banks, Philip Borge, Josh Bentall, John
Challen, Brian Cowan, Matt Davis, Rachel
Evans, Adam Gavine, Dan Gilkes, Max
Glaskin, Burkhard Goeschel, James
Gordon, Graham Heeps, John Kendall,
Andrew Lee, Mike Magda, Jim McCraw,
Max Mueller, Bruce Newton, John OBrien,
Greg Offer, Keith Read, Rex Roy, John
Simister, Michael Taylor, Adam Towler,
Karl Vadaszffy, and Saul Wordsworth
Head of production & logistics
Ian Donovan
Deputy production manager
Lewis Hopkins
Production team Carole Doran,
Cassie Inns, Robyn Skalsky
Sales director Mike Robinson
Publication director Aboobaker Tayub
Publication manager Paul Adam
Circulation manager Suzie Matthews
CEO Tony Robinson
Managing director Graham Johnson
Editorial director Anthony James
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Technology International magazine at:
In this issue:
Mercedes-Benz unveils its all-new 9G-Tronic automatic unit with the promise of not only high-quality shifting but also great fuel efficiency
Radical plans from GM Europe to revamp its line-up, starting with a 6-speed manual, smooth AMT and upmarket 8-speed development
The materials that R&D engineers are working on today for
How suppliers are helping OEMs to meet stringent emissions legislation with advanced transmission designs
SEPTEMBER 2013
PLUS
Are transmissions for electric vehicles destined to forever be simplistic single- and 2-speed designs?
C
lo
u
d
n
in
e ZF creates the worlds first 9-speed automatic transmission
04 WHATS NEW? 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The ZF 9HPs compact packaging was achieved
by using a new hydraulic vane-type pump, two
patented dog clutches and a nested gearset
Creating the worlds rst 9-speed automatic transmission
for passenger cars with front-transverse engines was
easier said than done, but the rewards are well worth it
nIn an effort to meet new market demand
as well as beat the competition, engineers at
ZF have developed the worlds rst 9-speed
automatic transmission for passenger cars
with front-transverse engines.
Code-named 9HP, the new gearbox, of
which there will be two derivatives the
9HP48 and the smaller 9HP28 is packed
with innovation and high-end technologies
that allow for impressive efciency gains to be
realized over rival designs. Jaguar Land Rover
will be the rst OEM to benet from it later
this year when it debuts in the Range Rover
Evoque, followed by a Land Rover model and
potentially, additional Jaguar applications.
Chrysler and one other car maker have also
signed up for the 9HP, although it is expected
that these two OEMs will only start receiving
units well after the 9-speed Evoque has hit
the market.
According to Michael Ebenhoch, director of
powertrain technology at ZF, the pressure to
come up with a solution that would surpass
established rival transmissions for front-
transverse applications was the greatest
challenge his team had faced. We knew that
if we created just another front-transverse
transmission, we wouldnt have a chance
to get into the market, especially as our
competitors mainly Aisin have a 6-speed
already on offer, so if we came up with
another 6-speed, OEMs really wouldnt have
a reason to change suppliers. We had to
come up with something very new and
something very special.

Clever efciency measures
A lightweight and compact design 9HP48
weighs only 86kg, a smart modular kit
principle, high speed, high comfort gearshifts
and a high gear spread with close gear
stepping are just some of the aces that the
9HP has to offer, with the latter helping the
new transmission to cut fuel consumption and
CO2 emissions by as much as 10% compared
with a 6-speed automatic. We feel this is
quite a signicant achievement, says
Ebenhoch proudly. Whats more, during
constant driving at around 120km/h, our 9HP
realized a 16% fuel reduction compared with
a 6-speed automatic, and this is based on
accurate simulations as well as two prototypes
that we built during the program, where we
measured the original vehicle with a 6-speed
AT and then exchanged that transmission for
our own 9HP and that was the only
modication we made to the test vehicle.
Realizing a lightweight design was of great
importance for ZF and the end result is
something that Ebenhoch is particularly
satised with: At this capacity 480Nm
theres just no other lightweight transmission
like the 9HP48.
The tricky stuff is the gearsets, so we have
the 9-speed ratio combined with only four
gearsets, and within the four gearsets we have
not only the conventional discs and brakes,
but also lightweight dog clutches. On the
other hand, we have also optimized the
hydraulic system to the point that when you
compare it with our 8HP hydraulic system,
theres around 40% less weight in our new
transmission. Keeping it lightweight, small
and slim was very important for us.
The four gearsets and six shifting elements
of the 9HP were crucial to ZFs engineering
team realizing a high number of speeds for the
transmission as a whole, but packaging all
Cloud nine
Words: Dean Slavnich
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The automotive transmission market is becoming more
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As the global leader in the automatic transmission
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hardware.
these subsystems within one product proved
particularly challenging, especially as space
under the hood of front-transverse engine
passenger cars is always limited. For that
reason, ZF designers have nestled the gearsets
within the longitudinal axis of the 9HP, rather
than allocating them one behind the other.
Supplementing this intelligent arrangement
further are hydraulically operated constant-
mesh elements that can be integrated without
having a major impact on the length of the
transmission. The result is a 9-speed automatic
thats not only efcient in terms of fuel
consumption and emissions output, but also
a product that essentially ts the same design
space as a 6-speed offering.
High performance and great comfort
A torque converter is used as the standard
starting element in the new ZF transmission,
with a multilevel torsion damping system
minimizing hydraulic losses by quickly closing
the torque converter at low speeds. The
systems direct connection to the engine
further reduces fuel consumption, while
enhancing comfort and driving dynamics.
These two latter points are particularly
important to ZF, as enhanced fuel economy
and reduced emissions were not the only
development goals to the 9HP project.
Comfort and performance were nearly as
important as CO2 reduction, conrms
Ebenhoch. Looking at the comfort aspect, we
have one major advantage in that from a ratio
of around 10, we can realize low engine revs at
high vehicle speeds. If you look at north-south
installations, the big advantage theyve had is
that they can ride on the autobahn at 120km/h
on low rpms. Todays east-west installations
have, until now, worked with higher revs of
the engine at these high vehicle speeds.
However, thats where the 9HP is a game
changer, says Ebenhoch: Our functional
We knew that if we created
just another front-transverse
transmission, we wouldnt have
a chance to get into the market
Michael Ebenhoch, director of powertrain technology, ZF
The ZF 9HP was demonstrated by Land Rover at the 2013
Geneva Motor Show. Its 0-100km/h times are reduced
by two seconds compared with 6-speed automatics
prototypes which are two Mini vehicles
are able to ride the autobahn at 120km/h with
an engine rev range of 2,000rpm, which is
really amazing because other transmissions
usually operate around the 3,000rpm mark.
The end result is that the 9HP realizes a major
comfort factor.
Then, on the other hand, we have the
actual 9-speed arrangement. It was never the
target to reach 9-speed because nine is greater
than eight. As a project, we were really
targeting the high overall ratio and then we
created the good gearsets and that gave us
the advantage of having quite small stepping
between each gear. That has enabled us to
have very smooth shifts, to the point that
I would say it is excellent!
To further enhance the vehicles driving
dynamics, ZF engineers have designed all
control components to help realize shorter
shift times that are below the threshold of
human perception. Direct multiple gearshifts
are also possible with the 9HP transmission,
allowing the automatic unit to tap into
sporty characteristics.
Seven years in the making
The roots of the 9HP program can be traced
all the way back to 2006, when ZF rst made
a decision to re-enter the front-transverse
installation segment meaning the entire
project spanned, an unusually long, seven
years. A typical development program for
us takes around four years, outlines
Ebenhoch, but the additional two
to three years for the 9HP were
down to studies and analysis.
Ebenhoch says the entire
project with JLR came
around purely because of
market needs, from both
the supplier and the
OEM. We have a long
history with JLR in
the past theyve used our 6HP
and 8HP transmissions in their
transverse drivelines, he explains. But they
didnt have a product for their east-west
installation, which previously has been
covered by another supplier [Aisin].
As a company, up until now we have
mainly focused on developing passenger
car automatic transmissions for transverse
installations on the driveline. But if you
look at the market share today, most vehicles
have an east-west installation.
The gradual shift to front-transverse
applications meant that ZF undertook detailed
market analysis around six years ago to predict
future trends and concluded that signicant
growth will occur, not with transverse
installation vehicles, but with east-west
installations. Shortly after, says the ZF
powertrain director, a strategic decision was
made to go back into the front-transverse
arena with new products. This started with the
9HP, enhancing the companys presence in this
sector, which previously came in the form of
a 4HP step transmission in the mid-1990s and
CVT designs that were discontinued at the
start of the new millennium. Ebenhochs team
then came up with proposals, technology
feasibility studies and prototypes, and around
four years ago JLR came on board. JLR said
to us that the product was perfect for the
Evoque, and it was at that point that we
started to work with them.
Modular design
The 9HP will be manufactured at a new ZF
facility in Gray Court, South Carolina, USA.
The aim is for the plant to roll out 400,000
units annually, but to meet the requirements of
varying customers for the transmission, it was
important to build in a exible and modular
design. As such, not only can the two 9HP
derivatives cover a wide torque range of
between 200Nm and 480Nm, it is also
possible for the torque converter to be
replaced by different damping systems, plus
an all-wheel drive system can be integrated,
different shift mechanisms can be realized if an
OEM wants the parking brake to be shifted by
a lever, and an e-shift can be added so that all
functions are undertaken by a wire. We
wanted to keep the soul of the transmission
common but then be very exible with
other subsystems to cater for OEM market
demands, adds Ebenhoch.
In addition, the gearbox features stop/start
technology as standard without an additional
oil pump and has been designed with
hybridization in mind, so it would be possible
to replace the torque converter with an electric
motor. However, Ebenhoch says that is
a decision for the future: It is not a major
target for us right now, but it is something
that we will think about as we move forward.
It is quite a complex target because we do not
have any additional length for the hybrid
subsystems, so that will make things really
challenging for us. TTi
Despite the extra three gear ratios, the 9HP is
only 6mm longer and weighs 7.5kg less than the
outgoing 6-speed automatic that Land Rover uses
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GM Europe is planning a radical overhaul of its transmissions
line-up, starting with an all-new 6-speed manual unit,
a smooth AMT and an upmarket 8-speed automatic offering
nGeneral Motors Europe is aiming to
radically enhance its product portfolio over
the next 10 years under a huge US$5bn
investment program signed off by the
mothership in Detroit earlier this year. A
key part of these engineering upgrades will
be a new range of manual and automatic
transmissions designed to offer greater driving
enjoyment and increased efciency.
Under the plan, by 2016 GM Europe aims
to have introduced brand-new versions of
80% of its engine range and 20% of its
transmissions. In the longer term, the division
will also halve the number of engine platforms
from 20 to 10 by 2022.
The development of exible engines and
transmissions will be vital to realize these
goals hence the announcements of not only
the core 5- and 6-speed manual products, but
also the development of new AMTs for smaller
vehicles and the adoption of an 8-speed
automatic for upmarket Opel/Vauxhall
models. This strategy, says Arnold Paluch,
general director for transmission engineering,
will allow the car maker to improve business
margins, cut costs and enable technologies to
be shared globally across GM brands.
We are listening to our customers and
putting them rst, he adds. Our next-
generation manual gearboxes now give
class-leading shift quality across our product
range, and soon we will offer our small-car
customers an all-new 6-speed product as well
as an automated manual transmission.
According to Paluch, there will be further
technology changes to boost the efciency
10 WHATS NEW? GM EUROPE TRANSMISSIONS
technical specialist for manual transmission
system performance. A number of targets were
established early in the program, including
low shift effort; no vibration in the gear lever
or clutch pedal; smoother reverse gear
selection; cold-start shift performance; and
improved fuel consumption.
After completing one million validation
miles with the new gearboxes, Opel engineers
were able to shave 15% off the weight of the
upcoming 6-speed manual compared with
current similar manual products, reducing
total mass to just 37kg. This lightweighting
technique was achieved through a number of
packaging and material solutions. According
to Kruettgen, manual transmissions are
responsible for 7-12% of overall parasitic
losses, with 55% of these losses associated
with bearing performance in the rst gear
cycle. The engineering team therefore replaced
the conventional bearing components with
taper rolling bearings, which offer much better
performance, reducing losses by around 2.5%.
and performance of the companys current
6-speed automatic, while larger-vehicle models
will benet from the new 8-speed automatic.
He continues, All these transmissions are
being developed in parallel with the introduction
of new gasoline and diesel engines, so our
customers will benet from powertrains that
are totally integrated for optimal performance
and efciency. As a result, GM Europe expects
to cut its current eet-wide CO2 emissions
output by 27% by 2020 a reduction of more
than one million metric tons.
Better shifting manuals
The new 6-speed manual will be introduced in
small and sub-compact vehicles, with engines
that offer up to 235Nm of torque. There will
be a choice of 12 sets of gear ratios and seven
nal drives.
Shiftability on our manuals hasnt been the
best, so a new program was set up to look at
where there could be improvements, explains
Rolf Kruettgen, Opel/Vauxhalls global
Family ties
Above and top left: The new AMT benets from a raft
of high-end design measures to improve efciency,
shiftability and performance, including new control
modes between the powertrain and gearbox control
units, power launch mode and stop/start capability
Left: Improved shifting was a key development target of
the MT6 medium torque 6-speed manual transmission
for a clutch pedal, an all-hydraulic setup will
replace the two electric motors for gear
selection. The company says new control
modes between the engine and gearbox
control units will improve performance, which
is boosted further by other new features that
will be available in both automatic and manual
modes. These include a power launch mode
for optimized take-offs, stop/start functionality
and vehicle creep movement.
At the other end of the spectrum for
GM Europe will be an 8-speed automatic that
the car maker hopes will increase the
sophistication of its transmission line-up.
Debuting in the Insignia, the automatic will
Elsewhere, GM Europe has also developed
a low-viscosity transmission oil as part of a
three-year program. Existing oils were
discounted because some of the additives in
them were deemed harmful to some of the
materials in the transmission, including plastic
and carbon ber subsystems.
Another oil development was the installation
of reservoirs on the transmission the nal
drive gear pumps oil into this reservoir, and
the oil is then transported to areas that
specically need it. This setup means less oil is
wasted and, as a result, oil capacity has been
reduced from 1.9 liters to 1.6 liters, saving
more weight from the overall transmission.
Advanced AMT
As well as the new 6-speed manual, GM
Europes customers will also benet from new
transmissions options, with an advanced AMT
that, like its manual cousin, offers improved
shift feel. Alongside the electrohydraulic
clutch actuator, which eliminates the need
have a maximum power rating of 400Nm for
diesel engines and 500Nm for gasoline units.
Fuel consumption will be 3.6% lower than in
the current 6-speed automatic offering, and
there will be a wider gear ratio spread, at 7.8.
However, the 8-speed auto will be preceded
by the next-generation 6-speed automatic,
which is intended to become commonplace in
GM Europes compact and midsize vehicles.
The company says this development will offer
active steering wheel controls while in drive,
and enhanced engine braking without manual
downshifting. A choice of eco, sport or manual
driving modes will also be available.
In a world where transmission gear ratios
seem to be rising all the time, it is easy to
forget that there is still a need for ve- and
6-speed boxes. If the units that GM Europe is
promising are as good as they claim, there
could be comparable efciency benets, with
fewer gears and a lighter powertrain package,
ultimately improving fuel economy and
further driving down emissions. TTi
11 WHATS NEW? GM EUROPE TRANSMISSIONS
With stringent emissions targets looming, General
Motors has turned to Aisin for help in creating a new
transmission product for its upmarket Cadillac brand
nAs 8- and 9-speed transmissions for
front- and rear-drive luxury cars spring up all
over the industry and having none of these
advanced gearbox designs within its own
product portfolio General Motors and its
luxury car division, Cadillac, have partnered
with Japanese transmission giant Aisin to
produce an all-new 8-speed automatic.
The new transmission, which will compete
against similar products currently available
from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, as well
as suppliers such as ZF and Getrag, will rst
be installed in the all-new CTS rear-drive
sedan and then go into the rst update of the
smaller ATS rear-drive sedan, due in a couple
of years time. Although no one from GM has
yet said so, there are also likely to be pickup
truck and SUV applications on the horizon for
this 8-speed offering, with the transmission
promising to give good acceleration for heavy
vehicles while improving long-haul highway
fuel consumption.
All-new design
Kavoos Kaveh, GMs global chief engineer for
6- and 8-speed transmission developments,
says that the Aisin CTS design is indeed
all-new, and not a current 6-speed case stuffed
with eight reduced-width gears.
According to Kaveh, the ratios have been
juggled to produce a much wider spread
from rst to eighth 6.71 versus 6.04 in
the current GM 6-speed automatic. The
nal drive ratio has been reduced from
3.27:1 to 2.85:1, yielding plenty of torque
multiplication in rst gear as well as an
12 WHATS NEW? GM AISIN 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC
The TL-80SN planetary automatic features
various upgraded internal components and
added clutch plates to cope with the GM
V6s large torque output. The 8-speed unit
will debut in the Cadillac ATS shown below
the shifts are programmed to be up to 100ms
quicker than in tour, which is the normal,
everyday setting. In track mode, the throttle
progression is modied to be quicker for
weekend track sessions. Finally, in winter
mode, starts are made in second gear with
the standard 3.6-liter V6, and in rst gear
with an altered, slowed-down throttle
progression with the turbocharged engine.
During development, hundreds of
simulations were performed to perfectly
match the torque converter to the engines
torque curve, says the GM chief engineer.
In contrast to some other modern practices
within the powertrain and transmissions
sectors, the engine has its own control module
and the transmission has a separate module,
with the two connected by a high-speed
databus to coordinate shift-energy
management and various other parameters.
The new GM 8-speed automatic for
rear-drive applications will be built for
General Motors by Aisin in Okazaki, Japan,
and delivered to various US and other
assembly plants as its applications widen
over the next few years. TTi
11% reduction in engine speed in eighth
gear overdrive, or about a 200rpm drop at
112km/h in the real world, which results in a
fuel economy improvement of about 1.5% all
by itself compared with the existing 6-speed
in the CTS.
The rst engine to which this automatic
unit will be matched is a new 425ps twin-
turbo V6 Cadillac heart. As a result, the
transmission has been designed to be able to
handle 425ps at 5,750rpm, and 580Nm of
torque at 3,500rpm both of which are
power limits that far exceed what the 6-speed
unit could ever have handled.
Kaveh says that all the key bearings in the
transmission have been upgraded for
increased load, and all the gears in the
geartrain have been specially heat treated for
long-term durability. Furthermore, the clutch
packs have been enhanced and given more
plates to handle the shift impacts.
The transmissions external hardware
includes shift paddles on the steering wheel
for full manual shifting up to engine redline,
and its software includes four shifting modes:
tour, sport, track and winter. In sport mode,
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Less Fuel Better Handling
An innovative hybridized automated manual promises to
overcome the shift speed and quality problems of AMTs, while
offering key performance, cost and emissions advantages
nA team of engineers at Xtrac has created
an all-new hybridized automated manual
transmission (H-AMT) that will ensure
future luxury supercars meet strict European
emissions legislation due in 2020.
Known internally as the 1010, the H-AMT
was developed over the past 12 months and
will ultimately help supercar makers to create
high-performance but eco-friendly products
that emit less than 95g/km of CO2.
Clive Woolmer, manager for automotive
engineering at Xtrac, says the transmission
shares the same compact dimensions, high
torque carrying capability and innovative
transverse gear cluster orientation as the
companys 1007 gearbox, which is tted to the
Pagani Huayra mid-engined supercar. But for
the 1010, Woolmer says the designs distinctive
transverse conguration lends itself well to
hybridization and offers a compelling
solution to the supercar sectors preference for
retaining high power, multicylinder engines,
while meeting 2020 emission targets. As
such, the H-AMT has the capacity to handle
engine torque between 800Nm and 1,000Nm
depending on vehicle weight and the application.
Benchmarked against AMT offerings from
Oerlikon Graziano and developed as an
alternative to heavier and more complex DCTs
the 1010 has a lower total parts count and
wet weight of 168kg, some 20% lighter than
14 WHATS NEW? HYBRID AMT
With a wet weight of 168kg, the
1010 transmission from Xtrac,
which has taken 12 months to
develop, is around 20% lighter
than current hybrid DCT designs
Gearshift times
In a further effort to minimize gearshift times,
the 1010s gear arrangement allows overlapping
shifts to occur, with gear ratio pairs arranged
non-sequentially on the shafts. The number of
additional gearsets for the hybrid connection
has also been minimized by exploring
opportunities for multiple use of existing gears.
A key feature of the Xtrac transmissions
transverse arrangement is the location of the
differential, which is close to the rear face of
the engine block, keeping the overall package
length to just 700mm and meaning that the
gearboxs center of mass is as far forward as
possible. The result is a design that offers
room rearward of the transmission to package
exhaust systems and the rear diffuser.
During development of the 1010, the
Xtrac team chose a bespoke Magneti Marelli
electrohydraulic actuation system,
transmission control unit, electric motor and
inverter, and system software, all of which has
been designed to offer numerous modes of
operation, including a pure EV efciency
mode, whereby the electric motor can drive
the vehicle with minimal gear meshes.
Other modes include a power boost for
overtaking effectively by deploying the electric
motor-generator and battery as an F1-style
kinetic-energy recovery system. There is also
a range extender mode for EV charging on the
move and plug-in capability for EV charging
while stationary. Finally, theres a high-
performance EV mode that enables the electric
motor to drive through all gear ratios with a
decoupled engine. TTi
current hybrid DCTs. Of that total mass,
120kg is down to the gearbox and single
clutch, while 48kg comes from the motor and
hybrid subsystems. According to Chris
Cholmeley, the 1010s principal engineer, the
lightweight design was realized by focusing
on optimized packaging.
This transmission also offers increased
functionality over other single electric motor
hybrid systems and the modular design satises
a number of sportscar driveline architectures
including front engine longitudinal powertrain
layouts, adds the Xtrac engineer. For
increased efciency levels, the 7-speed
gearbox offers multiple modes of IC engine
and electric motor-generator operation, and
an overall ratio spread of almost 6:1, which is
higher than many other transmission products
in this sector.
Such a ratio also provides a nice balance
between the amount of tractive torque on offer
from the electric motor and the speed range
thats available before EV mode is disengaged
at higher vehicle speeds. Woolmer says that
the size of the motor and the resulting gearing
between the motor and the road wheels delivers
a maximum torque inll during gearshifts of
up to 60% of the traction limit for a typical
supercar, thus realizing a key improvement to
an AMTs particular weakness in shift comfort
during urban driving.
Supercar savior
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great things can happen.
You bring ideas, challenges and opportunities.
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All rights reserved. 130004
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!
As car and truck OEMs strive to reduce emissions and improve fuel
consumption, the transmission is becoming an ever more critical R&D focal
point. But just what high-tech advances are in store for the next decade?
Words: Keith Read
18 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Its not just passenger car developments that are
reliant on new and innovative transmission designs.
In the truck world, DAF continues to focus on the
transmission to help create more efcient products.
The truck maker is working closely with ZF to bring to
market an optimized transmission for its latest LF and
CF models. Pictured here is the MX-13 Euro 6 driveline
Green shift
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 19
nIts widely accepted that new transmission
technology offers vehicle makers the biggest
bang for their buck in the bid to improve
fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions.
And if thats not impressive enough, these
advanced, all-new gearbox designs also have
the potential to overcome some of the OEMs
headaches being brought about by engine
downsizing and reduced cylinder counts.
Ernie DeVincent, platform director at
Getrag, is one such industry-leading expert
who agrees with these statements, adding
that the transmission sector has had an
extraordinary 10 years, but the future holds
even more exciting potential.
For the rst time in automotive history, the
transmission became the focal point for global
auto makers wanting to improve fuel
consumption and reduce CO2. The reason is
that transmissions now provide the highest
fuel-economy value to an auto maker if you
compare cost against benet, he explains.
That value equation is very, very strong now
because the competing technologies various
engine developments and weight reduction
are so expensive.
The Getrag chief says car makers and
engine developers the world over have been
working hard on reducing fuel consumption
for well over 50 years, and as such, all the
easy and straightforward technological inroads
have already been made. They continue to do
great work on the engine side, although its
getting more and more expensive, he adds.
UNCOMPROMISING
EFFICIENCY
The perfect automated transmission
Downspeed the entire powertrain reducing fuel consumption
without compromising performance.
From gear to gear without interruption
Gear shift under load, even in the lower gears for engine
concepts with narrow speed bandwidth. Increased performance
and driveability while simultaneously saving fuel. Ideal for
long-haul applications and anywhere where low gear ratios
are regularly used.
Your engineering partner for innovative commercial driveline
solutions.
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RZ_Anz_TTi-IAA_180x132mm.indd 1 02.08.13 14:28
Another important and inevitable effect of
those engine downsizing trends is increased
engine torsional disturbances. Generally, this
will be a driver for a whole new segment of
transmission technology development in the
area of NVH. As an industry, well have to
come up with new and creative solutions for
damping and isolation of the higher level of
engine torsional disturbances that are going to
come in the system. Four cylinders are
dominant, but soon were going to see more
three-cylinder engines and these lower
cylinder counts will increase the shaking
forces of the engine. It really is basic
physics: the shaking forces that come out of
the engine and into the transmission are going
up by a very large amount. The job of the
transmission will be to isolate those increased
disturbances and prevent them from being
passed through the driveline so that the
occupants of the vehicle dont feel them.
Another transmission Tier 1
stepping up hybrid and electric
developments is Oerlikon.
Shown here is the OG-Eco,
a hybrid transmission with
torque inll that delivers
better vehicle performance
and improved emissions
DETROIT TWO SIGN TRANSMISSION PACT
In whats being heralded as a landmark JV for transmissions, Ford and General Motors have signed an
agreement to jointly develop an all-new generation of advanced-technology nine- and 10-speed automatic
transmissions for cars, crossovers, SUVs and trucks. The new transmissions, to be built in both
front- and rear-wheel-drive variants, will improve vehicle performance and increase fuel
economy while cutting CO2 emissions substantially.
Engineering teams from GM and Ford have already started initial design work
on these new transmissions, says Jim Lanzon, GM vice president of global
transmission engineering. We expect these new transmissions to raise the
standard of technology, performance and quality for our customers, while helping
drive fuel economy improvements into both companies future product portfolios.
The new agreement marks the third time in the last decade that GM and Ford
have collaborated on transmissions. These collaborative efforts have enabled
both companies to deliver more than eight million six-speed front-wheel-drive
transmissions to customers around the globe. And as before, each company will
manufacture its own transmissions in its own plants with many common components.
The goal is to keep hardware identical in the Ford and GM transmissions to maximize parts
commonality and give both companies economy of scale, explains Craig Renneker, Fords chief engineer
for transmission and driveline component and pre-program engineering. However, we will each use our
own control software to ensure that each transmission is carefully matched to the individual brand-specic
vehicle DNA for each company.
Smaller, lighter, far more efcient todays new generation
of torque converter products, says Schaefer, have
been specically optimized for exemplary efciency
Revolution or evolution?
During the next decade, DeVincent predicts
there will be three key areas of transmission
technology activity: First, well continue
to see an emphasis on the continued
optimization of transmission technologies
related to mechanical efciency and engine
scheduling. These are the two primary areas
in which transmissions contribute to fuel
consumption on an overall basis.
Second, expect to see big developments in
smart solutions for the hybridization and
electrication of the transmission [see page
36]. The future mix of hybrid and electried
powertrains will rise, given the aggressive new
fuel economy regulations being adopted
around the world. It will be important that
manufacturers of transmissions offer hybrid
and electric versions of their technology, and
these products will not only be very
synergistic with the base model, but theyll
also be a highly efcient package. That gives
both economies of scale and the best chance of
getting a compact solution to market, although
the latter is going to be a tricky endeavor
because hybrid packaging brings a lot of
added challenges. Cars are getting smaller and
real estate is always at a premium underneath
the skin of new vehicles.
The third key engineering area of note, says
DeVincent, focuses on how transmission
technology will evolve in support of engine
trends, particularly around cylinder count and
displacement, both of which are decreasing as
time goes on. He says smaller, downsized
engines will mean lower performance and,
as a result, transmissions will have to help
offset the effects of lower power-to-weight
ratios. Customers will still want a certain
level of performance and renement despite
downsizing and the transmission is going to
be the only way that auto makers can offset
the strategic directions they are taking on
the engines, and that would be with things
like deeper ratio sets and a lot of activity on
inertia reduction.
Getrag says the next decade will play host to a raft
of new transmission developments for EVs and HEVs
This will mean new damper development
and multistage devices. Well start to see
things like pendulum dampers, and a whole
new area of damper development will come
into play as a result of these trends. There will
be acoustic development in transmissions too,
because we have to be prepared to isolate both
structure-borne and air-borne noises from
these engine shaking forces.
There are many critical challenges that
have to be faced. A number of scientic
studies show the world could run out of oil by
2050 unless consumption is reduced pretty
dramatically. This could require some
fundamental changes in transmission
technology that we will have to deliver.
There has to be an appropriate balance
of technology evolution and
technology revolution, although we
could see that balance shifting
more toward revolution than weve
been used to.
Market needs
Another added complexity to the
evolution (or revolution) of gearbox
technology is that different markets
are favoring different designs.
The global market and different customer
requirements show preferences for automatic
torque converter planetary transmissions
in the USA; for DCT in Europe; for CVT in
Japan; and for all three in China, summarizes
Dr Hartmut Faust, vice-president of R&D
for Schaefers transmission systems
business unit.
The large German Tier 1 supplies the
automotive industry with a wide range of
bearings, linear and driveline technology and
high-precision products and systems for
engines, transmissions and chassis. Faust
sees an imminent increase in gearbox ratio
spreads for more overdrive effect in manual
transmissions and an increase to nine or 10
speeds (with a higher ratio spread) in
automatics to meet the demand for higher fuel
economy and reduced emissions. There will
also be an increased number of engine stop/
start applications worldwide, he predicts.
Work with transmission oil companies and
uid suppliers has, adds Faust, reduced power
losses through the introduction of lower-
viscosity oils, while one of the many challenges
facing transmission R&D engineers is software
application to ensure that the
number and frequency of shift
events doesnt disturb the driver.
DAF, whose pioneering
Variomatic rubber band CVT rst
appeared on a production car in the
late 1950s, is still launching innovative
transmission designs the most
recent being from DAF Trucks, a
subsidiary of the US Paccar, one of
the largest heavy-truck makers.
DAF director of product
development, Ron Borsboom,
says the quest for increased fuel
economy is as critical for heavy
truck manufacturers as it is for
passenger car makers. Working closely
with ZF, DAF launched optimized
transmissions on its latest LF and CF trucks,
which were unveiled earlier this year.
Optimized transmissions give us the ability
to produce trucks with class-leading fuel
economy, explains Borsboom. Features
such as our new EcoRoll further reduce
overall fuel consumption. This technology
available on DAFs 12- and 16-speed AS Tronic
gearboxes allows for controlled downhill
driving on a disengaged clutch, thereby
making maximum use of natural momentum.
While free-wheeling is illegal in most
countries, this modern interpretation complies
with all construction-and-use legislation. In
addition to such innovation, DAF has
developed new software and sensors for its
Fast-Shift system, as Borsboom further
explains: Faster shifting between upper gears
gives us maximum efciency.
As truck and car makers around the world
continue to strive to create more efcient
products, there is no doubt that transmissions
will be subject to further research and
development. With so much up for grabs, the
next decade, as Getrags DeVincent says, holds
much, much promise. TTi
DCT OR CVT?
Any company that found a transmission technology that was widely accepted in all major
automotive regions of the world would do great business, says Getrags DeVincent. But
the platform director doesnt envisage any such convergence to one type of transmission
design because of differences in customer preferences. He does, however, see some
shake-up in technologies: One big success in recent years has been DCT, while toroidal
and IVT transmissions have not been able to gain a foothold.
Which transmissions do I favor? The ones that offer most in the fun-to-drive area and
deliver the most in terms of attributes such as fuel economy and shift quality at competitive
prices. Modern DCTs are quite good at offering all that.
Meanwhile, Schaefers Faust is a fan of CVTs: I am driving an Audi multitronic CVT with
400Nm multiplied by 1,000 gears or, alternatively, delivering eight virtual speeds in manual
mode its a brilliant arrangement.
With DCTs predicted to increase in popularity, LuK is well positioned to serve the market with its dry and wet solutions
CVTs not only remain highly
popular in Japan, theyre also
experiencing a resurgence in other
key automotive markets. Pictured
here is Schaefers CVT offering
POWERFUL
> The extremely high power density of the DR-CVT reduces
overall transmission weights and physical size by over
30% without compromising functionality and allowing
application to a diverse range of transmissions.
SIMPLE
> The elimination of the
necessity of a hydraulic
control system removes
hundreds of parts along
with significant transmission
weight and cost.
RESPONSIVE
> The unique direct roller steering method delivers
rapid and accurate ratio change using extremely
low power, along with a higher ratio spreads
than are possible with other CVT mechanisms.
A simple 50W electric motor moves the CVT
to what ever ratio is required at what ever rate
of change is required. The CVT can move from
extreme high gear to extreme low in one second.
COMPACT
> The compact size, low parts count and parts simplicity,
reduces costs of working components by as much as 50%.
VERSATILE
> The unique coaxial design allows for extremely simple
transmission architecture including coaxial multiple
regime IVT.
UTIMATE
TRANSMISSIONS
DOUBLE CAVITY, OPTIMIZED CLAMPING,
COAXIAL TWO REGIME IVT
Input
shaft
Double ramp
clamping
Ratio Control Motor IVT Output
Ultimate Transmissions DR-CVT delivers
greater efficiency, and more ratio spread,
in a smaller package than other CVTs.
Double Roller CVT Providing More for Less
DR-CVT
SECONDS
Controlled Ratio Response
R
A
T
I
O
1
1
2
3
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
For more information or sales enquiries please contact
sales@ultimatetransmissions.com or visit www.ultimatetransmissions.com
> The removal of the need
for a high powered hydraulic
pump further reduces cost
and improves efficiency
particularly at low
power levels.
EFFICIENT
> The fundamental DR-CVT rolling contact efficiencies,
and removal of energy wasting hydraulics reduces
cost and improves the efficiencies to levels not
possible with other CVT mechanisms.
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10,000
220 Nm
Van Doorne
5.6 Ratio Speed
20.2kg - 4.2L
220 Nm
DR-CVT
9.48 Ratio Speed
8.4kg - 1.8L
315 190 190 80
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24 FUTURE MATERIALS
BMWs 8-speed automatic transmission
thats been co-developed with ZF makes
use of lightweight materials and clever
packaging to ensure a compact mass
e
v
i
d
e
n
c
e
With the emergence of a
range of alternatives to
aluminum and steel, just
which substances will be used
in the next generation of
lightweight transmissions?
Words: Max Mueller
FUTURE MATERIALS 25
M
a
t
e
r
i
a
l

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We now continue to push the limits of metal powder technology
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27 FUTURE MATERIALS
n Until recently, transmission design
has followed quite a conservative path,
with traditional materials still dominating
applications. But with ever-increasing pressure
on engineers to reduce CO
2
emissions
and improve fuel efciency, lightening the
driveline, and with it, the gearbox, has become
critical, so choosing the most suitable material
is now an important complement to other
optimization measures. The alternatives range
from magnesium and carbon ber to ceramics
and engineering plastics but do these
substances really offer a better cost, weight
and performance compromise than old-school
aluminum and steel?
Starting with the heaviest and largest item
casings aluminum remains the material of
choice, states Chris Brockbank, director of
cross-product group (vehicle, hybrid and
transmission and driveline systems) at
Ricardo. However, a couple of applications
use magnesium. The resulting weight saving is
welcomed, and I can see more applications
coming in the future.
The use of magnesium and elektron in
vehicle engineering has had a long and
colorful history. After the introduction of
magnesium race engine pistons in the 1920s
by Dow Chemical including the use of
Dowmetal pistons in the winning car at the
1921 Indy 500 the technology soon
expanded to other driveline parts. These
included the sand-cast crankcase of GMs 1931
Chevrolair, lower crankcases for city buses and
transmission housings for tractors. Automotive
magnesium consumption accelerated after
World War II and reached its peak in 1971,
with 42,000 metric tons per year used in the
air-cooled engine and gearbox castings of the
Volkswagen Beetle, which together weighed
about 20kg. The introduction of water cooling
and subsequent need for better corrosion
resistance led to high-purity alloys such as
AZ91D and AM60B replacing their inferior
predecessors, but the higher cost pushed
magnesium and elektron into niche
applications during the 1980s and early 1990s.
However, after being reintroduced in the
gearbox of the Volkswagen Passat in 1996, the
use of magnesium has been steadily growing
again. Despite a slight cost penalty,
magnesium has the potential to take between a
quarter and a third out of the weight of a
casing compared with aluminum, says Tim
Wilks, technical manager at materials supplier
Magnesium Elektron, based in Manchester,
UK. Corrosion isnt so much an issue
anymore the biggest factor is price. As the
auto industry is incredibly cost-sensitive, even
a couple of pennies matter, so it depends very
much on the application. One example is the
automatic transmission, which requires
creep-resistant alloys due to its higher running
temperature. The Mercedes-Benz 7-speed uses
AS31 alloy, which has marginally better creep
resistance than AZ91, while Honda introduced
ACM522 (Mg-5-Al-2Ca-2RE) in the
production of oil pans for its Insight hybrid,
achieving a 35% weight saving.
Radical changes
Further growth in magnesium use is forecast
over the next 10 years. In Europe, the
Volkswagen Group leads the way with around
14kg of the chemical currently used in the VW
Passat, Audi A4 and A6 transmissions, and
other leading manufacturers including BMW,
Ford and Jaguar are also embracing it. In
North America, the use of magnesium in auto
applications is even more advanced GMs
Savana and Express vans, for example, contain
up to 26kg of the stuff.
The application of other alternative
materials is also on the rise. Carbon ber and
carbon-ber reinforced plastics or polymers
provide an almost unsurpassed strength-to-
weight ratio, Ricardos Brockbank says. Until
recently, cost, limited experience and lack of
infrastructure has inhibited the use of these
materials in mainstream transmission
applications, but they are already rmly
The new PowerShift DCT from Ford and Getrag
makes use of dry clutches and electric motor/
solenoid actuation in an effort to realize a
lightweight design. The transmission is
used in the Fiesta and Focus model range
Dual clutch transmissions have
pioneered the way forward in offering
lightweight gearbox solutions. Pictured
here is Renaults 6-speed DCT offering
28 FUTURE MATERIALS
embedded in motorsport and niche supercars.
However, I would expect to see economies of
scale reducing not only the cost of the material
but also the manufacturing process, so that
they inevitably become more of a core, rather
than niche, material.
Even more futuristic solutions are on the
horizon. Chopped carbon ber mat used as a
bulk material may have potential use, and
carbon nanotubes as part of injection
moldable materials will open up new
possibilities, forecasts Mark Findlay,
managing director of Drive System Design.
But to be successful requires thorough
assessment of the manufacturability, robust
NVH modeling and an appreciation of the
sensitivity of the material to any production
variation in its properties.
He continues, Generally, the introduction
of advanced materials requires an in-depth
and thorough understanding of both the
manufacturing constraints and the differences
in material characteristics. The use of plastics
may migrate from unstressed gearbox covers
to structural casings but introduces concerns
about heat rejection. Composite shafts, such as
propshafts, do save weight but are also
susceptible to impact damage and have less
inherent damping so are more liable to excite
rattle modes.
Brockbank says he shares some of these
concerns: Plastics arent as used in
transmissions as much as we believed they
would be a few years ago. Plastic shift forks
and rails were previously expected, but
low-cost and lightweight fabricated parts, and
wire formed forks, are being introduced
instead. More radical is a technology called
skeletal structures, where the casing is made
of a lightweight material such as plastic or
even resin, to cover the components and retain
the oil, with metal inserts steel, aluminum or
titanium at the stress points. I see this as a
particularly interesting solution, providing a
step change in material usage with signicant
weight savings.
Another long-standing development is the
use of ceramics. Brockbank continues,
Ceramic bearings are about half the weight of
steel bearings, they deform less, are more
durable, can operate at higher speed, need
lower lubrication and hence are more efcient.
In many respects, one might view them as the
perfect solution except they are more
expensive and susceptible to damage from
shock loads. Given the high number of
bearings in modern transmissions, adoption of
ceramics will happen, and solutions to the cost
issues need to be found.
Old and new
So could this level of progress mean the end
for aluminum and steel? At Lotus Engineering,
developers remain skeptical. I believe the
traditional materials will remain dominant,
says chief engineer Phil Barker. Designs,
material specications, manufacturing
processes and treatments will continue to
develop and optimize their use. Highly
specialized steels and aluminums from the
aerospace industry are now being considered
and exploited in automotive applications.
Cleaner steels with fewer impurities
produce stronger casings and more durable
components, benets that enable parts to be
smaller in size, reducing weight and costs.
Sintered gear technology is another area where
developments in steel manufacturing have
increased the density and durability of parts to
match that of traditional gears in certain
applications. Brockbank adds, With lower
material and manufacturing costs, sintered
gears could make big strides into the industry,
although we need to gain condence in their
ultimate durability before mass adoption.
What is certain is that the future will see the
integration of the old and the new. Looking
forward to 2025, materials will be highly
optimized versions of todays specications,
Lotus engineer Barker predicts. With
treatments and manufacturing methods such
as rapid prototyping, material forms that are
currently not feasible, or even impossible, will
become viable. Material thicknesses will
reduce, hollow three-dimensional forms will
be possible and the blending of material
specications within a single component will
be realized. TTi
PLASTIC FANTASTIC
The latest bid to introduce engineering plastics into the world of conventional transmissions
takes the form of DSMs automatic transmission torque converter stator wheel. We believe
this component can be designed in high-temperature polyamide 46 [Stanyl] to reduce
mass and save cost, says Ralph Ramaekers, global segment manager, powertrain, for the
Netherlands-based company. We have performed multiple CAE analyses on this part to
show PA46 can deliver the required torque loads, and we are talking to several parties in the
market to start tooling the component for testing.
Further examples of engineering plastic applications developed by DSM include
transmission oil coolers and control modules. We are also looking at shift forks for
dual clutch transmissions, Ramaekers says. In manual transmissions we have the
possibility of driver error and resulting huge forces on the shift fork, but a fully automated
gearbox allows for the part to be made from plastic or a composite hybrid material.
We have also just launched our rst commercial plastic oil sump cover in ZFs 9-speed
transverse transmission.
The Aisin Warner AF 40-6
(MDK) 6-speed FWD automatic
transmission for the Buick
Regal. General Motors widely
uses magnesium for many of
its gearbox designs in the USA
Close-up of a valve timing system application.
Stanyl polyamide 46 has been used successfully
in this automotive application for almost 20
years because of its excellent wear performance
at optimising transmission efciency
Fuel economy is on the agenda
of all major OEMs as a way of driving
transmission efciency.

Afton, working in conjunction with Daimler and their partners,
has pioneered the development of the most fuel-efcient
Transmission Fluid in the world. This ground-breaking uid,
which incorporates Afton additive technology, has delivered
a 1.5% improvement in fuel efciency.
This equates to a saving of 10 million
litres of fuel each year, sparing the
environment 27 million kilograms of CO
2
.
Its our ability to ne-tune a predictable and durable uid
friction curve and the experience that comes from being the
worlds leading additive supplier for factory ll, that makes
Afton the ideal partner for solving transmission challenges
for OEMs globally.
In fact presented with all the numbers, Afton is miles better.
2013. Afton Chemical Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary
of NewMarket Corporation (NYSE:NEU) www.aftonchemical.com
www.aftonchemical.com
Automatically First
Fluid motion
n Transmission uid performance is
determined by the choice of lubricant base
stock and the combination of additives used
in the formulation. The lubricant base stock
employed sets the uids fundamental low-
temperature capabilities and resistance
to oxidation. Over the past two decades,
transmission uid specications issued by the
major transmission builders have required
signicant improvements in low temperature
uidity and oxidative stability. The practical
impact of this evolution was that API Group I
base stocks, used most widely throughout the
1990s, were no longer capable of producing
many of the next-generation transmission
uids and had to be replaced by API Group II,
Group III and synthetic base uids.
Recently issued and proposed specications
are continuing the trend of limiting the
number of base stocks that are capable of
producing suitable transmission uids. Driven
by the desire for transmissions with increased
fuel efciency, OEMs have now begun
specifying low-viscosity transmission uids
that can only be formulated using API Group
III and synthetic base uids.
Low-temperature uidity
Looking back, the rst transmission uid
trend to affect the choice of base stock was
the demand for improved low-temperature
performance and shear stability. Low-
temperature requirements for transmission
uids are most often specied in terms of
Brookeld viscosity (BV) at -40C in units
of centipoises (cP). BV requirements have
30 CASE STUDY: INFINEUM
Automatic transmission uids are increasingly expected to contribute to improved
vehicle fuel economy, which is leading to the increased use of low-viscosity uids
CASE STUDY: INFINEUM
been steadily reduced to enable transmission
OEMs to gain better cold-start performance.
The rst major change came when General
Motors introduced Dexron II-E in 1990. The
company upgraded the low-temperature
performance requirement of Dexron II-
ATF from a maximum BV of 50,000cP to
20,000cP. However, since that time uids
meeting 20,000cP maximum have been at
the high end of the spectrum, with recently
introduced transmission uids moving below
the 10,000cP level.
Fuel economy improvement
So how is the latest OEM trend for fuel
economy improvement affecting base stock
choice and development?
As CO2 emissions limits get tougher, CAFE
penalties bite harder and consumer demands
for fuel efciency increase, so improving
overall fuel economy has become the key
driving force for OEMs. Transmissions are now
increasingly expected to play their part. This
has led OEMs to introduce new transmission
designs, including continuously variable and
dual-clutch products, and to increase the
number of gears in their conventional stepped
automatic transmissions with nine-speed
transmissions already on the market and
10-speed units being openly discussed by
some OEMs.
No matter what the transmission design,
uids will contribute to fuel economy
performance by minimizing viscous drag,
pumping and churning losses. The new
formulation trend is for lower viscosity
uids (lower KV100, KV40 and KV20) so
that viscosities are low over a wide range of
operating conditions. Before the emphasis on
fuel economy, ATFs were typically formulated
with a KV100 of more than 7cSt. The
introduction of ZFs six-speed transmission
uid, M1375, really started the low-viscosity
trend, with KV100 dropping to 5.5cSt.
The quest for fuel economy improvements
will continue to drive down the viscosity of
transmission uids even further. Mercedes
ATF134 FE uid still has the lowest KV100
to date of around 4.3cSt, and it is likely that
the demand for uids with viscosities this low
will increase making the use of Group III
base stocks (or polyalphaolephins) essential
for transmission formulations. Bearing in mind
that transmission uids must still deliver the
level of protection required by OEMs over the
lifetime of their vehicles, the question that
remains is just how low uid viscosity can go
in the future? TTi
Meeting lower BV limits requires the use
of base stocks with better low-temperature
characteristics. This can be achieved either
by using lower viscosity base stocks, or by
using more viscous but more highly rened
base stocks. The choice ultimately depends
on the uids shear stability requirement. Less
shear-stable uids, such as the Dexron III/
Mercon uids introduced in the early 1990s,
were commonly based on lower-viscosity
Group I base stocks and normal treat rates of
higher molecular weight viscosity modiers.
By comparison, more shear-stable uids,
such as those subsequently introduced by
Ford and Chrysler in the late 1990s, needed
to be formulated with more viscous Group II
or Group III base stocks and low treat rates
of low molecular weight viscosity modiers.
The relationship between low-temperature
viscosity and shear stability shows how
the trend of increased shear stability and
improved low-temperature performance has
increased base uid requirements substantially
during recent times.
Oxidation resistance
Vastly reduced sump volumes and higher
temperatures prompted increased demands
for improved oxidation stability levels in
order to extend total drain intervals and
improve overall friction durability. In 2004,
General Motors move to Dexron III-H was a
primary engineering factor in the demise of
the use of Group I base stocks in transmission
formulations forcing the use of Group II as
an absolute minimum.
The combination of increases in both the
infrared and acid number (TAN) also affected
the selection of the base stocks that were
used in Dexron formulations. While the
relationship is not absolute, and could be
composed of mixtures of base stocks, it serves
to illustrate nicely the trend imposed on base
stocks by oxidation limits, an important point
that should not be overlooked.
31
Most agree that the quest for
fuel economy improvements
will continue to drive down
the viscosity of transmission
uids even further than
todays current levels
New car development
projects focus on improving
fuel economy and reducing
emissions. New transmission
uids will have an important
role to play in this area
Optimized solutions
32 CASE STUDY: ALLISON TRANSMISSION
New transmission and hybrid designs present car makers around the globe with high-tech
solutions to enhance fuel savings, cut maintenance costs and improve duty-cycle efciency
Adaptable technology
As fuel savings and emissions reduction
becomes ever more crucial within the
commercial vehicle sector, Allison has
developed the H 3000 fully automatic,
parallel hybrid system for medium-
and heavy-duty trucks.
Building upon the proven 3000
Series, Allison engineers have
combined the fully automatic
transmission with hybrid
components. This results in
a hybrid system that is designed
to deliver up to 25% fuel savings
in a variety of commercial vehicle
applications and duty cycles.
The H 3000 features several main
components: a torque converter,
motor generator and modular
lithium-ion battery packs all of
which work together to deliver
exceptional fuel efciency.
The compact motor generator creates
a high power-to-weight ratio and uses
regenerative braking to capture energy that
would otherwise be wasted. The energy is then
stored and used to assist in vehicle propulsion
and to power auxiliary equipment, reducing
the need to channel additional energy from
the engine. The motor generator used in
conjunction with the torque converter
means the H 3000 can provide OEMs with
the option to maximize efciency while
achieving outstanding performance from
smaller, less-costly engines.
Modular lithium-ion battery packs enable
the H 3000s optimal energy capacity to be
tailored to specic vehicles, applications and
duty cycles. This means Allison can present
OEMs with a hybrid technology for a variety
of vehicles to suit an array of demanding
vocations. TTi
n For nearly a century, Allison Transmission
has been developing transmissions that
optimize the performance and efciency of
commercial and service vehicles across the
globe. From moving aggregates in South
African construction sites, to transporting
people in Turkey on the latest CNG-fueled
buses, Allison has been relied upon to deliver
efcient and comfortable performance.
Better fuel economy
Poised to revolutionize the Class 8 freight
market, Allisons new TC10 fully automatic
transmission uses innovative engineering
that combines superb start-up power with
the cruising fuel economy inherent in twin-
countershaft technology.
As the only technological solution of its
kind, the TC10 provides the benets of the
companys proprietary continuous power
technology to deliver uninterrupted power
via clutch-to-clutch shifts to the road tractor
market. This eliminates the loss of turbo-
boost, which is commonly associated with
manual and AMT units during gearshifts,
to present a new alternative to traditional
automated manual and manual transmissions.
One hundred major eets across the USA
have been testing the TC10, with testers
reporting an average 5% improvement in fuel
economy compared with the existing manuals
and AMTs in their eet. This signicant
reduction in fuel consumption can deliver
critical nancial savings for operators running
eets of road tractors in both city and
highway duty-cycles.
To achieve such cost-reducing results while
boosting operational efciency, the TC10
transmission features a torque converter,
twin countershaft gearbox and a blended
architecture with full power shifts. Such an
arrangement allows for seamless shifting
through the gears, facilitating smooth
operation, fuel economy and acceleration for
distribution applications where a tractor-trailer
splits its work between city and highway
operating conditions.
Coming equipped with Allisons all-new
fth-generation electronic controls to further
enhance gear-shift selection and diagnostics,
the TC10 is widely regarded as a very reliable
transmission that delivers cost-effective
benets through reduced maintenance needs
and fuel consumption, coupled with driveline
optimization, an additional important factor.
Allison has developed the H 3000 fully automatic parallel
hybrid transmission for medium- and heavy-duty trucks
Allisons TC10 dual-purpose transmission for city and
highway applications has returned 5% better fuel
economy over manuals and AMT product offerings
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Simulator testing
n Numerical simulations are playing an
important role in the different stages of the
lives of an increasing number of products. At
SKF, simulations are approved in testing
programs, both in-house and with customers,
providing measurable results that prove their
effectiveness. One powerful simulation tool
recently developed by SKF is the SKF Seal
Designer, which allows engineers to rapidly
support customers regionally with consistent
product designs that meet customers
demanding applications and time-to-market.
The purpose of Seal Designer is to
perform virtual prototyping, which means
the simulation of the seal design from
manufacturing, through installation and
nally to performance in the application.
Virtual prototyping enables SKF Sealing
Solutions to reduce manufacturing issues,
minimize testing and have fewer design loops
before providing a product to customers.
The rst step of virtual prototyping is the
simulation of the manufacturing process.
For molded seals, this means predicting the
nished product geometry from the molding
process and assembly of the garter spring.
The second step is to simulate the installation
of the seals into the application. This enables
the engineer to ensure the robustness of the
seal design by investigating installed geometry,
contact loads, and stresses and strains.
The nal step is probably the most
challenging and involves simulating the
dynamic performance of the seal in the
application. This enables the assessment of
the robustness of a seal design under specic
operating conditions, so that design changes
can be applied to improve performance before
prototypes are physically made and tested.
SKF is continually upgrading Seal Designer
to include new features, explains Roland
Worsley, business development manager, SKF
Automotive, and were working on advanced
dynamic simulation methods to simulate
the seal with shaft speeds, misalignments
and temperature to further evaluate sealing
performance in the application. The ultimate
goal is predicting seal life. With Seal Designer,
our engineers will be able to minimize risk
before manufacturing or testing a single part.
Effective bearings
Another simulation tool, the SKF Vehicle
Environmental Performance Simulator
(VEPS), has been put to powerful use in
predicting the effectiveness of the SKF eDrive
Ball Bearing. VEPS has shown that a 1%
increase in the mileage of an electric car can
be gained by using SKF solutions compared
with conventional alternatives.
Optimizing powertrain efciency is an
excellent way to increase electric vehicle
mileage and reduce CO
2
emission (together
with fuel consumption) of hybrid vehicles
while maintaining a good performance
level. Today, electric motors for these
applications are engineered to run at
extremely high speed to increase efciency
and power density. Consequently, bearings
have to enable these higher speeds and sustain
the higher temperatures generated while
reducing friction.
The SKF eDrive Ball Bearing combines
design feature innovations such as low-
friction seals, optimized internal geometry
and a patented polymer cage that is extremely
robust and energy efcient at high speeds,
says Anthony Simonin, application engineer
for the EPowertrain business unit at SKF
Automotive. Together with specic grease,
this enables optimum performances in
high-speed applications within a wide
operational temperature range (-40C to
150C typical). As a result, electric and
hybrid vehicle manufacturers can offer their
customers increased mileage and overall
improved robustness of the powertrains
key components.
The SKF Seal Designer and the simulator-
tested SKF eDrive Ball Bearing show that
innovation, backed by robust testing, provides
powerful solutions and helps OEMs to deliver
on performance and efciency targets. TTi
34 CASE STUDY: SKF
As manufacturers seek to realize ever-greater performance and efciency, the facility to provide
thorough tests via simulation is bringing an added level of reassurance and product quality
SKF is helping hybrid and
electric car makers to meet
specic development targets
The worlds rst positive drive CVT system with mechanical
efciency comparable to that of a manual transmission
Arthur David
Tel +44 (0)7970 246 888
Email: arthurdavid@varibox.com
www.varibox.com
Ideal for small and micro automotive vehicles
Positive drive, geared neutral, ratcheting CVT, eliminating
the need for a clutch/torque converter and hydraulic control
system
Reduced manufacturing costs
Reduced weight: unit mass of 40kg
Higher mechanical efciency
Lower fuel consumption
Reduced emissions
Also ideal for - Golf carts and ATVs
- Scooters and 3-wheelers
- Agricultural and industrial machines
With over 40 years of experience in
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half-pg_Acme-Wire 8/10/12 12:20 PM Page 1
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a
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o

B
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1
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on Septem
ber 17-19, 2013
at Indianapolis Convention
Center, Indianapolis, IN.
shift
Despite the fabled operating range of the electric motor, engineers
are increasingly looking to complex transmission solutions to
maximize the efciency of next-generation electric drivetrains
36 EV TRANSMISSIONS
Words: Max Mueller
The Tesla Model X features a rear-mounted
single-speed reduction gearbox, but an
all-wheel drive derivative has a dedicated
front-mounted transmission solution
Power
EV TRANSMISSIONS 37
n Rewind back to only a decade or so ago, and
the future of the transmission looked bleak,
what with the advent of advanced electric and
hybrid vehicle systems. The electric motors
broad dynamic range promised simple,
elegant drivetrains without the surplus mass
and parasitic losses of a gearbox. But how
quickly things can change in the automotive
world. The ever-present pressure to maximize
efciency has pushed engineers in the last
few years to research more complex setups,
ranging from multispeed transmissions for
EVs, to specialist parallel hybrid drivetrains
in range-extender vehicles. However, such
innovation and engineering advancement has
sparked debate across the industry as to just
which solutions offer the best trade-off for
these new eco-friendly saviors.
The focus at Tesla is on engineering
simplicity. Our Model S is 100% electric and
features a single-speed transmission, outlines
the California-based car makers e-drive
engineering specialist Karl Berridge. Its
essentially direct drive so a reduction gear
with a ratio of 9.73:1 that sits between a drive
inverter and the motor. We have found this to
be the most efcient layout, providing
excellent low-down torque [around 600Nm in
the Performance variant] and maximizing the
range to around 300 miles [482km] and still
enabling a nice top speed for road use. As the
electric motor is the single and only method
of generating torque, there is no need for
a planetary setup or variable transmission.
Teslas next product, the Model X, which is
still at the design prototype stage, is claimed
to outsprint its SUV competition, with the
Performance model able to hit 96km/h from
standstill in under ve seconds. The car will
actually have a four-wheel-drive option with
two separate motors, front and back,
Berridge continues. Driving the car will likely
be of the same simple principle, featuring
a gear selector and a single forward speed.
Multispeed benets
But it is multispeed transmissions that are
getting many excited within the industry, and
researchers at the University of Darmstadt in
Germany have been working on an innovative
two-drive concept that could point the way
forward for future EV developments.
Considering multispeed transmissions for
EVs, our studies have shown that their
efciency gains allow for signicant
downsizing and weight reduction without
affecting performance, explains Professor
Stephan Rinderknecht, the universitys head
of mechatronic systems.
As part of the German governments
e-mobility initiative, were developing a
two-drive transmission concept that uses
multiple gears and two half-scale motors
instead of a full-scale machine. This offers
better efciency under part-load conditions
when just one motor is in use.
However, with the market still very much
in its infancy, the University of Darmstadt
38 EV TRANSMISSIONS
academic, who is a former Getrag engineer,
says that multispeed designs must overcome
rival technologies if they are to come to
the fore: Multispeed transmissions will
compete with EVTs and other such
technologies, but it is likely we will see
stepped gears in the majority of applications
because of their efciency advantage. Two
or three speeds will probably become the
standard; perhaps even more in intricate
range-extender applications.
Rinderknecht isnt the only advocate
of multispeed EV transmissions. The
development of transmissions for hybrid and
electric vehicles will reect in some way that
of the transmissions now being developed for
IC engines, in so much that theres a need for
multispeeds and increased control, explains
Andy Thompson, executive engineer for
transmissions at Lotus Engineering. Initially,
single-speed transmissions were anticipated
for EV systems due to the power delivery
character of electric motors, but now, the
overall limitations of the motor operating
range is being understood. The introduction
of multispeeds requires a step change in
technology regardless of how many ratios are
used. When that step is taken and accepted,
the overall potential increases. As with the IC
engine, increasing the transmission ratio range
Two or three speeds will
probably become the standard;
perhaps even more in intricate
range-extender applications
Professor Stephan Rinderknecht, head of mechatronic systems, University of Darmstadt
with multispeeds requires driveability and
shift-comfort aspects to be addressed.
At Getrag, engineers are taking a closer look
at range extender designs, but to understand
the innovations taking place at the German
supplier, one rst needs to grasp the denition
of the technology, says Dr Ulrich Kndel, the
companys chief engineer for eDrive systems.
Its important to understand our own
particular denition of the term range
extender, he adds. In our view, a range
extender is not a serial hybrid, but a mixture
of parallel and serial architecture. So if you
want 100kW in a serial hybrid, you have to
use a combustion engine, a generator and
a traction drive with 100kW each three
different components with maximum power.
Our preferred solution has parallel as well as
serial modes, which means the combustion
engine can be connected to the wheels
directly and for us, this makes more sense
with regard to efciency.
Top left: Getrags boosted
range extender setup has
been integrated into a Ford
Fiesta tech demonstrator. The
powershift unit is actuated via
a compact integrated control
module/hydraulics system
Left: Lotus worked with several
partners on a hydrogen fuel
cell taxi development, which
featured a DC brushless
electric motor with 100kW
peak power and 50kW
continuous power. The motor
drives the rear wheels through
a single-speed transmission
Below: With advanced
virtual development software
technology, Romax is helping
transmission makers to come
up with ever more efcient
gearbox designs and solutions
One of our current projects is a Ford
Fiesta with implemented range extender,
continues Kndel. It combines a downsized
combustion engine with a two-speed
powershift transmission that is also available
to the electric drive. With this solution you
cannot launch the car with the combustion
engine because the available gear ratio is
unsuitable. You have to launch the car
electrically and then connect the combustion
engine at certain speeds. The combustion
engine, generator and traction drive should
work together closely in an efcient and
intelligent way, with maximum power being
achieved by combining all elements.
But progress doesnt come easy and Kndel
is well aware of the associated engineering
challenges. We have higher speeds when
using electric drives, from 12,000rpm in
existing models to more than 20,000rpm
currently under discussion. The higher speeds
cause some problems with bearings,
lubrication and NVH, which are different from
the issues we encounter with our conventional
transmissions, but despite this, Im condent
were dealing with them adequately.
Engineering challenges
One such issue excessive vibration caused
by incompatibilities between the motor and
transmission has been the subject of much
research at Romax. Traditionally, the gearbox
company designs a quiet gearbox and the
motor company designs a quiet motor, states
NOT BACKWARD IN COMING FORWARD
Nissan is adapting its rst in-house-developed hybrid technology
for use in its forward-drive vehicles. The Inniti Direct Response
Hybrid system, originally devised for rear-wheel drive application,
uses the companys one electric motor and two clutches (1M2CL)
arrangement. In order to be installed in the engine compartment
of a forward-drive vehicle, the overall powertrain length needs to
be equivalent to that of a conventional vehicles by locating the
dry multiplate clutches coaxially to the motor, explains Takashi
Shirakawa, VP of powertrain design and development, Nissan
Technical Centre Europe. As such, the resulting drivetrain doesnt
require any special body design. Equipped with the new chain-
driven CVT used in Nissans conventional Pathnder, the powertrain
will be deployed in the Inniti Q60 and Pathnder Hybrids models.
Driving progress
Cinetic Machining - Saint Cr (France)
email: sales-laser@vesgroup.com
Tel. +33 (0)5 65 10 13 13
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Weld seam brushing modules
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Sun gears
Shift forks
Planetary carriers
Drive shafts
CV joints
www.vesgroup.com
40 EV TRANSMISSIONS
and rotor. Some implementations use splashed
oil directed to motors, bearings and gears.
Others have a xed displacement pump driven
by one of the gears within the transmission to
circulate oil for lubrication and cooling.
Poulos says that at an industry level, theres
been a huge increase in electronics integration
for new car programs, and this is a trend that
will continue to grow. As modern EVs make
use of AC traction motors, a system of high-
powered solid-state switches (power electronics
or inverters) synthesize the AC power to drive
the traction motor, he continues. Initial
offerings mounted the drive units and power
electronics separately within the vehicle, and
the connection between the inverter and
traction motor was accomplished with three
high-voltage cables. Some manufacturers are
now integrating the power electronics within,
or attached to, the drive unit. This eliminates
the complexity of high-voltage cables, and
offers shared cooling between power
electronics and the traction motor.
But will all this progress negatively affect the
further advancement of the conventional
transmissions market? At AVL Powertrain
Engineering, Dr Hamid Vahabzadeh, deputy
vice president for global transmission
operations, isnt overly worried. This is a very
exciting time for transmission engineers and
the transmission business, he says. The
number of technology options has expanded
so much and that applies to the consumer
making the decision to purchase a vehicle as
well as for the manufacturers.
At Lotus, Thompson agrees with this view:
Transmissions for electric and hybrid systems
are at the beginning of their lifecycle and the
transmission is becoming the core of the
propulsion system. With an increasing
diversity of concepts being pursued, products
will mature and become more integrated, and
reduce in size, weight and cost. They will
become as recognizable as the manual, DCT,
automatic or CVT is today. TTi
Barry James, CTO of the specialist engineering
company. But bolt the two together and you
may have a problem the interaction between
two subsystems suddenly generates noise.
Typically, torque ripple is transmitted through
the gearbox, and whine from transmission
error travels through the motor housing. Of
course, this is getting worse as components are
getting smaller and more integrated all the
time. Eliminating NVH issues in the
transmission has been a particular focus area
for Romax, with the company having
completed 40 consultancy projects to date.
There are ways in which you can put
dampers on the outside of the housing but
thats dealing with a problem that already
exists, James says. Our approach is to design
a hybrid or electric drivetrain for low noise
from the start. The key point is to minimize
excitation and to design and select the concept
that has the lowest response to excitation.
Overcoming engineering challenges goes
hand in hand with innovation. Having
invested around US$560m during the past
three years in the development of next-
generation electric vehicles, such as the
Chevrolet Volt, General Motors has a growing
bank of knowledge. There is a wide span of
advances in the EV and hybrid transmission
arena, enthuses Stephen Poulos, global chief
engineer of battery electric and eAssist
propulsion systems. As far as gearing is
concerned, developers are working on
multiple kinematic ratios with power-off shifts
[power interrupt with binary clutching
devices] as well as power-on shifts [using DCT
derivatives]. Other kinematics advances are
based on planetary and parallel axis gearing.
At the level of traction motor integration,
were looking at dry motors that make use of
back-iron water-jacket cooling, as well as wet
motors that make use of oil shared with the
transmission to directly cool the motor stator
CIRCULAR ARGUMENT
Another innovative approach that shuns the traditional gearbox in favor of an alternative
system is the in-wheel electric motor, as seen in the Frecc0 E-concept Car Type 0
developed by the Fraunhofer Institute. The motor is very compact, explains project leader
Dr Hermann Pleteit. The high torque density leads to relatively low unsprung mass with
few adverse effects on driving comfort. In any case, these can be compensated for through
different suspension setups.
This technological breakthrough promises much, but on the whole, many transmission
engineers remain skeptical about in-wheel motor creations. Wheel motors give scope for
torque vectoring, which is good, adds Dr Hamid Vahabzadeh, AVLs deputy vice president
for global transmission operations. But the concept adds a lot of complexity and failure
modes the e-machine needs to be able to cope with dirt and shocks coming from the
road. Plus, the additional unsprung mass does affect vehicle dynamics. Most existing
reliable systems in production have a centralized motor with shafts driving the wheels.
Researchers at Germanys University of Darmstadt agree with the AVL engineer.
Professor Stephan Rinderknecht, head of mechatronic systems, explains, Hub motors
produce power via low speeds and high torque for that you need a lot of copper and other
materials, which makes for large, heavy machines and relatively high cost. With central
drives and their higher speeds, you can achieve a much greater power density, but this
requires a gearbox because the extremes of high top speed and high starting torque cant
be bridged by a single gear. I wouldnt rule out future applications for hub-motor technology.
The Fraunhofer study has shown that unsprung masses arent really a big problem
anymore. However, costs are expected to remain high even in the mid to long term, so
wheel motors will unlikely see mass production, and be conned to niche applications.
Above: GMs two-mode hybrid
RWD transmission, the M99, has
helped improve fuel economy
while reducing emissions
AVL is helping car makers
around the world gain further
efciency through optimizing
all-new transmission designs
Grinding
alternatives
n As an original pioneer of continuous
generating gear grinding technology, Reishauer
has been a leader in gear hard nishing for
decades, particularly in the automotive
industry. Among the companys many
developments, Reishauers continuous-shift
generating grinding, high-performance
generating grinding, LowNoise shifting and
TwistControl grinding are the best known.
Furthermore, newly developed ne- and
polish-grinding technology now extends
the range of process options.
Reducing energy consumption and
consequently automotive CO
2
emissions
requires not only further engine
developments, but also increases in
transmission power density, which in turn
requires greater gear teeth load-carrying
capacity and reduced power loss. In addition
to improvements to material properties in
the surface zone of gear teeth and complex
modications of the gear ank geometry to
optimize tooth meshing under load, reducing
gear ank surface roughness increases the
load-carrying capacity and reduces power loss,
as veried in numerous research projects.
The effect of improved surface roughness
on the factors producing the proof of strength
required by DIN 3990 has been investigated
in a series of FVA projects at the FZG Gear
Research Centre at the Technical University
of Munich. The experimental investigations
veried that reducing the surface roughness
of the gear anks from the conventional Ra
0.4mm to Ra 0.1mm produced an increased
load-carrying capacity of approximately 14%
42 CASE STUDY: REISHAUER
Fine- and polish-grinding techniques could lead to enhanced
surface quality and reduced roughness as well as improvements
to the load-carrying capacity and efcacy of gear teeth
A gear ground by conventional
generating gear grinding (left)
compared with a polish-ground
gear (right). The surface of the
polish-ground gear is much
improved and causes little
friction in the transmission and
therefore offers increased load-
carrying capacity in combination
with a reduction in power loss
CASE STUDY: REISHAUER
as a result of a substantially reduced amount
of micro-pitting. As with the majority of
previous scientic tests, the experiments were
carried out with gears that had been machined
using vibratory super nishing.
Improved surface quality
As a result of these promising results,
automotive transmission manufacturers are
looking for a more process-suitable solution
than vibration nishing for reducing surface
roughness on ground gear anks. Continuous
generating gear grinding is widely seen as
one of the most productive hard nishing
machining methods for the manufacture of
automotive transmission gears. In this regard,
automotive transmission manufacturers are
focusing their expectations on a suitable
extension to this process so that surface
quality targets can also be met using this
machine technology.
Reishauers acclaimed LowNoise shifting
technology with specically modied ground
surface structures that reduce overall noise
emissions was developed more than 10
years ago. The companys ne-grinding and
polish-grinding now enables considerable
improvements to the load-carrying capacity
and efcacy of gear teeth, due to the
improved surface quality during the modied
continuous generating gear grinding process.
Reishauers ne-grinding and polish-
grinding were specically developed to reduce
the roughness of gear teeth machined in the
continuous generating gear grinding process
to a level comparable to that of vibration
43
The grinding wheel set developed
for Reishauer ne-grinding and
polish-grinding. On the left, the
grinding wheel specication for
the generating gear grinding
process is shown; on the right,
the specic grinding wheel
design for the subsequent
ne-grinding and polish-
grinding process is outlined
44 CASE STUDY: REISHAUER
nishing without adversely affecting the ank
design and surface zone characteristics of the
active tooth anks.
The procedure
Reishauers ne-grinding and polish-grinding
are performed in a nal machining step
immediately after conventional roughing
(ne-grinding with a ceramic-bonded
grinding wheel set) or after conventional
nishing (polish-grinding with a ceramic/
resin-bonded grinding wheel set) without
interrupting the machining process. During
ne-grinding and polish-grinding the
roughness peaks are removed, which reduces
the roughness prole height and therefore
increases the contact area of the gear anks.
Compared with the quality achieved with
the previous nishing method, the geometric
accuracy of the gear anks in the active range
is also improved. During the polish-grinding
machining step, an additional machining
stroke is usually sufcient for achieving the
required surface roughness.
For overall machining requirements, a
special Reishauer grinding worm set consisting
of a conventional ceramic grinding worm
combined with a ne-grained ceramic-bonded
ne-grinding worm or an articial resin-
bonded polish-grinding worm is used.
This innovative grinding worm set is
manufactured by Reishauers advanced
and highly capable tooling division.
Depending on the grinding wheel
specications for these areas and the
corresponding machining technology, surface
qualities with mean roughness values of Ra
0.2m with ne-grinding and Ra < 0.1m
with polish-grinding can be achieved.
With regard to grinding kinematics,
Reishauers ne-grinding and polish-grinding
differs greatly from the various vibration
nishing methods used in previous scientic
studies and R&D projects. For this reason,
Reishauer commissioned an independent
assessment by the FZG at the Technical
University of Munich on the effect of
various nishing options during continuous
generating gear grinding on the efcacy of the
gear teeth in the transmission.
The tests were carried out and evaluated
based on the test method dened by the
FZG in the FVA-Drive Technology Research
Association research project FVA 345
Efciency Test. The assessment conrms an
approximately 15% reduction in total power
losses for the polish-ground samples and
therefore considerably reduced friction values
for operation under load compared with a
conventionally ground reference sample.
Furthermore, this result was conrmed on the
test bench by a lower lubricating oil steady
state temperature.
Convincing results
A series of ne-ground and polish-ground
gears are currently being tested by various
gear manufacturing companies and
transmission developers around the world.
As well as testing load-carrying capacity and
effectiveness, these tests examine the inuence
of ne-ground gears on changes to ank
clearance in precision transmissions; on the
overall service life of coated gear anks; and
on the running noise in the transmission.
The initial test bench results from Reishauer
customers also conrm the high expectations
shown in the research project with regard to
increasing load-carrying capacity. In addition
to this, tests for further loss reduction by
using lower viscosity grades of transmission
lubricating oil are planned.
Due to the direct integration of ne-
grinding and polish-grinding as a nishing
or additional polishing step in the generating
grinding process, and the comparatively low
additional investment costs, these techniques
are an interesting alternative to the vibratory
process in the nishing of gears with
improved surface quality. TTi
After the conventional roughing and nishing pass of generating gear grinding, the polishing pass reduces the peaks of the roughness prole without changing the ank design
Looking forward to
lower CO
2
emissions
We all know that car emissions are not good for the environment.
Emission legislation are becoming increasingly more strict and
it can be costly for automotive manufacturers not to comply.
SKF offers complete portfolio of products and services, from
single bearings and seals to complete powertrain solutions, that
help reduce grams CO2. As an example, for a nal drive appli-
cation we can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 4 grams, compared
to existing solutions. We have the competence to translate
friction reduction into CO2 savings to help customers understand
the impact our products and solutions have on their systems.
All in all, these SKF solutions can translate into more than 10
grams CO2 less per km.
The Power of Knowledge Engineering
Laser welding
techniques
n From dual-clutch transmissions to the
classic differential, modern transmission
technology has long been a pivotal research
sector in the automotive industry. With the
advent of new materials and altered
geometries, designers are today optimizing
the functionality of gearwheels. Furthermore,
these wheels are now required in growing
quantities owing to the fact that the number
of speed-gears in many passenger cars is
beginning to increase.
The innovations furthering the effectiveness
of new production processes being applied
within transmissions development include
laser welding. A key player in this area is
EMAG, with its ELC series of machines that
offer integrated and developed solutions for
the application of production processes with
high output rates. The companys in-depth
knowledge of production processes used for
many transmission components has added
to its overall competency.
The challenges are obvious when it
comes to the development and production of
typical transmission components, especially
as even a small wheel with integrated
synchronous gears represents a relatively
complex design for engineers. To manufacture
this subsystem efciently and with the
greatest precision calls for the two parts to be
produced separately and subsequently brought
together in a joining-plus-welding process.
It is at this point in the manufacture of
modern transmissions that laser welding
really comes into its own, explains Dr
Andreas Mootz, managing director of
EMAG Automation.
He continues, The process enables
engineers to concentrate on the welding
point a carefully dosed amount of the energy
emitted by the laser, therefore minimizing
possible warping while maintaining high
welding speeds. In addition to this key
advantage, the EMAG welding process uses
solid-state lasers that boast outstanding energy
efciency. Whereas a classic carbon dioxide
laser will achieve an efciency factor of just
8%, the EMAG specialists can rely on an
efciency factor of approximately 20% when
using their technology. As a result, the power
used to achieve the same optical performance
is noticeably less within the entire process,
with energy costs in the production
department massively reduced.
Stationary welding
Similarly effective within the transmission
production process is the integration of
different production sequences in the ELC
system. For starters, the work spindle uses
the pick-up principle to load itself within
the system. The components involved are
then clamped and pressed together in the
joining press. The clamping technology used
ensures the highly accurate positioning of
the components, providing ideal conditions
for the welding process. The design of the
stationary optic ensures greater operating
safety and optimal stability of both machine
and welding process. Dependent on
workpiece or material, the components can
be induction-preheated prior to the welding
process and brushed afterward, with this
intricate processing possible to complete in
a single step. In total, the whole joining-plus-
welding process for a gearwheel takes just
12 seconds, ensuring that the components
for a differential are nish-welded within no
more than 40 seconds.
Laser welding leads to advances in
lightweight construction, and a good
example of this is the differential housing,
which has benetted from this advanced
new technology. For the past few years,
automotive companies have been replacing
the screw-type connection between the
differential housing and crown gear with
a welding seam. The result has been
dramatic reductions in material costs,
with considerable weight reductions.
These kind of savings in lightweight
construction mean the world for all
automotive companies, adds Mootz.
46 CASE STUDY: EMAG AUTOMATION
With the utmost precision and huge productivity gains, laser
welding in transmission manufacturing is growing in importance
Laser welding the differential housing and the crown gear
has meant a weight reduction of 1.2kg for this assembly
Laser welding a synchronous wheel onto a gear. The new
ber laser on the ELC 160 halves total operating costs
Gearwheels made with the high-tech laser-welding
processs result in a more compact and efcient gearbox
CASE STUDY: EMAG AUTOMATION
Rich history
The welding specialists at EMAG, which is
headquartered in Heubach, Germany, are able
to tap into the companys rich history, which
goes back to the middle of the 19
th
century.
More recently, over 50 ELC systems have been
sold in the past decade, with all leading
reservoir of know-how in the manufacture of
these components. We know the whole of the
manufacturing process, from turning, grinding
and welding right through to the concluding
ultrasound testing process. With our
experience and know-how we can develop
and construct the entire production process
for our customers. This massively simplies
the planning of new production sites and the
expansion of existing ones.
Furthermore, says Mootz, the general trend
of the market plays into the hands of the
German machine builder: It is not only the
dual-clutch transmission that ensures the need
for more gears, but conventional transmission
systems also tend to have more speed gears,
as it reduces fuel consumption and improves
driving comfort.
Having said that, though, as a company
we are also offering a well-proven welding
technology that provides an energy-saving,
high-precision manufacturing process and
helps advance lightweight construction and
reduce production costs. This is no doubt
a very successful and highly persuasive
combination for both the present and
going into the future. TTi
automotive OEMs using the technology. As
such, EMAG is a recognized world leader in
solid-state laser systems for the production
of transmission and powertrain components.
Mootz explains how this success came
about: It is of the utmost importance that
as a company we have at our disposal a large
47
The ELC 250 DUO is a highly
efcient laser welding
system for transmission
components and other
rotation-symmetric
workpieces. This includes
transmission components in
hardened steels and more
complex components, such
as differential casings in
SG iron, which are paired
with nish machined gears
Joining a gear and a synchronous ring on the ELC 160, a modular laser-welding machine allows for the use of any
common laser technologies, including the likes of CO2 lasers and ber-coupled solid-state laser systems (ber and disk)
Afton engineers perform uid measurement. The company
continues to bring to market advanced lubricant solutions
Crucial fuel
economy gains
n Lubricants are a crucial component of any
transmission system, but are often overlooked.
Optimizing the lubricant as an integral part of
the transmission design can result in enhanced
capability and improved fuel economy in
a highly cost-effective manner.
Increasingly, car makers are viewing
transmissions as offering the greatest potential
for continued improvement. Engines are being
matched with particular transmission types
from the design stage, and new transmission
products are launched every few years,
including hardware upgrades. Automatics, for
example, are constantly evolving to include
more gears, slipping torque converter clutches
and greater hybridization as well as the creation
of new transmission designs, like DCTs .
The aims of these improvements, driven
by legislation and competition among OEMs,
include lower manufacturing costs; size and
weight reductions; and higher efciency for
lower emissions. These factors are taking
place as extended warranties are becoming
the norm while using new techniques and
materials. Drivers, on the other hand, want
a vehicle that performs well, which means
shifting responsively without NVH; smooth
torque transfer; and improved electrohydraulic
control for reassuring feel and noise, along
Thanks to improvements made in high-tech transmission
uid technology, lubricants can now increase fuel economy
without compromising reliability, ride comfort or performance
with low running and maintenance costs.
Help for transmission designers faced by
these considerable and sometimes conicting
challenges can come from the lubricant.
Whats more, these factors can all be improved
by development of the lubricant as a key
component in the design.
Lubricant additives provide the core
technology for nished lubricants. The
performance of the additive is critical for the
capabilities of advanced lubricants, requiring
extensive expertise and a heavy investment in
R&D to formulate. Afton Chemical is a leading
producer of additives for transmission uids
and has a technology present in the majority
of automatic transmissions and dual-clutch
transmissions worldwide.
Improving the driveline
Its widely accepted that lubricants can play
a crucial role in helping manufacturers increase
the efciency of their vehicles, thereby
reducing fuel consumption and emissions. It
is estimated that the driveline can see losses
of up to 15%. With automatic transmissions,
improvements of up to 3% could be delivered
by optimizing the ATF. Compared to hardware
changes, this can be highly cost-effective.
Lubricants can act as a facilitator for
engineering changes required for greater
efciency. Optimization of friction properties
or improved gear protection can help cope
with the greater power density associated with
transmission downsizing. Greater thermal
stability of the oil can help allow for smaller
sumps or closer packing of the transmission as
the total number of speeds increase.
Lubricants can also provide a fuel-
economy benet more directly. Reducing
the uid viscosity is the primary method
of delivering efciency gains. However,
doing so could reduce the ability to provide
protection. Advanced additive systems
are required to ensure that fuel economy
benets are delivered with no compromise
on performance, ensuring gear and pump
protection, good parts compatibility and
appropriate friction characteristics. Getting
this balance right is what drives performance
and efciency.
Aftons expertise in driveline lubricants
makes the company an ideal partner for this type
of challenge. Formulating a successful, high
performance ATF requires in-depth knowledge
and years of experience. Transmission uids must
be predictable and remain so throughout the
transmissions lifetime. When programming
a transmission control unit, for example,
knowing how the lubricant will perform in a
given situation is invaluable. Such consistency
is the hallmark of Afton technology.
Just as important is how the additive
supplier, lubricant supplier and OEM work
together. Afton Chemical believes in open
and collaborative developments, an approach
that seems to deliver the best results. As
development continues ever faster, big
challenges are emerging, including optimizing
friction for clutches and synchronizers;
optimizing friction retention for long-term
shift quality; compatibility with new friction
materials; increased protection for helical gears
and innovative planetary gear arrangements;
compatibility with control devices; and
electrication of the drivetrain. To meet
these challenges, creating true technology
partnerships becomes more important. TTi
48 CASE STUDY: AFTON CHEMICAL
BUZULUK a.s. www.buzuluk.eu
Buzuluck 108 +420 311 575 111
26762 Komrov Czech Republic prodejpk@buzuluk.cz
Sometimes its better NOT to
cooperate with only the biggest one
In this issue:
Mercedes-Benz unveils its all-new
9G-Tronic automatic unit with the
promise of not only high-quality
shifting but also great fuel efficiency
Radical plans from GM Europe to
revamp its line-up, starting with
a 6-speed manual, smooth AMT
and upmarket 8-speed development
The materials that R&D engineers
are working on today for
How suppliers are helping OEMs to
meet stringent emissions legislation
with advanced transmission designs

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The latest developments in transmission
design mean there is a need for compact
clutches that provide smooth shifting
capability and high fuel-efciency. But such
clutches require suitable friction enablers
that function reliably at high temperatures
50 CASE STUDY: BORGWARNER
High-performance
friction elements
nRecent transmission design trends focus
on reduced package size, increased torque
density, improved efciency, improved shift
quality and increased durability. Furthermore,
8- to 10-speed automatic transmissions have
created a need for friction materials that
handle increased power density and higher
energy levels. Smoother clutch engagement
demands minimal dimensional changes in
the lining as well as a consistent positive
-v relationship of the friction torque curve
under various operational conditions over
the transmissions entire lifespan. Here, the
chemical and physical interactions of various
uids with friction materials play a key role
in affecting the friction performance of a
wet-clutch system. Wet friction elements are
used in various types of clutches and have to
ensure stable friction characteristics as well as
high temperature resistance. In addition, they
must be able to deal with higher torque and
limited oil ow. While the use of high friction
coefcient materials or higher unit loads can
establish higher torque, simulation tools help
in optimizing the friction plate design to
reduce drag torque.
Developing friction plate design
The design of a friction plate is unique for
every single application. The starting point
of the design process is the statement of
requirements from the customer. The rst
two steps see the calculation of net pressure
by the required torque capacity to verify the
geometric layout, and a thermal calculation
of interface and oil outlet temperature based
on the customers shift cycle. The third step
in this process is the drag torque calculation
by means of analytical, CFD and neural
network simulation tools. The fourth step
entails lifetime prediction based on duty-
cycle data and durability testing on different
energy levels. The denition of the friction
plate design marks the end of the process.
Matters of interest are lining/friction material,
groove geometry, core plate geometry and
manufacturing in terms of segmenting and
post processing.
In addition to improved heat resistance
for safer operation over the entire lifetime,
modern friction materials require further
and continuous advances, such as friction
elements with high surface-adsorption
capacity. Such elements need to be able to
adsorb oil friction modiers in the automatic
transmission uid (ATF) strongly on the
surface without being affected by degraded
ATF. BorgWarner has developed a new friction
material family to meet these demands. The
BW 6910 friction material is specically
designed for wet-starting clutches, torque
converter lock-up clutches, torque transfer
clutches and hybrid disconnecting clutches.
While resistant to oil degradation and glazing,
the material withstands high interface
temperature and maintains positive -v
characteristics at all times. Consequently, it
enables the low-lube concept, which, due to
reduced cooling oil ow, allows the use of
more efcient pump systems and optimizes
the overall efciency of the transmission.
Furthermore, the material enables the
handling of higher surface pressure and
thereby decreases the number of surfaces as
well as the friction diameter. The advantage of
this type of material in contrast to standard
friction material has been veried by vehicle
measurements of shudder at acceleration with
micro-slip conditions.
CASE STUDY: BORGWARNER 51
Left: BorgWarners advanced optimized friction elements
provide high torque density levels, low lube strategy,
improved durability and far better NVH robustness
Top: BorgWarner developed innovative groove designs
and uses advanced friction materials for a stable friction
coefcient and vastly improved temperature resistance
Above: Illustration of the segmented core plate subsystem
The latest trends in automatic transmission
architecture necessitate a higher differential
speed on the shifting clutch elements.
Extreme shifting conditions at 70m/sec and
very low oil ow increase the number of hot
spots on separators. Especially developed for
such applications, the new BW 5000 material
family is extremely elastic and features
uniform oil retention, as well as a high-
temperature brous surface. Target
applications are shifting clutches in new
state-of-the-art automatic transmissions.
Reducing drag torque
Various parameters can cause drag losses
in wet-clutch systems. In dual-clutch
transmissions, for example, drag losses occur
during pre-selection, at the seal rings or bearings
and in idle-D. However, most of the negative
effects can be reduced or avoided by the use
of software optimizations in the transmission
control unit or by implementation of an
engine stop/start system. Further possibilities
to reduce drag torque include clutch design
optimizations and improvements in the
applied friction material.
Various calculation tools reliably predict
drag torque. While analytical modeling
calculates with an adjustment by actual
measurement, the neural network method
depends on articial intelligence that uses
previously collected measurement data. CFD
software, on the other hand, performs exact
calculations of uid behavior inside the
clutch. Recent calculations brought forth the
following friction material design solutions to
effectively reduce total drag torque: waved
friction plates, waved separator plates,
optimized groove pattern, active separation
and two-step lining.
Core plate optimization
Further potential for improvement lies in the
modication of the core plate design. One
new concept is the hemmed spline design.
A double-folded core plate steel in the spline
area enlarges the spline contact area and
enables a length reduction of the clutch pack.
Without reducing the contact area of the
splines, the hemmed spline design facilitates
the reduction of weight, axial space and
material costs. Another modication method
is the segmentation of the core plates. This
more efcient use of the core plate steel
material benets cost-reduction efforts.
BorgWarner developed a serial production
process and started serial production with an
OEM customer in 2012.
As a result of recent trends, friction materials
in automatic transmissions have had to be
greatly improved. The choice of the appropriate
friction product depends on the individual
case and must be further advanced by
simulation tools in close cooperation with
transmission and vehicle manufacturers. With
the help of simulations, the drag torque can
be reliably predicted. BorgWarners new BW
6910 friction material provides high torque
density, low lube strategy, improved durability
and NVH robustness. Also, transmissions are
more efcient due to the reduced cooling oil ow.
Enhanced friction materials such as the BW
5000 family enable shifting at high differential
speed and prevent severe accumulation of hot
spots on separators. New design concepts such
as the hemmed spline and segmented core
plates also offer possibilities to improve drag
torque, packaging and costs. TTi
Shifting
trends
n High-performance cars are enjoying
a renaissance. These vehicles deliver
astounding power and torque with engines
mated to sophisticated transmissions. Such
an integrated combination ensures modern
sports cars deliver more driving excitement,
better fuel efciency and enhanced
performance by every metric.
In high-performance vehicles, the
transmission, the engine and corresponding
control units must form a holistic system
to deliver a vehicle that is fun to drive
while achieving optimal on-the-street or
on-the-track performance, explains Jeremy
Holt, Tremec vice president.
The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
debuts the rst use of Tremecs 7-speed
manual transmission. The technologically
advanced TR-6070 unit easily accommodates
the Stingrays 6.2-liter heart, which boasts
450ps and 610Nm of torque.
The TR-6070 architecture includes
synchronizers that feature hybrid friction
elements for increased capacity and faster
synchronization time. To achieve an improved
shift performance, speed gears and shift
collars have altered, asymmetrical advanced
clutching teeth. In addition, a gear position
sensor assists the systems rev-matching shift
feature, resulting in near-awless changes.
Enhanced technologies keep the
transmission lightweight at only 65kg.
Whats more, the TR-6070 torque capacity
goes beyond that of the Stingrays 610Nm
output, with the transmission designed to
handle up to 860Nm.
The 7-speed manual has a wide, 6.28 ratio
spread, allowing the engine to run at lower
rpms at cruising speed, explains Paul Rorick,
Tremec product application engineering
manager. This improves fuel economy and
reduces noise, vibration and harshness levels,
as well as CO2 emissions.
But Tremecs pioneering work in the
transmission arena doesnt focus solely on
the 7-speed manual; going much further into
complete system integration are modern dual
clutch transmissions.
Virtually dry DCTs
The starting point for any transmission
designer is to understand the amount of
torque the system needs to handle. Nowhere
does this apply more clearly than in the
design of dual clutch gearboxes.
Wet, continuously oil-cooled clutches are
used in high-torque transmission applications
with or without a torque converter. These
clutches create high drag and splash losses.
Some mechatronic clutch systems no longer
have these high losses. Tremecs virtually dry
clutch uses a controlled and selective cooling
system to very quickly cool down the clutches
and then run the clutches dry.
Our virtually dry clutch design marries
the benets of wet and dry clutch technologies
into a hybrid design, explains Hendrik
Pecceu, Tremecs global engineering and R&D
director. Since a dry clutch transmission
has no splash losses, we have developed
a wet clutch system that can become dry
when the cooling
is not needed. The
end result is better
controllable thermal load
and much lower drag and
splash losses, resulting in a
longer transmission life.
The benets of optimized systems are
readily apparent in high-end performance
vehicles. And just as the TR-6070 7-speed
transmission is integrated to rev-matching
technology, Tremec mechatronic solutions
provide optimized launch and shift proles
in premier European supercars.
Tremec engineers have designed,
developed and integrated the torque target
control software for one of the greatest
exotics to come out of Italy. The system
works together with the engine and ESP
electronic control units.
You can drive it as an everyday car
with perfectly comfortable some say
imperceptible shifting, or, with the push
of a button, you can transform it into a
real beast, adds Dave Hadley, Tremec
commercial manager. The control software
can be programmed for torque interruption
delivering the traditional bump one associates
with aggressive shifting or for a torque boost
during shifting.
These torque transfer solutions, with others
on the horizon, ensure that modern sports
cars with advanced Tremec technologies are
not only fun to drive but deliver excellent
performance. TTi
52 CASE STUDY: TREMEC
Optimizing new transmission
designs for efciency and
performance is more
important than ever before
The virtually dry clutch design marries the
benets of wet and dry clutch technologies
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P2300327anz_180x132_Berlin_Transmission Technology.indd 1 08.08.2013 11:28:57
Gear design
innovation
n Bevel and hypoid gears are commonly
used in transmissions and drivelines for a wide
variety of applications, across a wide range of
industrial sectors. Although each sector has
different requirements, there is an overall
trend towards higher durability and lower
noise, with development costs and time being
two other factors that are very important.
With the bar being raised on the performance
requirements of geared products, developing
a high-efciency design/development process
has become increasingly challenging.
In recent years, tools such as MASTA
from Smart Manufacturing Technology
(SMT) have enabled engineers to consider
the design and optimization of bevel and
hypoid gear geometry within the context of
the full transmission/axle system. Advanced
analysis capabilities enable many design
iterations to be performed and compared
quickly, with manufacturing simulations and
prototype testing carried out within a virtual
environment while still considering the system
within the context of its surrounds, either on
a test rig or within the vehicle. Such virtual
prototyping can reduce design/development
costs and time by minimizing production
and testing trial-and-error iterations. Advanced
tools can also prove invaluable when trouble-
shooting existing problems such as gear whine.
Overcoming gear whine within vehicle
axles can be difcult, time consuming and
expensive when using traditional methods
involving the testing of multiple prototype
parts featuring different design iterations,
over a wide operating torque and speed
range. However, performing such design and
test iterations within a virtual environment
provided the models and analysis tools
used are sophisticated enough can deliver
solutions much more quickly.
The design of bevel and hypoid gears is
unlike cylindrical gears entirely dependent
on the manufacturing process and thus, so
are their NVH and strength characteristics.
This means that the design of hypoid and
bevel gear tooth anks, via the manufacturing
machine settings, needs to be considered again
within the context of the full system.
MASTA contains some functionality for the
simulation of the manufacture and loaded tooth
contact analysis of bevel and hypoid gears.
However, specialized gear design tools such as
CAGE, available from Gleason Corporation,
not only enable gear designers to analyze spiral
bevel and hypoid gears, but also to generate
data for Gleason gear production machines to
manufacture the gears. While CAGE focuses
on individual gear pairs and doesnt fully
consider the context of the larger system they
are designed for, it does enable designers to
input misalignments, which are used in tooth
contact analysis. However, these misalignments
are obtained from external sources and not
automatically from system level deections
calculated by tools such as MASTA.
Fully integrated solution
Used independently, MASTA and CAGE have
provided substantial increases in productivity
and reductions in cost for a number of years,
by enabling designers and engineers to work
in a virtual environment before committing to
manufacture. Despite these benets, Gleason
and SMT identied a need for a complete
system level design to further optimize the
end manufactured solution.
54 CASE STUDY: SMART MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
A new and unique collaboration is bringing together bevel and
hypoid gear design, advanced analysis and state-of-the-art
manufacturing machine settings calculation within the context
of a full transmission development or new driveline system
Accurate calculations of tooth contact and root stresses
in MASTA enable assessment of NVH characteristics
Recognizing the opportunity to provide the
user with a fully integrated solution, Gleason
and SMT announced a strategic partnership
in late 2012 with the goal of delivering to end-
user designers and engineers a revolution in
bevel and hypoid gear transmission design,
analysis and manufacture.
The vision is to allow MASTA and CAGE
to work as if they are one product without
any need for manual le transfer, while best
employing the strengths of both products. This
vision enables a new design-to-manufacture
process with key benets over current processes.
The process begins in MASTA, with the
building of a system level model including
bevel and hypoid gears. Within MASTA the
bevel and hypoid gears may be designed
using the familiar geometry calculations of
CAGE for example, presenting Gleason
Dimension Sheets in MASTA. Furthermore,
Gleason Special Analysis les may be
imported to MASTA for rapid modeling of
existing designs. Gleasons rating methods
can be calculated within MASTA, taking into
account the operating loads of the system. As
a result, gear macro geometry optimization
may be performed for a specied duty cycle.
The manufacturability of the nal design is
dependent on the manufacturing machine
settings required to achieve good tooth contact
and low transmission error.
To design good tooth contact, ideally the
engineer requires an intuitive way to modify
tooth ank shape independent of machine
settings or counterintuitive control parameters.
Within the Gleason-SMT solution, this is
provided via simple parameters such as
crowning, linear relief and tip relief in a similar
way to the common practice for cylindrical
gears. To analyze the tooth contact conditions,
experience suggests that a full system-level
tooth contact analysis is required.
The vision of Gleason and SMT allows
analysis of system deections under operating
loads and sophisticated FEA-based tooth
CASE STUDY: SMART MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
contact analysis within a coupled calculation.
This accurate calculation enables the design
of good tooth contact conditions to be
realized, while minimizing transmission
error and considering the variation of load
distribution during the full mesh cycle. As
with any analyses in MASTA, the system may
be modeled within the test rig conditions or
within the vehicle. Once tooth anks have been
optimized, machine settings may be calculated
for available machines via CAGE software.
Further accurate analyses may be performed
to verify performance for the achieved ank
geometry, and corrections made if required.
Once gears have been manufactured, actual
geometry may be used for further analyses
within the context of the full system.
Within MASTA, gear whine analysis may
be performed at any stage of the design or
trouble-shooting process to assess NVH
performance of the full system to excitation
by transmission error and the variation in load
distribution through the mesh cycle.
The rst release of the integration between
MASTA and Gleason CAGE software was made
earlier this year. For the rst time, the design,
vision and provides a solution from system
design and durability analysis, through micro
geometry optimization and NVH assessment,
all the way to gear manufacturing. TTi
analysis and calculation of machine settings for
any manufacturing machine can be performed
within the context of the full transmission.
This realizes the rst phase of the SMT-Gleason
55
A detailed MASTA-CAGE owchart, with system design loop illustrating the seamless and optimal interface between the two high-tech virtual development packages
An example of a Gleason dimension sheet displayed in MASTA as part of the gear geometry calculation and analysis
Powder metal gears
n Gears made in sintered steel are not new
to the automotive world. In fact, one of the
rst powder metal (PM) applications was gears
for a gear pump. This was back in the 1950s,
when the industry was still relatively young.
So what has happened during the past
60 years that enables high-performance gears
in automotive transmissions to be made with
PM technology?
The key advance is in CNC powder
compaction press systems, as well as unique
PM tooling technology that enables the
compaction of helical PM gear features
together with new steel powder formulations.
These formulations enable higher compacted
densities and material properties that meet
the highest performance requirements. The
combination of these essential advancements
has enabled reliable net- or near-to-net-shape
helical PM gear manufacturing with uniform
properties and heat treatment response at
signicantly increased production rates. In turn,
this drastically reduces the need for subsequent
machining operations and investment cost,
lowering total manufacturing cost.
Moreover, changes in gear design allow
for gears with a lower Youngs modulus
to accommodate for deections and load
distribution properly. Just copying the solid
steel designs does not do PM justice. Finally,
there is now gear fatigue data generated
for certain materials that enables gear and
transmission designers to reliably design new
solutions using an accumulated Palmgren-
Miner damage approach.
A running start
One of the rst attempts to demonstrate the
suitability of PM gears for cars was undertaken
by the Swedish metal powder manufacturer
Hgans, and US-based engineering house
KBE+, when the transmission for a popular
Smart Fortwo coup was redesigned to
accommodate for PM gears, and then
prototyped and built together with the
Swedish-based gear machining expert
Swepart Transmission. This vehicle now
has 135,000km on the odometer and is
running every day.
To further prove the point, especially
for highest performance requirements and
abuse conditions, a rally car was equipped
with a fully converted PM gearbox. The car
was used during three seasons, both in the
national Swedish Rally and in the World Rally
Championships. No failures, or even near
failures, were found on the gear teeth at the
regular yearly tear-down inspections.
Currently, there is a state-of-the-art 6-speed
manual for a luxury sedan being built in PM.
It is being put together as a demonstrator
using market-available PM gear manufacturing
processes, to hone in on a mass-market
segment somewhere between the Smart car
and the rally car. The reverse engineering and
redesign study showed that all gears, with an
optimized design and tailored manufacturing
process, were feasible for PM from a strength
and duty lifecycle point of view.
Another outcome of these theoretical design
studies are the advantages that PM offers that
solid steel gears cannot compete with:
lower weight; lower inertia; higher internal
damping of vibrations; lower heat treatment
distortions; shorter hard nishing machine
time; and scrap removal.
Gradual progress
These activities have stirred up some attention
in the gear and OEM communities. One of
the worlds major transmission manufacturers
has, at several venues, presented studies
and a business case analysis showing PM
gears as more commercially attractive than
conventional machined gears, and, due to
a signicantly reduced process chain, has
announced plans to make PM gears part of
their future gear manufacturing strategy.
However, this change in gear manufacturing
technology will not happen overnight. For
example, 20 years ago all synchronizer hubs
were made by machining. PM synchronizer
hubs made their debut with the higher gears,
where shock loads were lower and load cycles
fewer, before gradually moving into lower gears
and tougher loading conditions. Thanks to
several advances in PM and the unquestioned
competitiveness of the technology, today
almost all synchronizer hubs are made in
PM. Given the higher competitive pressure
to draw from cost-saving opportunities
nowadays and the need for much faster time
to-market realization, the conversion of
gears from conventional machined steel to
net- shape manufactured PM gears is
expected to happen much quicker. TTi
56 CASE STUDY: HGANS
The adoption of light and durable powder metal gears in passenger
vehicles and rally cars is creating a viable alternative
to solid steel transmission gears
PM transmission gears have proved their durability
and reliability in a grueling rally car application
ON A CHARGE
New designs in turbocharging and
supercharging promise to boost
future engine development programs
CLEAR HORIZON
Powertrain experts
discuss whats next
after Euro 6 legislation
BENTLEY BUSINESS
The luxury car makers head of
powertrain, Paul Williams, talks
W12s, V8s, V4s and plug-in hybrids
June 2013
M
cLaren P1: A heavily revised 12C V8 com
bined with a high-tech
hybrid drivetrain results in m
ore than 900ps yet green credentials
on a par with a fam
ily hatchback Exclusive tech details inside >>
ENGINE
EXPO 2013
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High-tech
axle lubricants
n Extensive testing conducted on Lubrizols
lubricant additive and viscosity modier
technologies has revealed that changing to
dedicated axle lubricants can generate fuel
economy improvements of up to 1.5%. This
can equate to signicant savings for
commercial vehicle eets. Taking an average
commercial vehicle haul of 140,000km per
year can result in 21,000km of savings over a
10-year period, equivalent to traveling more
than half the distance around the world with
the total fuel saved.
Dedicated axle lubricants in next-generation
drivetrains challenge the one lubricant for
all systems approach, thereby prompting
OEMs and their suppliers to seek new and
improved methods to optimize performance,
maintenance schedules and gain overall
drivetrain efciency.
End-user requirements dictate the need for
a balanced axle lubricant that offers improved
efciency for added fuel economy, without
compromising durability. Robust additive
and viscosity modier technology, coupled
with a move from Group I to Group III and
synthetic base stocks, enables the extended
drain intervals that end users have now come
to expect. Additionally, axle-specic lubricants
provide wear-protection for increasing load
weight, which helps with overall durability.
Improved durability also helps to decrease
vehicle operating costs by providing maximum
component life without additional service-
interval maintenance.
With axles operating in extremely
harsh environments, as well as the added
requirements for efciency across all hardware
areas, the focus on axle lubricants continues
to increase. Today, advancements in axle
lubricants, viscosity modiers and additive
technology are continuing to enable longer
drain intervals, which have stretched to
600,000km in Europe and approaching
1,000,000km for long-haul trucks operating
in North America. Signicant resources
have been, and continue to be, invested in
the design and testing of axle-specic uids
because they are able to provide efciencies
without overhauling drivetrain mechanical
design, says Daimlers Dr Eric Menthe. By
formulating vehicle-specic axle uids, vehicle
and eet owners can expect higher gains in
fuel economy and durability beyond that
of standard API GL-5 gear oils. This can be
achieved only by using next-generation axle
and lubricant technology.
Laying foundations
API Category GL-5 (ASTM D7450-08) is a
fundamental building block for the minimum
acceptable lubricant performance for hypoid
axles. ASTM D7450-08 contains laboratory
bench and mechanical tests that designate the
type of service characteristic of gears,
particularly hypoids, in automotive axles
under high-speed and/or low-speed, high-
torque conditions. However, ASTM D7450-08
has certain limitations since it does not
58 CASE STUDY: LUBRIZOL
Dedicated high-tech axle lubricants can help the automotive industry to reduce the total
cost of vehicle ownership by improving fuel economy and reducing operating overheads
The combined crucial benets of a dedicated axle lubricant over the use of both incorrect and low-cost axle lubricants
A demonstration of the overall fuel economy improvements when using dedicated axle and MTF lubricants
CASE STUDY: LUBRIZOL
address thermal stability and cleanliness,
which are important factors for keeping
elastomers free from debris that can damage
radial shaft seals, resulting in leaks.
Axle manufacturers recognize the benets
of SAE J2360, an axle lubricant specication
that goes beyond ASTM D7450-08, and are
responding by stipulating this as the baseline
performance for their service ll uids. This
global specication contains additional proof
of performance for the additive technology
and other components in the lubricant, which
include a controlled eld trial in both light-
and heavy-duty vehicles. The extensive data
generated in this testing is independently
reviewed and approved by the Performance
Review Institute (PRI). An allocated license
number is then issued to the company and
that specic formulation.
Recognition and availability of SAE J2360
approved axle lubricants is continually
increasing in both the factory ll and service
ll market. For example, axle manufacturer,
Meritor, now stipulates SAE J2360 axle
lubricants as the minimum quality level for
service ll application.
Stringent requirements
OEM and Tier 1 axle manufacturers are
employing more stringent requirements for
dedicated axle lubricants. The trend is toward
lower viscosities (e.g. SAE 75W-85),
particularly in rst ll applications, to enable
fuel economy improvements. New tests are
also being developed to screen in areas beyond
which are reduced with a lighter viscosity
grade lubricant. Higher viscosity lubricants,
however, can be more effective at higher
power as they minimize friction between
mating surfaces.
A lubricant with a high viscosity index
(VI) offers a great compromise by providing
lower viscosity at low temperature, while
maintaining higher viscosity as temperature
increases. A high-shear stable viscosity
modier system is necessary to maintain lm
thickness over the life of the lubricant.
In commercial vehicle testing, Lubrizol has
demonstrated fuel economy improvements
of up to 3% when combining dedicated
uid technologies for both axle and manual
transmission, which could yield annual
savings of US$3,400 (2,600) of fuel for an
average truck driven 140,000km.
The lubricant is an integral part of the axle
design process. Dedicated axle lubricants
protect equipment through enhanced
load-carrying capabilities, improved fuel
economy and thermal stability, as well as
enabling extended lubricant drain intervals.
Lubrizols proven axle additive and viscosity
modier technologies can be customized
to provide axle performance for maximum
end-user benets, and are tailored to meet
OEMs specications, designs and materials.
All requirements can be met when the axle
lubricant is included as an integral part of the
design process, with all parties working in a
close and cooperative environment to meet the
common goal. TTi
ASTM D7450-08 and SAE J2360 to ensure
there are no compromises in axle durability
with lower viscosity uids.
Commercial vehicle manufacturers are
taking steps to reduce aerodynamic drag,
which is a signicant factor for improving
fuel economy. Diversion of underbody airow
can lead to less cooling of the axles, thereby
necessitating axle additive technology systems
that reduce friction and minimize wear while
providing lower operating temperatures. For
commercial vehicles, the impact of carrying
heavy loads over long distances means that
in standard operations axle temperatures
are typically in the 140-150C range, and
in the most severe of applications these can
rise to levels approaching 185C. As a result,
laboratory and eld testing is conducted in
extreme temperature and hauling conditions
to prove the effective thermal characteristics of
an axle lubricant.
Optimized axle lubricants
As vehicle owners look to reduce cost of
ownership and increase vehicle life, optimized
axle lubricants help to provide better fuel
economy, improved wear protection and
extended lubricant drain intervals.
Axle lubricants consist of base oil,
additives and viscosity modiers. All three
have an interconnected impact on efciency.
Lubrication-related efciency losses include
uid traction, friction between mating
component surfaces, and viscous drag. The
latter relates to churning and pumping losses,
59
Left: Traditional API GL-5 lubricant, showing moderate deposits indicating poor thermal durability. Right: Dedicated axle lubricant, showing no deposits, indicating good thermal durability
Double roller
CVT benefits
n Automotive designers are striving to nd
ways to reduce fuel consumption and CO2
emissions, without sacricing driveability
and these critical factors have to be realized
while driving cost down.
CVTs are increasingly being used across the
automotive industry because they support
vehicle drivetrains with high efciencies and
low CO2 emissions. Their production costs
are typically slightly lower than other forms
of automatic transmission solutions and they
provide excellent driveability. However, CVTs
continue to be relatively heavy and complex.
As such, they are seen as an alternative to
current conventional transmission products,
despite offering no compelling advantage
when it comes to weight or cost over
multispeed automatics or double-clutch
transmission products.
Pushing ahead with the next engineering
CVT chapter is high-tech development
company Ultimate Transmissions. The
developers highly innovative double roller
CVT (DR-CVT) is currently being tested at the
University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and
early results show that the transmission offers
high power densities, high efciencies and
large responsive ratio spreads.
The DR-CVT uses three separate patented
technologies to achieve the high power
densities, large ratio spreads and high
efciencies being showcased at UTS. The
double roller (DFTV) delivers the efciencies;
the direct roller steering (DRS) ensures
responsiveness and ratio spread; and the
double ramp clamping control (DRCC)
is responsible for the highly optimized
mechanical clamping without hydraulics.
The testing is being carried out on a modied
DR-CVT, enabling the performance of these three
subsystems to be analyzed independently and
compared to theoretical modeling. A typical
efciency track from these models using all
three technologies is shown in Figure 1.
Critical comparison
A detailed study of what these advantages
mean to the design of a complete CVT
transmission has been undertaken by Ultimate
60 CASE STUDY: ULTIMATE TRANSMISSIONS
Recent testing and analysis work in Australia conrms the
DR-CVTs exceptional compactness and high efciency levels
Figure 1: Typical
efciency track
of the DR-CVT
0.3
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
0.6 0.9 1.2 1.5 1.8 2.1 2.4 2.7 3.0
TRANSMISSION RATIO
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Low gear high gear
Variation of efficiency with transmission ratio
Double Cavity,
DRCC at 60kW
Single Cavity,
DRCC at 60kW
Single Cavity,
DRCC at 10kW
The DR-CVT is currently
being tested at the UTS
CASE STUDY: ULTIMATE TRANSMISSIONS
Transmissions, with the results represented in
a comparison graph, as outlined in Figure 2.
To understand the critical comparison in
Figure 2 in a practical sense, an assessment
has been made of the hardware components in
a typical 220Nm manual transmission with a
Van Doorne push-belt transmission and a DR-
CVT transmission. The comparison includes
all transmission components including clutch
casing and differential. Figure 4 outlines this
comparison in greater detail, function by
function of the hardware and control parts.
The study also reveals that the working
hardware (discs and rollers) required in
a 220Nm DR-CVT to perform the necessary
gear-changing functions is very similar to the
weight of the gears and gear selectors in
a 220Nm 5-speed manual. The weight of the
working hardware including the hydraulic
actuators and trapped uid in a 220Nm Van
Doorne CVT are more than double the weight
of the DR-CVT, as shown in Figure 3.
It is also clear that the hydraulic system
contributes considerably to the extra weight
and cost in the push-belt CVT. The manual
offering and the DR-CVT do not require
hydraulics and so save a considerable amount
of cost and weight. They are also immune to
the energy losses associated with the need for
a hydraulic system.
Hydraulic systems require uids that remain
pourable down to -40C. Because the DR-CVT
does not rely on hydraulics, it has the capacity
to begin operating with a very cold, highly
viscous uid (well below its pour point),
as is the case for a manual transmission.
Consequently, its operational characteristics
are considerably improved at the higher
operating temperatures.
When it comes to overall ratio spread, the
DR-CVT outperforms the other transmissions.
The efciency of the DR-CVT approaches
the very high mechanical efciencies of
a manual transmission when in the 1:1 ratio.
Furthermore, the power density of the
DR-CVT directly competes with a manual
and is much higher than the Van Doorne.
As expected, the parts count and total
cost of the DR-CVT is higher than the
manual but lower than the Van Doorne,
as highlighted in Figure 5.
It is well known that the fuel efciency
of a vehicle equipped with a CVT is much
higher than that of a typical manual
transmission despite the fact that the
mechanical efciency of the manual
transmission is higher.
The fact that the CVT lets the engine
operate in its most efcient state ensures
there are numerous advantages to be had. The
additional efciency offered by the DR-CVT
can lift this advantage over a manual to as
much as 30%. Its important to note that this
advantage exists when compared with other
stepped automatics, although to a lesser extent
as the number of ratios increases. TTi
61
Figure 2: DR-CVT comparison
model to other transmissions
Figure 3: The specic mass ratings of Van Doorne and DR-CVT units
Figure 5: The total parts count and cost of the DR-CVT in
comparison to the manual transmission and Van Doone unit
Figure 4: The weight of parts of a manual transmission
(orange), the DR-CVT (blue) and Van Doone gearbox (green)
n Manual transmission weighs 36.7kg n The DR-CVT tips the scales at 37kg n Van Doone gearbox weighs 59kg
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Weight of Parts
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20%
0%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Relative Performance
100 200 300 400 500
20
40
60
80
100
120
Torque Capacity (Nm)
T
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k
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)
Front Wheel Drive Transmission - Weight V Torque
Van Doorne CVT
DCT/AT
Single Roller Toroidal
Manual
DR-CVT
DR-CVT using IVT
Feature Unit Van Doorne DR-CVT
Parts Number 446 81
Weight Kilograms 20.2 8.42
Volume Liters 4.2 1.84
Ratio Speed 5.76 9.48
1
9
0
m
m
1
6
5
m
m
8
0
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m
Perfect match
n AVL is an independently run, family-owned
business known primarily for engine design,
engine development and test equipment
manufacture. However, the Austria-based
company also has teams of transmission
designers around the world working on a
variety of new transmission designs.
In fact, AVL has more than 15 years
experience in transmission design and
development, with design experts in Europe,
China, Russia, Australia and the USA working
on DCT, AMT, MT and automatic
transmissions. The company also has software
teams constantly developing new production
software for transmission manufacturers and
OEMs globally. Many of the patents on
modern transmissions in existence today will
identify AVL designs. One example is the wet
DCT technology used by many car makers
worldwide, the roots of which can be traced
back to two AVL companies: AVL Tippelmann
and AVL-NTC Powertrain in combination with
VW and BorgWarner.
Different needs
To meet industry demand for reduced CO2
and improved fuel economy, integrated
powertrains are the way of the future.
However, in a global automotive market
with varying requirements, the future of
transmission technology is less clearly dened.
According to Richard Tamba, senior vice
president for passenger car transmissions
at AVL, there is no single solution for the
industry as a whole; every region of the world
has its own specic requirements, operating
conditions and driving factors.
China, for example, is primarily a manual
transmission market that is quickly adopting
automation with an inux of DCTs, ATs
and CVTs, he says. In Europe, we see
hybridization continuing to gain momentum,
with a big push for increased numbers of
gear ratios, while in the USA we see a move
primarily toward automatics with more gears
coupled to smaller engines.
Tamba continues, When a customer asks
me what the best powertrain is for them to
manufacture, it really comes down to a matching
exercise. We need to know which engines are
going to be used with the transmission, which
vehicles they are going into, which markets they
are being sold into, and which parts of the world
they need to operate in.
Based on this, we can leverage off our
experience and analyze the results with
advanced in-house software to devise a future
plan for the customer that takes these elements
into account. The result of this process will be
a state-of-the-art family of transmissions that
will last well into the future and provide the
best chance for maximum fuel economy and
minimum CO2 emissions.
Additionally, AVL can analyze deep into
the powertrain to identify core attributes that
contribute to inefciency. Current research
involves analyzing uid losses, bearing friction,
oil level, clutch drag, bearing losses and oil
churning, to identify the best place to expend
engineering efforts to improve emissions and
fuel economy. These may seem like small efforts
but the effect of all these minor inuences
can add up. For example, the combination
of excess oil levels, an inefcient mechanical
pump and poor bearing selection can rob the
system of more than 3% in fuel economy. That
is where the benets of upfront analysis are
demonstrated its a case of analyzing the parts
and their contribution and then deciding which
ones to tackle rst for minimum risk.
Changing times
As such, transmission design is no longer
simply a matter of having one gear more
62 CASE STUDY: AVL
Upfront virtual analysis that takes into account fuel economy and emissions output can
be critical in determining the correct powertrain setup for different transmission solutions
CASE STUDY: AVL
Inevitably, future transmission designs
will differ considerably from those that are
on the market today, and more emphasis
will be placed on using analysis to efciently
match the engine, transmission and complete
powertrain. The industry is constantly
progressing, and it seems that every week a
new transmission design is announced. Recent
developments include a new 10-speed DCT
out of Europe, and the joining together of
Ford and GM to produce 9-speed front-wheel-
drive automatic and 10-speed rear-wheel-drive
automatic unit.
Where this will end nobody can predict, but
with AVLs commitment to the core elements
of the entire powertrain, and its expertise in
upfront analysis, the company is well placed
to tackle any powertrain challenge. TTi
than the competition: the key is having the
best complete powertrain match for each
application. The question now is how to
determine this vital factor upfront, without
committing to expensive hardware only to
discover later that the wrong choice was made.
Fortunately, AVL has another business unit that
handles simulation, analysis and benchmarking.
This team has developed AVLs in-house software
tools to enable the complete powertrain to be
modeled for emissions, fuel economy and
performance. Using these powerful tools,
multiple scenarios can be analyzed, with
different engine and fuel types and transmission
designs, and varying degrees of electrication
and hybridization, before committing to hardware.
Even varying battery sizes can be included when
determining the best way forward for a customer.
63
An innovative complete hybrid powertrain designed by AVL.
The company has 15 years experience in transmission
design, with experts in Europe, China, Russia, Australia and
the USA working on DCT, AMT, MT and automatic solutions
Far left: Its critical for OEMs and suppliers to analyze the
entire system before committing to expensive hardware
Center: The ve key engineering investment areas for AVL
Left: Outlining the relationship between increasing engine
torque, engine speed and evolving transmission gears
Gearing up
for the future
n The automotive industry is in a full sprint
to increase fuel economy levels to, among
other things, meet the 4.31 liters/100km
(54.5mpg) corporate average fuel economy
target that has been set by the US government.
A key area of focus to meet that legislation
will be the vehicle transmission and driveline
system. The demand for efciency, durability
and power density has resulted in highly
efcient 6-speed transmissions and soon the
market will propel forward to both 9- and
10-speed designs. For these efciencies to be
gained, designers will require gears that are
smaller, quieter and more durable to meet
expectations for packaging, NVH and long
life expectancy.
Linamar Corporation, a manufacturer of
powertrain components, has been producing
gears for the past 15 years. What began
as a small Canadian machining operation
has evolved to become a complete global
engineering and manufacturing corporation
that now designs and manufactures nearly
25 million gears each year, including helical
gears for transmissions, and hypoid and
helical gears for driveline applications.
Making great gears is more than just
manufacturing; it requires an extensive
understanding of gear manufacturing and gear
design, explains Scott Maxwell, director of
business development for Linamars Driveline
Systems Group. We are one of the largest
independent gear producers in North America
and our integrated approach enables us to
control the entire manufacturing process,
from design to nal production, ensuring we
consistently deliver high-quality gears.
Auto makers recognize the need for a
manufacturing partner that understands the
competencies that go into gear design and
development. They require higher efciency,
optimization of NVH qualities, testing
and validation capability, and much more.
Linamars robust capabilities in all aspects of
gear manufacture and design have grown
both organically and through acquisition.
This includes the acquisition of a Ford
power transfer unit business in 2007, which
is part of why Linamar is an ideal partner
for auto makers to bring innovative geared
systems to market.
When OEMs come to us, they know they
are getting a complete and integrated set of
64 CASE STUDY: LINAMAR CORPORATION
For efciencies to be gained, designers will require gears that are smaller, quieter and
more durable to meet packaging, noise, vibration, harshness and long life expectations
Linamar designs and manufactures
high quality straight, helical, bevel,
PTU and straight bevel gears for highly
demanding engine, transmission
and driveline automotive applications
CASE STUDY: LINAMAR CORPORATION
capabilities, adds Maxwell. Our component-
level testing, combined with the prototype
gear processing, make each gear specic to the
needs of the customer, reinforcing our role as a
gear and geared system supplier.
Essential to Linamars success as a global
gear manufacturer is its combined capabilities
in engineering and development, prototype
manufacturing and testing. Its widely
understood that every aspect of the gear
design and production is complex, so its very
important that engineers and manufacturing
experts are in lock-step throughout the entire
development and production process.
Engineering and development
At the onset of a project, Linamar determines
the design denitions and features, and
completes a competitive benchmark to ensure
project feasibility. Using its engineering
expertise, it outlines the design specications
and creates a 3D model of the product for
virtual validation. This model is used for
system, process and NVH testing to further
validate the product design. At this point,
Linamar conducts a multilevel gear tooth
analysis to ensure the gears meet customer
hard to ensure we have complete systems and
engineering competence to meet the growing
demand for transmission and driveline gears
around the globe.
Linamar is building a global driveline
business that includes advanced all-wheel drive
(AWD) systems, clutch module assemblies,
planetary gears and differential assemblies. But
at the core of that global business strategy is
its gear capability: You cannot be a solutions
provider without a foundation based on the
science of gears. Gears are part of Linamars
DNA, continues Maxwell.
Linamar is using its deep understanding
of gears to develop new innovations such as
the recently launched Agilit-e hybrid power
unit electric rear axle. Testing of the unit on a
demonstrator vehicle began earlier this year.
By installing the battery-powered, electric
Agilit-e system into the vehicles rear axle,
it offers OEMs a modular solution to turn
front-drive architectures into AWD. Agilit-e
allows for increased fuel savings when the
unit operates in EV/hybrid mode; or increased
performance, control and stability when it is
in AWD mode.
Agilit-e is a product that we are really
excited about, especially since it is a
solution that is scalable to the vehicle
size and fuel economy requirements. We
believe it addresses two key market trends
simultaneously electrication and all-wheel
drive, says Maxwell.
For Linamar, the race to 4.31 liters/100km
(54.5mpg) all starts with gears. But where will
it end? That is for industry experts to speculate
on, says Maxwell. One thing is certain, however
with a focus on innovations such as Agilit-e
and proven gear and geared-driven systems
capabilities, Linamar can be a key development
partner assisting OEMs along the way. TTi
requirements. This includes thoroughly
simulating gear stress tests; production
variability; process evaluation; and analysis of
the best contact patterns for efciency, NVH
and durability requirements.
Prototype manufacturing
Once the design and simulation process is
complete, Linamar develops a prototype using
its state-of-the-art gear and metallurgical
labs. The companys gear lab is able to
manufacture hobbed and lapped hypoid ring
and pinions, including single ank testing. It
is also equipped for helical gear hobbing and
grinding with inspection capabilities for both
processes. The metallurgical lab complements
the prototype manufacturing process by
focusing on the material selection, heat
treatment and welding development.
After the designing and prototyping stages,
Linamar engineers test the gears to ensure
correct NVH levels and durability, as well as
optimal oil ow and interface lubrication.
Each test ensures that the product has
achieved the specications laid out in the
engineering and development phase.
Complete package
Linamars integrated management of design
and engineering, combined with 47 years
of machining expertise and in-house
secondary process capabilities, all translate
to a highly controlled manufacturing process
specically tailored to the individual program
requirements. This customized processing is
applied to mass production.
Auto makers require their suppliers to
have a combined understanding of design,
development, testing and production before
they will be considered for sourcing of a new
product, says Maxwell. We have worked
65
Above: The innovative Agilit-e hybrid power unit is a modular solution to turn front-drive architectures into all-wheel drive
Above left: Linamar prides itself in pushing ahead with cutting-edge automotive transmission solutions helped by extensive
in-house design, development and testing capabilities. Pictured here is the companys three-axis dynamometer machine
thin stamped
items. Some
components and
subsystems of the dual
clutch, such as the main hub, are an assembly
made of up to six items concentrically welded
together (for each hub a weld seam of 2m
cumulative length by 3mm deep is placed on
both sides). In spite of a dimension of about
200mm, the nal assembly must comply
with a very tight run-out tolerance after
the welding process.
A fully automated laser welding line, which
includes complementary operations such as
brushing to remove residual welding spatters,
geometric control and traceability marking,
delivers up to 300,000 DCT full units per
year. This represents an accumulated length
of about 800km of weld carried out using
the sheer force of light. TTi
66 CASE STUDY: FIVES
While the dual clutch transmission is proving pivotal for fuel economy, laser welding could
be an ideal assembly method that further supports the production of some components
A section view of a dual clutch transmission hub
Laser welding for
DCT components
n The number of dual clutch transmissions
in the market is expected to more than double
over the next ve years to reach approximately
nine million units by 2017.
To support this increase in capacity, Fives,
the 200-year-old industrial engineering group,
has concentrated its experience of more than
25 years in the design and supply of laser
welding systems for powertrain components
such as manual and automatic transmissions,
camshafts, drive shafts and CV joints. Now
Fives is marketing automatic lines dedicated
to the production of hubs and disk carriers of
DCT units, using high-power lasers.
Quality innovations
Innovations in the eld of transmissions
involve new materials and altered geometries
of powertrain components. To deal with these
new requirements, the advantages of laser
welding for mass production are indisputable:
precise concentration of energy emitted by
the beam on the welding point ensures a high
energy density, while minimizing possible
warping and modication of the material
properties. At the same time, an unrivaled
depth/width ratio of the weld seam ensures an
excellent mechanical assembly. Laser welding
also enables a high operating speed and
unmatched repeatability.
The quality of a laser welding result is
conditioned by nding the right balance
between various parameters such as welding
mode (conduction mode or keyhole mode);
power density of the laser on the material;
focal length and tilt of the beam; number of
weld passes and their speed; composition of the
shielding gas; the ow rate and injection mode of
the shielding gas; and a proper positioning of
the assembly of components to be welded.
Geometry challenges
In the case of DCTs, the main challenge lies
in ensuring a proper overall geometry of the
nal assembly performed by laser welding,
while the construction is made mostly of
An automated laser welding line delivers over 300,000
DCT units per year. Fives offers the market automatic lines
dedicated to the production of hubs and disk carriers of DCTs
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October 22-24, 2013
The Suburban Collection Showplace
Novi, MI, USA
REGISTER
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SEE 50+ automotive powertrain
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n Globally, the fastest growing sector in the
automotive industry is the small passenger
vehicle segment, where numerous
manufacturers have brought new offerings to
market in recent years. Their major challenge
remains the growing demand for so-called
two-pedal solutions in this sector, as automatic
units and existing CVT solutions are heavy,
expensive, and offer poor fuel consumption
compared with a manual transmission.
Variboxs RotorCVT concept is a truly
revolutionary CVT design that offers signicant
opportunities in the rapidly emerging two-
pedal automotive market. RotorCVT does
not compete with any existing transmission
solutions. Instead, it seeks to ll a unique gap
in the market for small passenger vehicles with
two, three or four cylinders. No CVTs exist
in this segment due to the high unit cost of
using existing commercial friction-drive CVT
technology. The low mechanical efciency of
low-cost rubber-belt technology is also not
suitable for this specic market.
RotorCVT, via its patented design, resulting in
the smooth power transfer from one ratchet to
the other.
Demonstrator vehicle
Varibox has been testing the RotorCVT
system in a three-cylinder Chevrolet Spark,
and the results suggest that the RotorCVTs
ability to provide a CVT option for this
microcar segment make it unique in the
global transmission industry. The test vehicle
is a 0.8-liter Chevrolet Spark that produces
38kW and 70Nm, while no modications to
the engine ECU were made and an in-house-
developed RotorCVT driving algorithm was
implemented.
The RotorCVT has a mass of only 40kg
and easily ts the existing design space of
the original manual transmission. No
structural modications were necessary,
and the existing gearbox mountings and
driveshafts to the wheels were used.
Extensive testing and analysis using the ECE
15 standard demonstrates the RotorCVT fuel
consumption to be within 0.7% of a manual
transmission, when comparing the new
technology with the same vehicle tted with
the original 5-speed manual transmission.
The RotorCVT, in volume production, can
be manufactured for an estimated 55% of the
cost of comparable two-pedal transmissions. It
also requires no additional capital investment,
and can easily be manufactured in existing
vehicle plants and architectures.
The single most important mission
for the CVT industry is to nd a way to
make CVTs either the same cost or less
expensive, and with a mass equal to or less
than, an equivalent AMT, while having fuel
consumption in the city cycle comparable
to that of a manual transmission. The
RotorCVT is the rst to accomplish this. TTi
68 CASE STUDY: VARIBOX
Newly developed two-pedal
CVT technology could offer
a lightweight, affordable
and fuel-efcient alternative
to manual transmissions
Two-pedal
CVT
solution
The rotor arm of the RotorCVT, a two-stage ratcheting CVT
design that incorporates a unique rotor and input to drive
the two stages. Early test results have indicated highly
smooth shifting and the capability to reduce emissions
Revolution, not evolution
The concept behind the Varibox RotorCVT
technology is groundbreaking. It has the
ability to not only calculate the desired
gear ratio, but to implement that ratio,
resulting in the power source operating at
optimum performance and efciency. It also
eliminates the large ratio steps in traditional
transmissions. Importantly, this is done at
a mechanical efciency level close to that of
a manual transmission.
The RotorCVT is a two-stage ratcheting
CVT incorporating a unique rotor as input to
drive the two stages, which results in a smooth
output. The RotorCVT is remarkably simple
in its design yet extremely robust, requiring no
special materials or manufacturing processes.
The unique shape of the rotor not only
enables large-force transfers to the rotor
follower bearings via line contact, but also
ensures a perfectly constant velocity for
the 180 force transfer duration in a given
ratio. Backlash is entirely eliminated in the
The graphic above shows variable ratio range with current ratio depending on axial position of follower units on the rotor
Compact and highly robust direct-drive BLDC motors are key to next-generation transmission
products, offering better performance output with reduced CO
2
emissions and fuel consumption
CASE STUDY: SONCEBOZ 69
Gearshift
enhancement
nManual and automatic gearboxes are
historically linked to the step gear design
transmission. However, going forward,
whether in a passenger car, truck, bus or off-
road vehicle application, advanced research is
continually being undertaken to improve the
efciency and performance of transmissions.
Furthermore, all current transmission designs,
including CVT, DCT, AMT, traditional manual
and automatic and less standardized solutions
for EVs, face new challenges relating to further
realizing superior fuel economy, lower CO2
emissions and enhanced driveability. However,
such challenging targets can be met through
the use of a compact, robust direct-drive
BLDC motor that has been designed and
developed by Sonceboz.
Mechatronic factor
The usage of mechatronic technology within
transmission applications will help OEMs
overcome challenges in calibration, shift
scheduling, shift sensing, actuation and
electronic feedback. Compared with a
standard transmission, a DCT can cut CO2
emissions by up to 8%. Power output is
handled seamlessly back and forth from one
clutchs control to the other within the DCT
arrangement, so an actuator can change gears
without interrupting the power ow from the
engine to the transmission. As a result, this
constant hand-off action, as well as gearbox
selection factors, calls for rugged, failsafe,
dynamic electric actuators with high torque
density. A torque management system that has
been recently created by Sonceboz reduces
shock loading in the powertrain and enhances
the driving experience. The system operates
by adjusting the torque supplied to the
transmission and delivered to the wheels on
a moment-by-moment basis, particularly
across all phases of a ratio change. That means
high resolution, high torque density and low
detent torque actuation are all realized. In
electric and hybrid vehicles, providing smooth
control of power, perfectly coordinated with
the motors output, is the transmissions main
job thanks to the two (or even single) gear
ratio. As a result, tight packaging constraints
demand an optimal integration into the
vehicle that cannot be accomplished without
compact, light, powerful, reliable electric
actuators and control electronics.
For all types of transmission technology or
gear displacements as well as catering to the
positioning of gear shifting a direct drive
brushless DC BLDC motor from Sonceboz is
already available on the market. The highly
dynamic 42mm diameter BLDC actuator can
offer a torque output up to 1.2Nm within
a length of 70mm, while ensuring very high
positioning precision of 6. Withstanding
temperatures from -40C to +140C, and
vibration up to 15g, it has the capacity
to operate in very harsh transmission
environments. In addition, its robustness
and reliability motion system has been
comprehensively proven in engine valve
control systems over the past few years. This
actuator technology has been developed on
magnetic design optimizations undertaken
with Moving Magnet Technologies, a Sonceboz
subsidiary that is dedicated to advanced
research in electromagnetism, actuator and
sensor developments. The patented design of
the stator/rotor offers one of the best torque
density outputs on the market, as well as
boasting great packaging exibility with
scalable performances. The electrical and
mechanical interfaces of this brushless drive
can be adapted to specications for an
optimized integration into any type of
transmission application. TTi
Above: The 42mm direct drive BLDC motor
thats dedicated to transmission applications
Below: The versatile design of the BLDC actuator
provides great mechanical performance and exibility
Metal gear solutions
n With more than 550 years of continuous
ironwork production under its belt, Buzuluk
is one of the oldest companies in the Czech
Republic. Its history can be traced back to
the 15
th
century, when the ironworks was
established in the Komarov area.
The company today is divided into two
independent strategic business units piston
rings and machined castings, and rubber
processing machinery. The former produces
engine components with a focus on high-
quality cast iron, nodular cast iron and steel
pistons, as well as sealing rings sized from
25-140mm in diameter. The coating
technology includes chromium, chrome-
ceramic, chrome diamond, molybdenum,
nitration, PVD and DLC. Raw and machined
castings production focuses on small parts
weighing up to 1.5kg for engines, gearboxes
and car bodies, with the former including
balance weights, valve seats, valve guides,
rocker arms, pin holders and gear supports.
Buzuluks main customer in the small-
engine segment is engineering company Stihl,
while Audi, Sollers and ZaZ are the main OE
customers in the Otto engine segment. In
the OE segment of diesel engines, Buzuluk
supplies to Lombardini, Czech tractor
producer Zetor and vehicle manufacturer
Tatra. Technically very interesting are the
rings for piston compressors for automotive
applications that Buzuluk produces, where oil
consumption requirements are 10 times lower
than in combustion engines.
Recently, Buzuluk cooperated closely with
vehicle control-system company Wabco in
building a special compressor-testing rig.
This rig has improved conditions for new
ring development. Development of a new
hydraulic-valve variable-timing system for
combustion engines is another segment
Buzuluk has explored. The rst rings were
created for VWs VR5 and VR6 engines, as
well as their W8 and W12 derivatives. This
followed supplies to VVT systems for the
Audi V6 and V8 units, as well as Porsche 996,
Bentley V8 and Mercedes-AMG powertrain
examples. The latest serial application of the
VVT ring is in the new Volvo VEP4 engine.
New strategy
The lower axial height of modern piston rings
and the production of steel rings opened up
a new strategy and extended the portfolio for
small castings and machined castings. The
most important machined casting project
undertaken by Buzuluk after 2006 was the
idle-gear support system for Fiats C635
gearbox. The part was rst designed in cast
steel with induction hardening, however
Buzuluk used a specially developed nodular
cast iron with high tensile strength of more
than 800MPa. Tests that were undertaken
in labs at Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT)
proved that the nodular cast iron setup could
be used easily and to great effect for idle-gear
support applications.
However, induction hardening of nodular
cast iron in a mass production application is
a complicated process, and following several
unsuccessful tests with specialist European
suppliers of induction hardening technology,
Buzuluk with the help of Martenzit, a Czech
supplier of induction hardening created its
own solution for the FPT project.
After several development steps and nal
design optimization, production of SOP2
commenced in 2009. Shortly after the arrival
of SOP2, FPT announced a cost-reduction
and quality-improvement program, which
enabled suppliers to propose design changes
to lower the cost or improve the quality of a
specic part or subsystem. As a result, based
on the better friction values of ductile cast iron
compared with cast steel, Buzuluk supplied
the parts to Fiat without induction hardening
for durability tests. These tests conrmed the
durability of specic parts with the new design,
and the elimination of induction hardening
saved about 10% of the cost of the part, which
is machined on new CNC machines. TTi
70 CASE STUDY: BUZULUK
New advances in the development of piston and sealing rings, as well as machined metal castings,
means that new parts can be manufactured more quickly and cheaply, and to higher standards
A component featuring the innovative idle-gear system A transmission part is modeled for 3D measuring analysis
Metal casting techniques
are helping to realize
transmission parts more
quickly and with greatly
improved quality
Graphic analysis of a part prior to design optimization
www.engine-expo.com/usa
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October 22-24, 2013
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!
When will electric vehicles particularly
those intended to work as everyday driving
units with common trafc be able to move
on from the concept of the single-speed or
CVT gear strategy? I realize why this
technology is used; it is sheer simplicity and
small packaging. Well, either that or the
engineers involved are getting too nostalgic
about their rst summer experiences driving
golf carts into ponds at the local course.
We journos, saddled with the great job of
driving, evaluating and reporting on all these
new EV and hybrid wonders, pretty much
have around two lines to say about the
transmission on these interesting new
products. The single-gear or continually
variable transmission works well at helping
sling the Such-and-Such E-Wondercar
forward. And its small and lightweight. Thats
about it. Is there really any more to say about
the EV transmission of today?
This is a chief challenge among the several
chiefmost (yes, that is a word where I am
from) issues to confront EV makers in
popularizing or creating some sort of
appealing legend for these new green
machines. How do we avoid the huge pink
elephant in the room telling us these cars are
mostly just sucking the life out of driving?
And the transmission strategy is a chief
protagonist among the chieftains.
(Please just bear with my
word use here!)
Personally
speaking, I wish
the new BMWi
adventure all the
zippy good
fortune in the
world as it bravely takes on a skeptical reality
lled with predominantly idiot online
commentary put forth by people who never
close their mouths while breathing. It is a
tough scenario, for selling 30,000 units of the
EV and/or hybrid versions of the very stylized
i3 a car that is really and honestly intended
to scare the manufacturers of all conventional
IC engine-powered smaller people movers
will not be an easy task.
But the forward-moving gear of the i3 is as
large as an extruded aluminum appetizer plate
machined into the right-hand side of the
housing for the Bosch e-motor and EPU. Blink
and youll miss it. Its a 1:10 simplistic reduction
gear from BMWs own transmission plant in
Dingolng. And its a snore fest. Works great,
but this is hardly the issue as you can tell from
my always subjective approach to these things.
I suggested to the BMWi development
engineer explaining things to me in the i3 that
72 LAST WORD
Matt Davis
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
the stumpy arm in the two-oclock position on
the steering column be called hold your
breath now the drive select unit. Or perhaps
just a sassy DSU will do. Once the EPU and
digital dash are on and humming a bit, I can
grab the twisty part at the end of the DSU
stump, turn it away from my person, and that
one-speed 1:10 Formula 1 racing transmission
is good to go, man.
And then I never so much as think about
gearing or cogs or nothin for the rest of the
day as I and my fellow zombies whisper
around the obstacle course at a decommissioned
aireld in our BMW EVs.
This sort of story is not at all why magazines
like this one were created. Can we not work
an EV or hybrid into something more
emotionally valid for the masses, starting with
variations on a standard multi-ratio manual
gearbox with actual detents to the shift gate?
Please just dont let the e-zombies win! TTi
How do we avoid the huge pink elephant
in the room telling us these cars are
mostly just sucking the life out of driving?
The i3 is propelled by an electric
motor developed internally by BMW,
with the instantaneous power to
the rear wheels being channeled
via a single-speed transmission
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In this issue:

Mercedes-Benz unveils its all-new

Extensive OEM reports

Special sessions 2013: CVT, Commercial

Delegates from over 20 countries

More than 80 experts speeches and

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