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January 2014 | Volume 3 | Issue 1www.autotechreview.com

POWERED BY

18 INTERVIEW

Jayant Davar, Founder,

Co-Chairman and Managing Director,

Sandhar Technologies Limited

22 TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT

Fuel Economy of Future Indian

Road Vehicles

76 NEW VEHICLE

Royal Enfield Continental GT —

Iconic Past, Promising Future

CHASING EFFICIENCY —ACROSS-THE-BOARD DEVELOPMENTS

Complete solutions in precisionmetallic coil springsComplete solutions in precisionmetallic coil springs

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ISO 9001

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Dear Reader,

There is a visible change in the political discourse of the country, and over the next few

months we are likely to see many changes taking shape. How good that would be for the

country in the long-run is yet not clear, but there seems to be some bit of urgency for

change considering many months of overall lacklustre growth.

The automotive industry too had an uninspiring 2013, and one is hopeful of some positive

movement once a new government takes centre stage in mid-2014. A combination of

factors – general economic slowdown, high interest rates and increasing fuel prices –

continue to affect the industry. How the industry comes out of this slowdown is what

would perhaps sieve out the winners. There are a multitude of challenges, but the outlook

continues to remain positive.

There are internal concerns as well. There is little doubt about the Indian industry’s

manufacturing capability, and the engineering knowledge and potential. There is

optimism about the role technology can play in India’s development, but companies need

a more favourable regulatory environment.

Like many in the industry point out, there is a need for a change of mindset – a mindset

that will encourage innovations, and a mindset that will allow excellence to be nurtured.

We often take pride in the strength of our young population, and the number of

engineering graduates we produce every year, but employability remains a concern.

Moreover, there are growing concerns about the lack of collaboration among the industry,

academia and government laboratories. A change there would be welcome in 2014.

Yet another challenge for the Indian automotive suppliers is the growing domination of

larger global suppliers in the market. Investments are being made in setting up plants, and

establishing R&D centres with support from their worldwide centres – leaving little room for

small, regional players to catch up. Thanks to their position in the global market, these large

players are more likely to exploit the opportunities arising out of global vehicle platforms.

2014 offers a new opportunity to relook and review some of our past decisions.

ENVISAGING 2014

DEEPANGSHU DEV SARMAH

Editor-in-Chief

New Delhi, January 2014

@deepangshu

1autotechreview.com January 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 1

ED ITOR IAL

COVER STORY


30, 38, 44, 50 | The push for efficiency has certainly been the largest driver of innovation in the global auto-

motive industry in more than 100 years of its existence. Almost every new innovation, be it even a motor in

the seat, is aimed at improving efficiency apart from its core purpose. The number of new technologies

launched in the past few years surpasses the achievements of a past few decades. Such has been the push

in interest of the environment. In this issue, our second anniversary special, Auto Tech Review takes a look at

some of the key technologies and trends in pursuit of higher efficiency.

Volvo Drive-E DNE engine

2

16 Standardisation of LED Photometry

Tony Bergen, Technical Director, Photometric

Solutions International

GUEST COMMENTARY

INTERVIEW

18 “Business in India is Done In Spite of

the Government”

Jayant Davar, Founder, Co-Chairman and Managing

Director, Sandhar Technologies Limited

Editor-in-Chief: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah

[email protected] / @deepangshu

Principal Correspondent: Arpit Mahendra

[email protected] / @arpitmahendra3

Senior Correspondent: Naveen Arul (Bangalore)

[email protected] / @naveenarul

Deputy Manager – Ad Sales: Sudeep Kumar

[email protected]

Senior Executive – Ad Sales: Pramodh R (Bangalore)

[email protected]

Manager – Events: Chanakya Mehta

[email protected]

Design & Production: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay

[email protected]

NEWS

4 Interactions

11 Event

12 News

TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT

22 Fuel Economy of Future

Indian Road Vehicles

Arghya Sardar

COVER STORY

30 Powertrain Efficiency Through

Friction Reduction

Johannes Beulshausen, Johannes Geiger,

Stefan Pischinger, Bernd-Robert Höhn

38 Efficiency Unlocking with

Integrated Power Electronics

Thomas Pfund, Matthias Gramann,

Martin Fritz, Eduard Enderle

44 Thermal Insulation of Electric

Vehicle Cabins

Steffen Wirth, Marco Eimler, Frank Niebling

50 Lightweight Design for More

Energy Efficiency

Martin Hillebrecht, Jörg Hülsmann,

Andreas Ritz, Udo Müller

TECHNOLOGY

56 Weight Savings Through New

Polyamide Used in Natural Gas Tanks

Maik Schulte, Günter Margraf,

Dietmar Müller

60 Double Barrel Hydraulic Power

Steering Gear

Chandrakant Dange

64 Delphi Connection Systems —

Pitching Growth with SRS

SHOPFLOOR

70 Faurecia Technical Centre India —

Cost Conscious, Quality Assured

NEW VEHICLE

76 Royal Enfield Continental GT —


DECODING TECHNOLOGY

80 Beyond The Green Myopia:

Vehicle Efficiency

Arun Jaura

OTHERS

01 Editorial

03 Imprint

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3autotechreview January 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 1

CONTENTS

INTERACT ION KNORR-BREMSE, MAGNETI MARELLI

4 www.autotechreview.com

KNORR-BREMSE | SCALING UP TECH CAPABILITY FOR FUTURE GROWTH

The present health of the Indian commercial

vehicle industry is in a bad shape, and while

some believe the bottom has been touched, others

aren’t sure yet. Echoing this thought was Kithur

Mohamed, Managing Director, Knorr-Bremse

Commercial Vehicle Systems India, during a

conversation with us at the company’s commer-

cial vehicle factory in Pune, Maharashtra. Knorr-

Bremse is one of the leading companies in com-

mercial vehicle (CV) braking systems globally.

BUSINESS – LOWEST YET?

Mohamed told us that under present circumstanc-

es it’s very hard to tell if things could deteriorate

further. However, once the curve goes on an

incline again, the company will be ready to meet

the increased demand. Making the best of this

situation, the company is readying itself for better

times through implementing measures for im-

proving productivity. Such methods reduce the

cycle times and make work easier for the work-

force, allowing quality engineers to make further

improvements in the products, said Mohamed.

The company also operates a technical centre

in India, aimed at the local as well as global

markets, which is presently working aggressively

on developing new and efficient products, added

Mohamed. About 120 engineers are presently

working in the centre collectively on railways and

CV braking systems. The centre plays a vital role

in the company’s global plans as it’s only the third

technical centre of the company outside Germany.

It focuses on leveraging the low-cost manufactur-

ing of India in terms of software and hardware, he

added. Expansion is on the cards at the centre,

and the number of engineers would be ramped up

to 200 as early as mid-2014.

The technical centre’s global bandwidth lends

the company an opportunity to explore interna-

tional markets. Mohamed expects exports to

account for a considerable portion of total reve-

nues starting this year. With a target of about 35

% share for exports, Mohamed believes that the

company’s risks would be well distributed, giving

it greater stability during cyclical fluctuations in

one region.

Talking of the long-term prospects, he told

us that Indian CV market will surely deliver on

promised growth as the

ratio of vehicles to pop-

ulation is still too low

and a lot of economic

development is yet to be

made. While multiple

factors have injected

sluggishness in the

market, the entry of

many new players in the

segment is a testimony

of the future that India

offers. By the start of

2015, things could start

improving and unlike

passenger cars, most

new CV makers have

unique offerings and

would not compete with

each other as fiercely as carmakers do.

Knorr-Bremse is also looking at legislations to

drive growth in the coming years as talks and

concerns about safety and mandating systems

such as ABS continue to grow. The company is

presently supplying to almost all CV makers in the

country, with a varying range of product penetra-

tion. Helping the company is the fact that compa-

nies such as Daimler and Volvo are already buying

from Knorr-Bremse outside India and hence find it

easier to source parts from them here as well,

rather than look for a new vendor.

Talking of upcoming trends in India, Mohamed

said that the Indian CV market largely consists of

a drum brake set-up. The next step would be the

transition to a disc set-up, which would signifi-

cantly enhance safety. Another technology is ESP

for CVs, which is yet to be introduced in India.

Knorr-Bremse is presently working on such a

system for an undisclosed customer. Once intro-

duced, this system could significantly reduce the

toppling of vehicles. An indigenous development

he talked about was the Anti-Roll Back system,

which will prevent the vehicle from rolling back on

hills and inclines. The system will be commercial-

ly launched sometime in 2014 and will be offered

to all customers.

OUTLOOK

Mohamed highlighted Knorr-Bremse’s unique

ability to offer end-to-end solutions in the CV

safety domain, which makes it easier and eco-

nomical for customers to partner with them. He

added that no other company presently offers a

complete range of safety products like Knorr-

Bremse, making them the only full safety solution

providers for CVs. The low-penetration of seven to

eight per cent for ABS in CVs also provides a high

ceiling for the company to grow, he added. He

foresees stronger demand for ABS in buses, espe-

cially the ones offered by international OEMs.

The present installed production capacity at the

Pune facility is about 85,000 vehicle sets per year

with room for further expansion. Only about 50 % of

the plant is occupied, leaving the remaining space

for expansion, particularly for exports.

TEXT: Arpit Mahendra

autotechreview 5January 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 1

MAGNETI MARELLI | BETTING ON ELECTRONICS FOR NEXT PHASE OF GROWTH

Leading global automotive supplier, Magneti

Marelli and Hero MotoCorp, the largest two-wheel-

er maker in the world recently inked a joint

venture agreement for development of powertrain

systems for the two- and three-wheeler market.

Soon after the announcement, we got a chance to

speak with Eugenio Razelli, CEO, Magneti Marelli

for an insight into the scope of the JV, and the

company’s overall plans in India.

THE NEW JV

The newly-formed joint venture, christened Hero

MotoCorp Magneti Marelli Auto Limited (HMCMM),

has an ownership stake split into 60:40, with Hero

MotoCorp holding the larger share. The main

system to be manufactured by the JV is the elec-

tronic fuel injection (EFI), a technology which is

yet to be adopted on a mass-scale in the Indian

two-wheeler market. Razelli told us that two-

wheelers without EFI will find it hard to meet

emission norms beyond 2015, and by 2020 EFI

could become a popular technology in the market.

HMCMM’s production plant will be constructed

at a yet-to-be-announced location by 2015. In the

initial phase, both companies will cooperate on the

design and development of solutions for motorcy-

cles. The focus from Magneti Marelli’s side will be

to enhance the technical aspect of powertrain

systems by adding electronic content to them.

Under the agreement, the JV will also develop

and produce products in the area of electronic

engine management, including the ride-by-wire

technology, said Razelli. He added that since this

technology electronically

handles the power require-

ments of the engine, it optimis-

es the operation in addition to

laying the technical base re-

quired to enable future solu-

tions for hybrid engines associ-

ated with the transmission to

be fitted on two-wheelers.

Razelli told us that the

company is focusing on small,

light and low-cost solutions

with high electronic content for

India. He said that markets

such as India and China offer

good growth potential due to the

high volumes. Also, having elec-

tronics on a motorcycle makes it easier to develop

newer and efficient sub-systems such as traction

control and tilt sensor, making the vehicles safer, a

key requirement for many developing markets, in-

cluding India.

Since the JV is open to two-wheeler makers

beyond Hero MotoCorp, Magneti Marelli has a lot

more flexibility in terms of developing new low-

cost solutions. By 2017-18, Razelli expects the JV

company to post revenues of about $ 80 mn,

which could double by 2020.

FUTURE PRODUCTS

Beyond the JV, Magneti Marelli continues to work on

the Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) for the

Indian market. We were told that the transmission

technology could be commercially launched in the

country sometime in 2014, in the A and B segment

cars. This would make the technology accessible to

the masses and further open up development pos-

sibilities. In the beginning, the AMT might be im-

ported but will later be localised, said Razelli.

From the JV’s perspective, Razelli said that

the opportunities for growth of electronics are

large and plenty in the two-wheeler space. Citing

examples, he added that an ECU can be used to

send information to the instrument cluster and

similar to cars, smartphones can be used to

manage certain features in a two-wheeler. Cus-

tomers could also have the option of changing

pre-loaded engine maps using their paired

smartphones/ tablets based on their riding re-

quirements. This could further improve the effi-

ciency of two-wheelers.

Highlighting the importance of software in the

electronic systems today, Razelli informed us that

an advanced ECU has about one million lines of

software data. The new infotainment system of

BMW, developed by Magneti Marelli has 33 mn

lines of data. To add perspective, the Windows 8

operating system consists of 35 mn lines of data!

The company is quite upbeat about the poten-

tial of electronics in India. Instrument clusters in

present two-wheelers have transitioned from me-

chanical to electrical and the company already

has a strong presence in this area through

another JV. Human machine interface (HMI) is

another area, which the company is positive about

and had recently entered into a JV with Faurecia

to develop advanced HMIs. This development

though is more focused at the global market.

Razelli added that with increasing environmental

awareness and the integration of smart-

phones with vehicles, the automotive in-

dustry globally is experiencing a wave of

innovation unlike the past.

Coming back to the Indian business,

he told us that the Indian market present-

ly contributes about four per cent to

overall global sales and is expected to in-

crease its contribution to about 10 % by

2017-18, translating into a two-fold

growth. The factors and product areas

mentioned above along with some more

will play a vital role in the company’s

growth plans in the years to come.

TEXT: Arpit MahendraPort fuel injectors made by Magneti Marelli (for reference purpose only)

INTERACT ION MICHELIN, SANSERA ENGINEERING


MICHELIN | LOW-RESISTANCE TYRES FOR IMPROVED EFFICIENCY

Tyres are a critical link in a vehicle’s quest for

efficiency. Of the multiple forces that a tyre en-

counters, rolling resistance is one of the most

important challenges for engineers. In order to

understand the phenomena of rolling resistance

better and the ways to reduce it, we met Randy

Clark, Vice-President, Norms & Regulations,

Michelin Group for an interaction recently.

ROLLING RESISTANCE –

CAUSE & SOLUTIONS

Clark told us that rolling resistance is one of the

many drag forces acting on a tyre, which in-

crease fuel consumption. Explaining its cause,

Clark said that rolling resistance is caused due

to the flexing of the tyre structure. Every time a

tyre goes through a revolution, the weight on it

causes the structure to flex and get back into

shape once out of load, in a process known as

Hysteresis. The energy absorbed by the tyre while

regaining its shape is always lesser than that

used to flexing it, leading to a loss of energy

created by the engine. As a tyre gets hotter, the

rolling resistance increases, leading to higher

fuel consumption. The impact of hysteresis can

be determined by the fact that of the energy re-

quired for rotating a tyre, anywhere between 0 %

and 15 % is exerted by aerodynamic drag. The

remaining is largely a result of the bending,

compression and shearing of the tyre.

Rolling resistance’s intensity, however,

depends on multiple factors such as the rubber

compound of a tyre. Tread patterns also make a

significant difference, wherein shallow ribs can

lower the rolling resistance, while deep lugs can

increase it. The tyre’s internal structure too makes

a difference, be it radial or bias. A radial tyre’s

structure is such that it generates less heat and

therefore low rolling resistance than a bias tyre.

Clark primarily talked about rolling resist-

ance and its effects on commercial vehicles and

mentioned that tyres alone account for about

1/3rd of the total drag on a truck. Every 10 % re-

duction in rolling resistance can lead to a fuel

saving between three and four per cent. In India,

owing to the factors mentioned above, rolling re-

sistance can vary by a margin of over 30 %.

Also, overloading significantly increases the

rolling resistance, further lowering the fuel effi-

ciency of commercial vehicles in India. Clark

also told us that based on the discussed param-

eters rolling resistance can not only increase

fuel efficiency but decrease emissions as well.

Citing the role that low-rolling resistance

tyres can play in improving the operational effi-

ciencies of truck fleets, Clark referred to a case

study from the US. The Oak Ridge National Labo-

ratory monitored 20 trucks over an actual fleet

distance of 10 lakh km and found out that low-

rolling resistance tyres alone lead to a fuel

savings of about nine per cent.

BALANCING THE SCALE

As is the case with most technologies, pursuing

higher efficiency in one operational parameter

leads to inefficiency in another, forcing the engi-

neers to accept such sacrifices at times. It’s

commonly thought that low-resistance tyres sac-

rifice grip in order to lower the rolling resistance,

but Clark pointed that this isn’t a mandatory re-

quirement. He added that there are multiple

choices available to a tyre maker to lower rolling

resistance beyond lowering the grip. Apart from

shifting from bias to radial, one could create a

low-rolling resistance sidewall rubber. This

would lower the resistance without affecting the

grip, which is dependent on the tread rubber. In

addition, various combinations of tread patterns

and compounds can lower resistance without af-

fecting grip.

Clark added that although rolling resistance

cannot be eliminated, there is potential to lower

it significantly. Low-rolling resistance tyres

hence could play an important part for the

growing automotive industry of India, which is

expected to witness a seven per cent growth in

vehicle kilometres in the next 10 years. Also, the

country’s trucks transiting from bias tyres to

radial tyres should help improve efficiency. A fo-

cussed approach on low-resistance tyres for

commercial vehicles then is a good way for India

to enhance its transportation efficiency in the

coming years, concluded Clark.


Expressway/ Quadrilateral

slow stop/ go (State

highways)

Regular load (equal

to limits)X = 3.4 X = 4.6

50% above legal limits

X = 2.2 X = 3.1

Factor Linking RR and Fuel Economy Example: 6X4 Truck

Truck Loading

Route

Δ RR%/ X = Δ FE%


SANSERA ENGINEERING | EYEING THREE-FOLD GROWTH IN FOUR YEARS

In July 2013, the private equity unit of Citigroup

Inc, Citi Venture Capital International bought a

‘substantial stake’ in the Bangalore-based

manufacturer of precision engineered compo-

nents, Sansera Engineering Pvt Ltd. The deal,

worth ` 340 cr, is aimed at primarily growing the

company three-fold over the next four years, and

also to partly buy shares of promoters.

In a recent interaction, FR Singhvi, Joint Man-

aging Director, Sansera Engineering Pvt Ltd said

the company is looking at manufacturing certain

other critical auto parts, as also investing in

growing its newly-started Aerospace division for

machining of aerospace parts. About 96 % of

Sansera’s business is from the automotive sector.

Singhvi said the company would also explore ac-

quisitions, if found suitable.

As a company, Sansera produces world-class

quality at Indian prices. And automation has been

a key enabler in that regard. Bulk of the R&D re-

sources at Sansera is used in automating pro-

cesses at its various facilities. A number of pro-

cesses have already been automated, including

the machining of connecting rods as well as the

process of forging. The fully-automated forging

machine at Sansera is one of a very small number

present in the country, Singhvi said.

NEW PRODUCTS

The producer of engine components such as crank

shaft assemblies, rocker arms, connecting rods,

gear shifter forks and fuel injection parts, among

others, Sansera has recently begun manufactur-

ing of gear shifters for Honda Cars India. Interest-

ingly, these gear shifters are now made by the

process of forging and machining, instead of

earlier product made from sheet metal. Singhvi

said this product is now being used in about 13 of

Honda’s engines, including some export models.

More recently, Sansera has been supplying

sintered sprockets to a large OEM that had a

product recall a few months ago due to the failure

of its sprockets in its turbo-charged engines. The

OEM was already being supplied rocker arms and

connecting rods by Sansera. This sprocket is now

being manufactured by forging, and is being sup-

plied on a daily basis for the past few months in

five or six different countries.

The company is also entering into the pro-

duction of parts like common-rail injector body

and fuel injectors for fuel injection systems. This

is in conjunction with supplying these parts to

Bosch, which is a new business that the

company has entered into. Bosch is the first

Tier-I supplier that Sansera has begun manufac-

turing products for. Another product that

Sansera is looking at exploring is that of single-

piece crankshafts for two-wheelers.

IN-HOUSE MACHINES

To begin with, having to manufacture class

leading products for the global market with

Indian machines, and at Indian prices, was a

challenge. Imported machines provided the re-

quired quality, but would not justify the prices.

This led the company to manufacture its own ma-

chines two decades back, or add parts to existing

machines in order to make parts to its specifica-

tions. “Machines developed in-house can be de-

signed to be focussed more to the components

that are being produced,” said Singhvi adding

these machines can be made more efficient, by

way of power consumption and space, and

thereby reducing production cost.

A machine is also made in-house when there is

a need to combine operations or processes within a

very short time. Designing of new machinery does

not involve too much R&D, noted Singhvi, but

rather comes from needs that are practical and

commercial in nature. Developing machines not

only help Sansera from the production cost point of

view, but also enables the company to manufacture

components to precise specifications.

There, however, are no immediate plans to

market these machines, Singhvi said, but could

consider that later.

FOCUSSED R&D

In addition to its own R&D requirements, Sansera

Engineering also undertakes R&D of products on

behalf of i development, and provides designing,

modelling and testing capabilities to them. Virtual

testing, in fact, is a key capability at Sansera.

Sansera invests roughly around one per cent to

1.5 % of its revenue into R&D.

TEXT: Naveen Arul

INTERACT ION KUKA


KUKA ROBOTICS | FLEXIBLE INNOVATIONS TO DRIVE GROWTH

At a time when most companies are struggling to

keep their sales charts abuzz, the mention of

growth comes as a pleasant change. Knowing that

the growth is the best ever in the past few years is

even more interesting and intriguing. KUKA Robot-

ics (India) Pvt Ltd is one such company and to learn

how that was achieved, we caught up with Raj

Singh Rathee, Managing Director.

Rathee claimed the company is largely unaf-

fected by the downturn, since bulk of its sales

was realised prior to the downturn. Having said

that, the current slowdown has largely affected

commercial vehicles sales, and KUKA hasn’t got

any new business from this sector in 2013. The

growth in the UV segment, nonetheless, is to an

extent offsetting the slowdown in the CV

segment, said Rathee. “We’re looking at in-

creased automation business in this segment in

the coming times,” he said.

The sudden spurt in UV sales is a cause of

concern, said Rathee, where one successful product

is overtaken by another in the next few months.

Such quickly changing consumer demands put

huge pressures on OEMs to develop new models

more frequently. “The only way of doing it without

spending much is by having a flexible manufactur-

ing system,” he said.

The two-wheeler industry, meanwhile, is not on

the company’s radar. Due to the size of two-wheel-

ers, the number of robots required per thousand

components is significantly less than four-wheel-

ers, and doesn’t make viable business sense.

NEW PRODUCTS

KUKA robots are one of the most flexible in the

world and aren’t line-specific, Rathee claimed.

This means that the user can shift one robot from

a line to another as per production demands.

Another aspect is that the hardware on the lines

also needs to be flexible in order to accommodate

the robot’s reprogrammable abilities. Not all com-

panies offer the high level of all-round flexibility

as KUKA does and this is what will help the

company grow despite the present challenges,

said Rathee.

Rathee told us that KUKA has launched a series

of new robots in the recent past, including the ad-

dition of a wash proof robot to the small robot

series. An even recent introduction was the Quantec

Nano robot series, which has been specially de-

signed to support the automotive industry. These

robots are a result of increasing requirements from

automotive OEMs for higher payload capacity, yet

smaller dimensions than the present generations.

For example, a robot with a smaller footprint can go

easily under the body without any need for addi-

tional space for the entire assembly system.

In the heavier category, the company has

added new robots to its heavy payload series, in-

creasing it to a maximum of 600 kg. KUKA is pres-

ently the only company to have launched a robot

in this segment, giving it a newer segment to add

business from. A key introduction for the future is

the LBR iiwa series of robots, which is a small

robot weighing just about 14 kg with high flexibil-

ity. It has an integrated four-stroke sensor inside

each of its seven axes. Unlike a normal robot, the

iiwa robots have a better feedback from their

sensors and hence do not cause damage to a

surface during operation. Rathee informed us of a

recent adoption of the light weight robots (LWR)

by Daimler at its Mettingen plant. The LWR, devel-

oped in cooperation with the German Aerospace

Center, is being used in series production for the

first time in rear axle assembly by Daimler, high-

lighting its flexibility to carry out newer functions

and tasks.

He added that he sees a good potential for this

robot in assembly operation with OEMs. This again

is a new segment since robot utilisation in the as-

sembly segment is very low presently. Also, this

series of robots is completely safe to be used along-

side humans on the assembly line, the lack of

which has limited the use of robots in assembly

lines. Rathee also told us about an interesting use

of KUKA robots outside the automotive industry.

Many of the complex shots in the popular movie

Gravity were shot using KUKA robots, highlighting

the flexibility of the robots. With such flexibility and

focus on new product segments, Rathee is certain

that KUKA will continue to grow despite the market

fluctuations and cyclical changes.


INTERACT ION 3M


3M AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET DIVISION | EXPECTING ROBUST GROWTH

Vehicle detailing and care have become essential

parts of any vehicle owner’s regular maintenance

cycle. While organised car detailing is somewhat

new in the Indian context, one name that is

almost synonymous with car detailing, 3M, has

set high aspirations from the Indian market in the

near term. We spoke to Ninad Gadgil, Division

Manager, Automotive Aftermarket, 3M for an

insight into 3M’s business in India.

While the future looks promising, the current

market slowdown has had an impact on the Auto-

motive Aftermarket Division (AAD) of 3M, as many

of its products are used for new cars. But AAD

measures its business by the service traffic

growth and the repair order growth, which has

been satisfactory, Gadgil said. Although AAD has

been in the aftermarket since 2005, the last two

years have seen good growth, he said.

3M’s AAD consists of two business lines – col-

lision repair and auto care business. While it is

known for its auto care business, Gadgil pointed

out that the collision repair business was intro-

duced in the Indian market two decades back in

1993, and supplies products equally to OEM-

owned, as well as unorganised workshops.

The only product that 3M AAD does not manu-

facture for collision repairs is the paint itself, but

products used inside the booth, like 3M Dirt Trap

Protection System, booth filters, and paint prepa-

ration systems are manufactured by the company.

“The car detailing business is nascent here in

India, and awareness is being created only now,”

Gadgil explained.

3M AAD has presence in about 400 author-

ised two-wheeler dealerships across leading

manufacturers, including Bajaj Auto, HMSI,

Yamaha and TVS. Its products are also made

available through the spare parts retail counters

of the two-wheeler OEMs. A number of C and D

workshops also use its products.

BUSINESS AND EXPERTISE

The AAD accounts for about 15 % of revenues of

3M India, and it has some unique solutions that

differentiate it from competition. The emphasis is

on launching products that are new, unique and

differentiated from competition, Gadgil said. Fur-

thermore, apart from differentiated products, the

overall advice and guidance to its customers on

the proper use of those products is something

that 3M claims as a unique offering.

One of the newest products launched by 3M

AAD is its Scotchgard Paint Protection Film, which

was launched in June 2012. This film provides

abrasion resistance and helps reduce the number

of scratches on a car, which results in lesser

repairs and touch-ups by the owner. Manufac-

tured in the USA, this product was launched in

Bangalore and Pune, and within two months, was

taken to the rest of the country, Gadgil noted. The

company is now in the process of launching this

system at car dealerships.

3M GermKleen Treatment for car interiors was

launched in the last quarter of 2012, and is a

product that was developed locally for the Indian

market. People in India tend to spend a lot of time

in their cars due to traffic woes, and also

consume food and beverages while inside their

cars. This leads to microbial growth in the interi-

ors that the GermKleen treatment addresses, with

a claim of 99 % bacteria removal.

Another product that was completely devel-

oped in India recently was the Ventura dust ex-

traction machine. This machine is used with hand

sanders to provide a dust-free environment, and

works on a capillary or venturi action, thus

erasing the need for electricity.

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

The company invests about 5-6 % of its annual

revenue on R&D, and has three centres in India,

at Bangalore, Gurgaon and Pune. While the Pune

facility is a small laboratory, Bangalore operates

as a laboratory and innovation centre. The Banga-

lore facility has a full-fledged paint booth for

training, and seats a bulk of the product develop-

ment engineers from India. Meanwhile, Gurgaon

houses a customer technical centre. This facility

showcases a range of 3M technologies, and is a

place to bring in customers and provide training

on products relating to collision repair and auto

care. The main goal of these centres is to bring

out products that cater to the exclusive needs of

Indian customers.

OUTLOOK

3M AAD also has a strong presence in the market

pertaining to sealants, which are used in replac-

ing windshields and as body sealants at weld

spots. The windshield sealant is used in applica-

tion of windshields for passenger cars and com-

mercial vehicles, as well. Gadgil said that the

company is seriously evaluating the possibility

of entering the commercial vehicle segment in

the future.

TEXT: Naveen Arul

EVENT SIMCOMVEC 2013


SAEINDIA | 1ST SIMCOMVEC SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED IN CHENNAI

The 8th SAEINDIA International Mobility Confer-

ence and 1st Commercial Vehicle Engineering

Congress (SIMCOMVEC), organised by the Society

of Automotive Engineers India (SAEINDIA) in

Chennai recently, dealt with the contemporary

challenges of sustainable technologies for safe

and smart mobility.

Held under the theme of “Technologies for

Safe, Green and Connected Vehicles” in India,

the event aimed at bringing together the indus-

try, academia and government to ideate new

technologies and their implementation for the

benefit of the country. The four-day event at-

tracted over 800 participants from India and

other countries.

The event was broken into four plenary ses-

sions and 32 technology sessions, wherein pres-

entations were made on subjects ranging from

advance engine technology to simulation & mod-

elling; from hybrid & electric vehicles to braking

and steering systems, on-board diagnostics and

suspension systems. Presentations were also

made on alternative fuels, automotive electron-

ics, noise vibration & harshness, emission con-

trols, advanced materials, advances in HVAC

systems, advanced manufacturing and virtual

prototyping and testing.

Highlighting the importance of focusing on

green technologies, Dr Pawan Goenka, Patron,

SIMCOMVEC 2013 & Execu-

tive Director & President –

Automotive & Farm Equip-

ment Sectors, Mahindra &

Mahindra Ltd called for

government subsidies in

promoting the use of envi-

ronmentally-friendly vehi-

cles in the country.

“Emerging markets have a

great potential for sustain-

able vehicles and cleaner

energy. OEMs are investing

in R&D for better technolo-

gies and alternative fuel,

having government subsi-

dies will aid in promoting

the use of vehicles that are

more environment-friendly

and also help in conserva-

tion of resources. E-mobili-

ty will be at the core of

sustainable mobility solutions,” he said.

A panel discussion on “Developing tomor-

row’s synergistic solutions for commercial and

personal mobility in emerging markets” was

moderated by Dr Arun Jaura, MD and founder,

TRAKTION. The fusion of inter-disciplinary engi-

neering is a solution for the future of mobility,

noted speakers. Other solutions like making

commercial applications of the industry appro-

priately fast, safe, cost-effective and sustaina-

ble were also discussed. Panellists also noted

that a healthy interaction between departments

handling road mobility, and authorities handling

other modes of transportation, like rail and ship-

ping was needed.

Three axioms cannot be overlooked while

searching for solutions concerning the future of

personal and private mobility, said Dr Aravind

Bharadwaj, Head, Technology, TPDS, Automotive

and Farm Equipment sectors, Mahindra & Mahin-

dra Ltd. First, mobility requirement of the country

is increasing at an exponential rate, along with

the growth in population, requiring attention.

Next, the problem of shrinkage of energy resourc-

es, and the costs involved in the movement of

people and goods should be looked into. Finally,

the issue of maintaining emissions norms and

keeping the air clean is a factor that the industry

needs to look into, Dr Bharadwaj said.

Bharat Vedak, VP, India Technical Centre &

DCV, John Deere highlighted the perspective of

commercial vehicles in providing solutions for

future mobility. He mentioned the changing re-

quirements of CV customers in emerging markets

like India, and the way in which fulfilling these re-

quirements would help in future mobility.

The industry should look at employing more

active safety solutions and creating intelligent

transport systems, said Shrikant Marathe, Presi-

dent, SAE India & Director, ARAI. He added that

solutions for future mobility should be built on

enforcement of stringent safety and emission

norms, using intermodal transport systems and

creating a robust roadmap for the future of mo-

bility. With regards to personal transportation,

people should travel only when required, thereby

reducing congestion and pollution, he said.

In conclusion, speakers noted that in the

future, it is important for the industry to make

vehicles more connected and smart, in both the

passenger and commercial segments. In addi-

tion, newer technologies in alternate and hybrid

fuel systems are required. The need to accept

virtual prototyping by the industry and regulatory

authorities was discussed as well. The valedic-

tory address was rendered by Dr T Ramasami,

Secretary, Department of Science and Technolo-

gy, Government of India.

NEWS MISCELLANEOUS


EICHER | CV MAKER GOES ‘PRO’ WITH NEW LINE-UP

ISUZU MOTORS | LAUNCHES LOCALLY-ASSEMBLED MU-7 SUV

Isuzu Motors India launched the locally-assem-

bled MU-7 SUV in December 2013, at a price of

` 22 lakh for the BS III variant and ` 22.3 lakh,

ex-showroom, Chennai, for the BS IV variant. The

MU-7 will be manufactured at the Thiruvallur,

Chennai plant of Hindustan Motors Ltd (HML).

Isuzu has a contract manufacturing agreement

with HML, under which HML is contract assem-

bling CKD kits of the MU-7 and D-Max, a pick-up

truck. Isuzu’s plant in Sri City, Hyderabad is

likely to be operational by 2015-16, for which the

company has earmarked a total investment of

` 3,000 cr. Once operational, the plant is expect-

ed to have production capacity of 100,000 to

120,000 units.

The MU-7 is

powered by a 3 l diesel

engine, developing

about 160 hp and 360

Nm of torque and is one

of the longest SUVs in

India with a wheelbase

of three metre. The sev-

en-seat SUV also offers

Isuzu Insight, a data

analysis feature. Insight

allows for data to be

sourced from the ECU of the MU-7, helping its

customers monitor and analyse their individual

driving habits. MU-7 customers can identify

areas of improvement in fuel efficiency, vehicle

safety and performance. Insight can evaluate

each individual’s driving, while taking into con-

sideration his/her unique driving & usage re-

quirements, conditions and environment. It looks

at parameters such as fuel-efficiency, speed,

engine idling & RPM, braking and acceleration.

By the end of 2015-16, the company plans to

increase its network to 60 outlets. Takashi

Kikuchi, MD, Isuzu Motors India Pvt Ltd said the

start of local assembly in India is the culmina-

tion of extensive research over the last three

years to understand the Indian market. “In the

next five years, our focus will be to accelerate

our business and establish Isuzu as an impor-

tant player in the pick-up trucks and utility vehi-

cles market in India,” he added.

Come February, and VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV)

would bring to the market a completely new range

of trucks and buses from the Eicher brand, under a

new series called ‘Pro’. Unveiled at a glittering

function to mark the completion of five years of the

joint venture between the Volvo Group and Eicher

Motors Limited, this new series of 11 future-ready

products in the 5-49 tonne range, would be

launched in a phased manner.

At the unveiling, Siddhartha Lal, MD and CEO,

Eicher Motors talked about the duopoly that exists

in the heavy CV segment in India. It is this duopoly

that the partners hope to break with the new range

of products. Since the JV started operating, the

marketshare of the company has nearly doubled,

and is claimed to be the most profitable truck

maker in the country today.

Olof Persson, President and CEO, Volvo Group

said through a specially relayed message that the

combination of Volvo’s technology and the frugal

cost expertise and management of Eicher has

created a range that will set new standards

amongst customers with high demands on profita-

bility, flexibility and driver effectiveness.

The ‘Pro’ series is the company’s effort at enter-

ing the emerging premium segment that requires a

combination of higher power and torque, yet offer

efficiency and deliver value. Vinod Aggarwal, CEO,

VECV said the new range of products will deliver

best-in-class fuel efficiency, higher loading capaci-

ty, superior uptime and overall vehicle life time

profitability. All the products will be made at VECV’s

plant in Pithampur.

The new range has also been given a new

Pegasus-styled front look, and the heavy duty range

of trucks will be powered by new generation of

engines. These new engines, with power outputs in

the range of 180-280 hp, have been adapted from

Volvo Group technology.

Apart from the Skyline Pro buses, trucks in the

new series would range from the 5-14 tonne GVW

light and medium duty trucks in the Pro 1000

series, medium duty new generation trucks in 5-14

tonne GVW in the Pro 3000 series, 16-40 tonne GVW

heavy duty new generation trucks and tippers in the

Pro 6000 series and the Eicher Pro 8000 series will

feature 25-40 tonne heavy duty new generations

trucks, tippers and tractors.

Joachim Rosenberg, Executive Vice President,

Volvo Group Trucks Sales & Marketing and JVs, Asia

Pacific talked about the growing stature of the

Indian CV maker within the Volvo Group. “Today

Eicher is considered the fifth brand in the competi-

tive portfolio of Volvo Group brands. It is an integral

part of the Volvo Group’s strategy to expand in Asia

and other growth markets. That will get strength-

ened with the launch of the Pro series,” he said.

Meanwhile, exports would be the next big fron-

tier for Eicher. Aggarwal said some of the new prod-

ucts are suitable for European markets, and that

the company is upbeat about good export numbers

from these markets. The company currently sells

products in the neighbourhood markets of Sri

Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, apart from Africa,

Middle-East and South-East Asian countries.


TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES | DEBUTS IN INDIA

MERCEDES-BENZ | CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE OPENED

LIGHTING | iCAT iSOL 2013

Two years since it first showcased its products in

India, Triumph Motorcycles launched 10 models in

December 2013 in the classic, roadster, adven-

ture, cruiser and supersport categories. The

models set to be launched are the Bonneville,

Bonneville T100, Street Triple, Speed Triple, Thrux-

ton, Tiger 800 XC, Tiger Explorer, Thunderbird

Storm, Rocket III Roadster and Daytona 675R,

with the first five to be assembled as CKD units at

Triumph’s facility in Manesar, Haryana. All other

models will be imported as completely built units.

Triumph plans to open exclusive dealerships

in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad

shortly, with more to follow across the country over

the next few months. Triumph claims it will ensure

a complete biking experience to Indian riders,

from genuine parts and seamless after-sales ser-

vices, to authentic merchandise and accessories.

Paul Stroud, Director, Sales and Marketing

(Global), Triumph said India is an exciting market

for the company and the premium motorcycle

segment in the country is seeing tremendous

growth. “We feel this is the right time to establish

our foothold here,” Stroud said. He added that

Triumph is the only brand to offer a wide range of

motorcycles to suit different rider preferences.

The company has been carefully assessing the

market outlook and decided to bring in these

models to India, said Vimal Sumbly, Managing Di-

rector, Triumph Motorcycles India.

Mercedes-Benz India Limited (MBIL) recently inau-

gurated a ‘Centre of Excellence’ located within its

manufacturing facility in Pune. This centre has

been created for exclusive Mercedes customers and

was inaugurated by Matthias Lührs, Chairman,

Board of Management, MBIL and Vice President -

Global Sales, Mercedes-Benz, and Eberhard Kern,

Managing Director & CEO, MBIL.

The ‘Centre of Excellence’ houses Mercedes-

AMG’s latest and globally acclaimed high-perfor-

mance range of vehicles. It will also feature a

helipad, and is said to provide customers the

highest level of convenience and ease in purchas-

ing their desired specialty car. Customers will also

be able to take a complete guided tour of the pro-

duction facility to witness the production of Mer-

cedes-Benz vehicles.

Customers can also personalise their favourite

vehicles using the ‘iConfigurator’, which allows

them to preview the entire product portfolio digitally

and customise different parameters. The ‘Centre of

Excellence’ also has an off-road track within the

premises, for customers to try out the company’s

range of SUVs.

Kern said the company is driven to create newer

benchmarks in modern luxury for its customers,

and these efforts result in the creation

of many industry best practices and in-

frastructure. ‘Centre of Excellence’ is

one of them, Kern said, adding that this

centre is designed to provide a unique

and immersive luxury experience of the

company’s car portfolio to its customers.

Lührs said this one-of-its-kind ex-

perience for customers will ensure

that they live Mercedes-Benz’s com-

plete brand experience and are able to

personalise cars to suit their tastes

and preferences.

International Centre for Automotive Technology

(iCAT) organised the first edition of its two-

day symposium – International Symposium on

Lighting (iSOL) in Gurgaon, Haryana. The event

was attended by over 320 people, who took part

in the presentations and the exhibition at the

venue. Speakers at the event included experts

from various walks of the industry including

scientific & research organisations, testing labs,

OEMs and suppliers.

The event aimed to highlight the new techno-

logical trends and products in the automotive

lighting area and act as a platform for industry

executives to discuss the challenges and solu-

tions for the future. Numerous presentations

made over the two days focussed on the growing

role of lighting in reducing CO2 emissions and

ownership cost. Proving the past progress and the

future potential was the fact that moving from in-

candescent and gas discharge-based solutions to

LED and OLED lamps will result in a 50 % reduc-

tion in power usage by 2025, against 2005.

Global perspectives showed the kind of

challenges that have come up in various geog-

raphies along with innovative solutions. Many

presenters were of the view that as efficiency

demands grow, areas such as R&D, industry

practices, testing methods & standards and

regulatory aspects will need enhanced focus

and quicker progress.

The exhibition at the event had more than 15

participants, who showcased their products and

capabilities in their areas of operation. The event

was inaugurated by Sutanu Behuria, Secretary,

Department Of Heavy Industry, Ministry Of Heavy

Industries & Public Enterprises, Govt of India.

Details of the next edition of iSOL are yet to

be released by iCAT.

NEWS MISCELLANEOUS


APOLLO TYRES | GROWTH AMID CHALLENGES

The past few months have seen Apollo Tyres

making a lot of news, ranging from acquisitions

to launching new products. The common thing

among all developments has been a visible strong

urge to become a global tyre major. The most

recent development and probably the largest has

been the Cooper Tire acquisition bid by Apollo.

What could’ve made Apollo the world’s

largest tyre maker is now a deal, which could

possibly enter the unpleasant stage of litigation,

if Cooper Tires’ statements are anything to go by.

Apollo had earlier agreed to acquire Cooper Tire

for $2.5 bn, making it one of the largest acquisi-

tions in the Indian automotive industry. The

company initially agreed to pay Cooper stock-

holders $ 35 per share but more recently things

changed to negative. Labour issues in the US

and also at Chengshan Group, Cooper’s partner

in China, put the deal in a cloud of uncertainty.

Cooper claimed Apollo to have breached the

merger agreement and being unable to gather

the required funding for the deal. Apollo is yet to

make an official statement on the matter but the

strained relationships between both companies

clearly indicate the non-completion of the deal

and hence a step back for Apollo’s global aspira-

tions, at least for now.

That said, Apollo on its own continues to

grow as a business, both from revenues and

product offerings perspective. In May 2013,

Apollo Tyres announced a transaction with Sumi-

tomo Rubber Industries (SRI), by which SRI

would take over Apollo Tyres South Africa (ATSA),

including the Ladysmith passenger car tyre

plant. Apollo meanwhile, retained the Durban

plant that manufactures truck & bus radial tyres

and off-highway tyres used in the mining and

construction industries.

Apollo Tyres also launched the Vredestein brand

of tyres in India recently. Marketed by Apollo as the

designer tyre, the new tyre range from the European

tyre maker will cater to premium cars and SUVs.

Launched in sizes of 15 inches to 20 inches, the

tyres were introduced to the press in a drive event

at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida.

The event highlighted the performance-oriented

nature of the tyres, which have been speed rated

between V and Y (240 km/h to 300 km/h).

The reason for referring to the range as de-

signer tyres, is them being given design elements

by Giorgetto Giugiaro. The launched tyres include

Sportrac 5, Ultrac Cento, Ultrac Sessanta and

Ultrac SUV, priced between ` 6,500 and ` 31,400.

Vredestein range should help Apollo get a pres-

ence in the aftermarket premium tyre segment,

where not many Indian tyre makers have a signifi-

cant share. The tyres are presently being manu-

factured in Enschede, Netherlands and will be

sold in India through Apollo’s own network and

multi-brand outlets.

All these developments indicate that the ma-

chinery at Apollo is working at full steam to grow

into a global major. Hiccups such as the twist in

the Cooper deal should not be seen as a setback

for the company as the learning it has gathered in

the Cooper deal will only enable it to plan any

future deals much better. For now, Apollo might

not be one of the top ten tyre makers in the world

but given its well-rounded growth, an inclusion

might not be too distant.

TECHNOLOGY | NEW SAFETY FEATURES IN 2014 HONDA CIVIC

Honda recently introduced a range of active safety

features for the 2014 Civic in Britain, in the form

of a Driver Assistance Safety Pack. The safety fea-

tures offered in this pack, including advanced la-

ser-radar cameras and sensors, are systems that

are usually present in cars from a segment or two

above. These safety features will be offered on

both, the Civic Tourer and Civic hatchback

models, and will be a £ 780 option on all SE Plus,

SR and EX Plus models.

The safety pack includes advanced sensor-

based technologies that help avoid collisions, and

when unavoidable, it works to reduce the intensity

of an impact. These safety features are also pro-

vided to ensure affordability and accessibility of

advanced safety to a wide range of customers

within the compact family-car segment. The

Driver Assistance Safety Pack features systems

like city-brake active system, forward collision

warning, high beam support system, traffic sign

recognition system, blind spot information and

cross traffic monitor.

The city-brake feature uses laser radar

systems that scan the road ahead and brake au-

tomatically with audible and visual warning,

when the system identifies a risk of collision. The

system operates at speeds of 30 km/h or below,

and is designed to detect cars and trucks. The

forward collision warning, lane departure warning

and traffic sign recognition systems use multi-

purpose cameras in assisting the driver for safe

navigation. Honda’s traffic sign recognition

system is different from that of competitors, since

it uses a camera rather than GPS, making its in-

formation accurate at all times, claims Honda.

The blind spot information and cross traffic

monitor features of the pack employ radars to

provide feedback to the vehicle.

Light-emitting diodes (LED) and their applications in both gener-

al lighting and also automotive lighting and signalling have rap-

idly developed in recent years and are now rivalling traditional

light sources as the predominant choice of lighting type. Their ef-

ficiency, versatility and robustness offer an incredible range of

benefits and opportunities.

But with these opportunities also come challenges, including

(i) challenges with testing and measurement; (ii) challenges with

harmonisation and standardisation; and (iii) challenges with

product quality and reliability. Let’s look at these individually.

CHALLENGES WITH TESTING AND MEASUREMENT

Photometry has always been, and always will be a challenging

testing and measurement field. While many other fields of testing

may have uncertainties and errors in parts per million, in pho-

tometry a measurement uncertainty of 2 % is a good quality

measurement, and generally only the highest quality and well-

equipped photometric laboratories are capable of measurements

with uncertainty of measurement under 1 %. LEDs have contrib-

uted to this by creating new challenges for photometrists.

Many LED lighting and signalling devices are operated in a

pulsed (fast flashing) mode, typically by the use of pulse-width

modulation. While this is good for the manufacturer because it

helps with thermal regulation, it can be a headache in a photom-

etry lab. Many photometers will use an integration time (meas-

urement time) equal to one power line cycle (20 ms for a 50 Hz

mains power environment), or an integer-multiple thereof.

If a lamp is pulsed, then the detector may see different

amounts of pulses in each measurement acquisition. This can re-

sult in instability of measurement, and special care needs to be

taken for good quality measurement. For example, matching the

integration time to the flashing frequency; using longer integra-

tion times to acquire many pulses in one reading; and taking av-

erages of many measurements.

Coloured LEDs consist of light from only a very narrow part

of the visible light spectrum. If a photometer is not perfectly

matched to the spectral response of the human eye (the V (λ)

curve), then errors can occur. Even very good quality detectors

can still have significant errors. Previously, the coloured light for

signals was made by using a coloured filter with an incandescent

lamp. It was therefore possible to determine the error of a pho-

tometer by using a similar calibrated filter of each colour. Howev-

er, for coloured LEDs, where the spectral band is narrower and

one lamp may vary in wavelength from another, this correction is

STANDARDISATION OF LED PHOTOMETRY

TONY BERGEN

Technical Director,

Photometric Solutions International

GUEST COMMENTARY

www.autotechreview.com16

more difficult. While the errors that are obtained for photometry

of white LEDs are smaller than those obtained for coloured LEDs,

they can still be significant for poorer quality detectors.

The influence of temperature on the performance of LEDs is

well known. This results in long stabilisation times and the ne-

cessity for a well-controlled testing environment, where the am-

bient temperature is well-defined. It also means that any me-

chanical jigs and supports do not contain any conductive ele-

ments in contact with the heat sinks that may affect the perfor-

mance of the heat sinking of the device being tested.

CHALLENGES WITH HARMONISATION

AND STANDARDISATION

Currently, there is no single international standard test method

for photometry of LEDs and Solid State Lighting devices. This

creates trade barriers and difficulty in comparing results obtained

for testing at different laboratories.

The International Commission on Illumination (CIE) will

soon be publishing an International Standard Test Method for

photometry of LED Lamps, LED Luminaires and LED Modules [2].

Whilst mainly relevant for the general lighting sector, the stand-

ard is also relevant for automotive lighting manufacturers: partly

for measurement of the luminous flux output of the LED mod-

ules used in LED headlamps; and partly also because it has come

to my attention that many automotive lighting manufacturers are

also branching out into the manufacture of lamps and luminaires

for general lighting purpose and are therefore seeking to acquire

testing and measurement equipment for this purpose.

The CIE technical committee that is working on this Stand-

ard, TC2-71, has been developing the Standard in conjunction

with a CEN technical committee so that it will be technically

identical with the European standard EN13032-4, which will also

be released soon. TC2-71 has 37 members from 16 countries and

five continents, and it represents a good cross-section of the in-

dustry. In fact, the very diversity that is needed to ensure that all

interests and stakeholders are represented itself creates difficul-

ties: the TC has needed to balance different expectations from in-

dustrial sectors such as public testing laboratories; LED/lighting

manufacturers; laboratory test equipment manufacturers; regula-

tory bodies; and National Measurement Institutes.

Once the CIE Standard is published, it will be able to be used

by all sectors and in all regions around the world. Thus, testing

results that are measured in one lab within one jurisdiction will

be able to be accepted by another lab in another jurisdiction,

within the framework of the International Laboratory Accredita-

tion Cooperation (ILAC), and the test method will be able to be

used by proficiency testing programmes.

In recognition of the increasing demand worldwide for meas-

urement quality and accountability, the Standard also requires

that all test results be accompanied by a statement of the uncer-

tainty of measurement. To assist laboratories unfamiliar or inex-

perienced with this, a TC2-71 sub-committee is currently prepar-

ing a Technical Note that will provide guidance on the determi-

nation of uncertainties of measurement for photometry and spec-

troradiometry of LEDs and SSL devices. Furthermore, the meas-

urements must be traceable: all equipment must be properly cali-

brated and the traceability chain must be maintained back to a

national laboratory (National Measurement Institute).

CHALLENGES WITH PRODUCT QUALITY AND RELIABILITY

Perhaps this section is also more relevant to the general lighting

industry rather than the automotive lighting and signalling indus-

try, given the large amount of regulation in the automotive sec-

tor. Unfortunately, there are some lamp manufacturers that pro-

duce sub-standard products whose performance doesn’t live up

to expectation. A lamp may be sold with a claim to have a cer-

tain output, whereas its actual output may be less than this

claim. In our testing laboratory, we generally tend to find that

many (perhaps most) lamps underperform, and it is typically by

around 20 % to 30 %. This has been borne out by testing, which

has been undertaken by the Australian Government of lamps,

sampled from the Australian market [3].

Furthermore, some lamps do not perform to an expected

standard in terms of their lifetime and appearance, when being

operated. They may exhibit a flickering or occasional “drop-out”,

or may also experience a premature catastrophic failure (i.e. the

lamp may stop working much earlier than their rated lifetime).

To avoid the public’s disappointment and unwillingness to take

up the new technology, I strongly urge lighting manufacturers to

maintain a high quality rather than to try to put something cheap

and underperforming on the market. As mentioned at the start of

this section, I think that the automotive sector is a much better

performer than the general lighting sector in this regard.

CONCLUSION

The use of LEDs is becoming more widespread and predominant

in the general lighting and automotive lighting and signalling in-

dustries. There are still many challenges in terms of the quality

of testing and measurement and in the performance and reliabili-

ty of the products; however, standardisation of photometry is be-

coming a reality with the imminent publication of a CIE Interna-

tional Standard Test Method for photometry of LED Lamps, LED

Luminaires and LED Modules.

REFERENCES

[1] Tony Bergen and Peter Blattner, “Developments in Photometry of LEDs

and OLEDs”, LED Professional Review Magazine, Issue 41 Jan/Feb 2014 (be-

ing published)

[2] Work currently being undertaken by CIE Technical Committee TC2-71

“CIE Standard on Test Methods for LED Lamps, Luminaires and Modules”,

Chair: Yoshi Ohno (US)

[3] Australian Government Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism,

Presentation to the IEA 4E SSL Annex 7th Expert Meeting, Seoul, September

2013

Read this article on

www.autotechreview.com



INTERV IEW SANDHAR TECHNOLOGIES

In the Indian manufacturing sector, the automotive industry is abuzz with action right now, both

positive and negative. Despite the golden growth story painted a few years back, many players

continue to widen their losses. These scenarios though aren’t just a direct result of fluctuating

market dynamics. Government policies and archaic laws also have an important role to play in the

challenges being posed today. To understand the true potential of the market, we spoke to Jayant

Davar, Co-Chairman & Managing Director, Sandhar Technologies Limited.

“BUSINESS IN INDIA IS DONE IN SPITE OF THE GOVERNMENT”

Jayant Davar is the Founder, Co-Chairman and Managing Director of

Sandhar Technologies Limited. He started the company in 1985 and

has orchestrated its growth into a ` 1,500 cr organisation with 27

plants and 6,000 employees. A mechanical engineer and alumni of

Harvard Business School, Davar, owing to his vast experience and

multiple expertise, wears many hats at the same time, beyond that

of Sandhar.

He is presently the Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry,

Northern Region and the Automotive Skill Development Council

(ASDC). He was a founding member for the ASDC and is a Govern-

ing Council Member of the National Testing and R&D Infrastructure

Project (NATRiP). He is a past President of the Automotive Compo-

nent Manufacturers Association (ACMA). Outside India, Davar is

also part of the advisory committee of Fraunhofer, Germany.


ATR _ Going by its performance in recent

times, does the Indian auto industry story

still hold true?

JAYANT DAVAR _ I’m personally a

strong believer in the macro economic

scenario of India and am quite bullish

about it. If we can move the car pene-

tration ratio in the country from about

10-11 cars per 1,000 people today to

about 100 cars per 1,000 people in the

next 15 years or so, India would be the

largest consumer and manufacturer in

the global automotive industry.

Secondly, India is still a low-cost man-

ufacturing country with many positives.

About 25 % of the car output from the

country is exported. While some might

argue that this number primarily com-

prises of small cars, it must be noted that

small cars in developed markets repre-

sent low-carbon footprint and fossil fuel

conservation. The difference between

them and the small cars here are the fea-

tures added to the vehicles being

exported to meet standards in those mar-

kets. The fact that it’s still being done by

the local industry, highlights our capabil-

ity as an industry.

So why is the present scenario gloomy?

I believe this is an aberration and a nega-

tive sentiment of the industry since lots

of factors have come together at a certain

time. I don’t think this scenario will last

beyond a point. In the area of heavy

commercial vehicles, this one is a regular

cyclic dip, which takes place every five

to eight years. Usually, these dips take

about two to three years to fade out and

we seem to have bottomed out. Cars and

motorcycles though aren’t cyclical and

this is where I see an aberration. At

about 13 mn motorcycles per year, we’re

still growing over a large base. With

things such as high inflation and slow-

growing income levels, the overall senti-

ment in the middle-class is negative and

hence largely responsible for the slow-

down in vehicle sales.

A recent report suggested that despite the

slowdown, the profitability of Indian auto-

motive suppliers and their overall health is

still strong.

If you consider companies with revenues

up to ` 500 cr – which comprises over 90

% of the industry – the present scenario

throws up a lot of challenges. Apart from

the double-digit inflation, we probably

have the highest interest rates in the

world and unemployment/ non-employa-

bility, partially due to the lack of the edu-

cation to match the industry expectations.

In addition, we have one of the most

expensive power rates in the world and

still the availability, consistency and qual-

ity of power is not among the best. Then

there’s the uneven playing field for these

players in terms of government policies.

Let’s talk about productivity since we

claim to offer low-cost manpower and yet

our productivity is just about 1/30th of

that in the US and 1/22nd of Japan. We

were at 1:2 ratio with China earlier, but

are now at 1/8th of their productivity. And

these are just some of the challenges that

the companies in India face. Put into per-

spective, the archaic tax laws and the situ-

ation becomes even more challenging.

Twenty eight states cannot reach upon a

mutual decision on the GST because of

political scenarios, reflecting the overall

business environment. Such is the sce-

nario that the Indian entrepreneur is not

doing business today because of the gov-

ernment, but in spite of the government.

Despite this, we’ve done a lot to pro-

gress as an industry, from a point where

there was no automotive component

industry in the country till a few decades

back. I believe that more than 95 % of the

nearly 700 ACMA members are ISO certi-

fied. Also, outside Japan, India has the

largest number of Deming prize winners.

Given that our industry is used to doing

with less, we do come up with some

innovative ways. Are they the world’s

best? Maybe not. Are they effective? Defi-

nitely! We should start seeing some uptick

after the general elections next year.

The quality of products notwithstanding,

there is concern about the quality of man-

power available and the lack of invest-

ment in R&D. What is the road ahead?

Every industry and business is one about

the idea, but then everything is about the

people, making employability extremely

important. We are bogged down by cer-

tain aspects, one being us surrounded by

decadence. The industry is surrounded by

a decaying labour law environment. We

still live with archaic labour laws of pre-

independence era, and I don’t see any

major reforms coming through in the near

future. It’s not just the industry but the

labour unions too want a change. As a

result of this situation, we haven’t been

able to develop a learning mechanism for

the blue collar worker.

About five years ago, the government

opened up the Industrial Training Insti-

tutes (ITIs) for participation from the cor-

porate sector, allowing the industry to run

courses for a particular application in

need. Facilities at ITIs were modernised,

but the faculty remained the same. The

government then suggested formation of

management committees, represented by

the government, ITIs and the industry.

Although India offers low-cost manpower, productivity is just about 1/30th of that in the US


INTERV IEW SANDHAR TECHNOLOGIES

Then came the question about curricu-

lum, and any changes therein weren’t

possible. While adding new things were

allowed, changes to the existing curricu-

lum were not possible. It took the indus-

try four to five years to understand that if

people are taught decade-old methods of

forming steel, it is of no good today.

Do you think the government is aware of

this disconnect?

Yes, the government is aware of this dis-

connect and hence the National Skill

Development Council (NSDC) was set up.

The target for NSDC is to train about 150

mn people over the next 10 years, which

is a huge number. I’m presently the Presi-

dent of the Automotive Skills Develop-

ment Council (ASDC), which is already

more than two years old and till date only

200 to 300 people have been trained.

Given the industry’s requirement of about

five million, achieving the set targets is

going to be a challenging task.

We’ve seen that many of our established

targets haven’t been met in the past. Take

the Automotive Mission Plan for instance,

which hasn’t moved much.

Yes, and why just the Automotive Mission

Plan? Let’s talk about the manufacturing

policies, the newer versions of which

aimed at taking the contribution of the

manufacturing output in India’s GDP from

about 16 % to 25 %. This number, how-

ever, instead of going up has gone down

to about 15 % and then there are talks of

generating employment for over 100 mn

people. The automotive industry, in fact,

has been laying-off people in the past

three years. The government needs to

understand that manufacturing is the big-

gest employment generator and that no

country has become an economic success

without a large role from manufacturing.

What’s your take on the National Electric

Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) and the

roughly seven million vehicles targeted

within the plan?

I don’t think that’s going to happen as it’s

a number that has been calculated on the

basis of population, performances from

other parts of the worlds and some other

factors. In the Indian scenario, such plans

can succeed only if there’s a revolutionary

breakthrough in the battery space. We do

not have any focussed R&D in this space

in India and we continue to use batteries

developed in countries such as Germany

or the US and manufactured in China and

then assemble the vehicle and sell it. I

would’ve liked to see India come up on

the hydrogen platform but we’re not

doing much in this area.

What is your view about the upcoming

technologies and their adoption?

All of us know that cars today can be

made in carbon-fibre and doing so will

directly enhance the fuel-efficiency of con-

ventional cars, and increase the range and

performance of EVs. So why aren’t we

using it? People say carbon-fibre is expen-

sive but in reality it’s much cheaper than

steel. It’s the process of manufacturing it,

which makes it expensive because we’re

not doing it on a commercial scale. Now,

why aren’t we doing that? Because the

monopoly of the steel producers around

the world will not let you do it. Simply

using carbon-fibre instead of steel could

lessen the fossil-fuel requirement by more

than 50 %!

How has Sandhar’s performance been dur-

ing these challenging times?

Since inception, we were used to growing

at about 25 % to 30 %. However, that has

shrunk to single digit growth over the last

two years or so, but we continue to grow

nonetheless. This year we’re about seven

per cent up from the same period last year

but our profitability is higher and in the

double-digits. Although, we’re more cau-

tious about investments, the areas of

product development and employee train-

ing aren’t witnessing any brakes. For our

automotive business, we’ll close the fiscal

year at about ` 1,500 cr, about seven per

cent up from last year.

What are your plans for business diversifi-

cation in the years to come?

Presently, the automotive business

accounts for about 97 % of our total rev-

enues. In the coming years, I’d like to see

that number come down to about 60 %,

while about 20 % will be derived from

the ancillaries such as appliances, etc.

The remaining 20 % would come from

the aerospace sector. Within these indus-

tries, we would like to have certain busi-

ness of high-value, which would be

based on electronics or microprocessor

based products.

What is your approach towards R&D?

R&D cannot happen overnight, and this is

an area we’re focusing on extensively. A

key point is collaborative operation,

wherein we need to work collaboratively

with all stakeholders of a particular prod-

uct or system and not just the OEM. This

in our opinion is the right approach for

the India market and our focus will

always be on manufacturing products for

the local market rather than importing

them or exporting them.

INTERVIEW: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah/Arpit Mahendra

PHOTO: Arpit Mahendra/Sandhar

Carbon fibre is cheaper than steel, but it’s manufacturing process makes it expensive

FUEL ECONOMY OF FUTURE INDIAN ROAD VEHICLES

For a long-term vision of the country, the future of the transportation sector should be taken into consideration as it

plays a major role not only in the economic development of the country, but also towards its social transformation.

The major issues involved in the transportation sector are energy, emission, and accessibility, among others. While it

is essential to know what will be the travel demand in terms of passenger km or tonne-km, knowing the amount of

energy that will be required to support transportation is equally important.


TECHNOLOGY FORES IGHT FUEL

ARGHYA SARDAR

is Scientist E & Head, Transportation

Division at TIFAC, Department of

Science & Technology, Government

of India

AUTHORS


INTRODUCTION

The demand for transportation energy

depends on the travel demand as well as

the fuel economy of vehicles. Hence, to

understand the future transportation sce-

narios in the country, it is important to

analyse trends in fuel economy. Many

countries globally have mandatory stand-

ards on fuel economy, along with future

pathway for such norms. Thus, a

detailed discussion on this is relevant in

the context of analysing future transpor-

tation scenarios.

The major driving forces for fuel

economy are energy security and envi-

ronmental concerns. On the other hand,

high economic growth with affluent con-

suming class generally increases demand

for bigger, more comfortable vehicles,

resulting in reduction in fleet fuel econ-

omy. The historical perspectives of the

interplay of energy security, environmen-

tal concerns and consumer preferences

are presented in this paper, and an

assessment is made of the present sce-

nario, to get an idea of the future fuel

economy of Indian road vehicles.

ENERGY SECURITY CONCERNS

FOR INDIA

For any growing economy, energy is a

critical input. India imports over 75 % of

its domestic petroleum requirement

owing to limited domestic production of

oil and gas. In FY12, India imported

171.728 MMT of crude oil, valued at

` 672,220 cr [1].

The proven reserve may not be

enough for sustained demand in the

future, and hence, the Ministry of Petro-

leum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has

taken measures to enhance exploration

and exploitation of petroleum resources

in the country. Domestic crude oil pro-

duction in FY12 was only 38.09 MMT, ➊,

and projected production in FY13 was

41.12 MMT only. Indian oil and gas PSUs

also procured assets abroad to enhance

production. One of them, ONGC Videsh

produced 8.75 MMT of oil and equiva-

lent natural gas from its assets abroad

during FY12.

Domestic refining capacity was

expected to reach 218.37 MMTPA by

March 2013, while the refinery produc-

tion (crude throughput) achievement

was 211.424 MMT during FY12. As per

the latest available estimate, the crude oil

and natural gas reserve in India are 760

MMT and 1330 BCM respectively, ➋.

In terms of refining capacity, India is

able to meet the domestic requirements

but due to the dependence on imported

crude oil, the Indian economy is vulnera-

ble to a large extent to the fluctuations of

international crude oil prices. Moreover,

should there be any disruption in the

supply of petroleum, it is expected to

have a huge impact on the Indian econ-

omy. Thus, energy security is a prime

concern for India.

➊➊ India's crude oil production for FY12 was recorded at 38.09 mmt



The MoPNG has adopted an ambi-

tious vision of reducing crude oil imports

by 50 % by 2020, 75 % by 2025 and

achieve energy independence by 2030.

This target is a challenge – as per Inter-

national Energy Agency (IEA), about 94

% of the entire requirement of India will

have to be imported by 2030. It may not

be possible to achieve energy security

only through discovery of domestic oil

reserves or acquiring foreign assets. It is

required to ensure that petroleum con-

sumption is maintained within some

manageable limits. It is in this context,

the issue of fuel economy assumes great

significance for future development of

India. Fuel economy of future vehicles in

India will be driven more by the energy

security concerns, although environmen-

tal concern also remain a key driver.

HISTORY OF FUEL ECONOMY

For many years since the advent of

internal combustion engine powered

vehicles, major priorities for technology

developments in this field had been

power, speed, performance and comfort.

Fuel consumption by the vehicle was

not so much a concern. The idea of

depletion of oil reserves did not crop

up. The United States was a major pro-

ducer as well as consumer of petroleum.

In fact until 1947, the USA was a net oil

exporter. But backed by significant

domestic oil production capacity, the

country had the power to play a balanc-

ing role in the global oil economy. Many

oil producing countries lobbied for per-

mission to sell more oil to US consum-

ers. In 1959, the USA established a

quota system for import of oil. There

were a few occasions, when the external

supply of oil was hit, but the USA could

manage by just boosting domestic oil

production temporarily. This happened

during the western embargo against Iran

in 1953, the Suez Crisis in 1956, and the

Arab embargo in 1967.

Globally, fuel economy became a

major concern for the first time during

the Arab oil embargo in 1973, when six

oil producing countries decided to raise

oil prices by 70 %. Protesting against

the backing of US and some other coun-

tries for Israel in the Yom Kippur War,

they stopped oil shipments to the USA

and some other countries. The most

effected country was the USA, where

consumers preferred high performance,

big gas-guzzling vehicles. Oil prices had

reached four times of the pre-crisis price

by the time the embargo was lifted in

March 1974. The Arab oil embargo

prompted the US Government to initiate

measures towards energy efficiency

across the economy, particularly in the

transportation sector. The Department

of Energy was created in 1977, and the

National Energy Act was enacted in

1978. Corporate Average Fuel Economy

(CAFE) standards were enacted as part

of the Energy Policy and Conservation

Act of 1975 to improve the average fuel

economy of cars and light trucks.

Other countries in the world too,

brought in changes in their energy poli-

cies, largely concerned by anticipated

depletion of global oil and gas reserves.

Enhancement of energy efficiency and

search for alternative sources of energy

received priority.

Subsequently, oil prices went down

again in 1986. Although oil prices have

been fluctuating since then, we haven’t

seen a crisis like during the time of

embargo again. On the other hand, the

issue of climate change has gained more

and more focus. The Inter Governmen-

tal Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was

formed in 1988, and since then the vari-

ous assessment reports of IPCC has

depicted scenarios with impacts of

Green House Gas (GHG) emissions on

the climate and possible consequences.

This concern over climate change has

become a major factor for the fuel econ-

omy initiatives globally.

GLOBAL TRENDS IN FUEL ECONOMY

The average fuel economy of the US vehi-

cle fleet improved rapidly since 1978 till

the early 1990s. But after the concerns of

oil embargo were over and petroleum

prices came down, the US fuel economy

standard stagnated for nearly two dec-

ades. However, in 2004 California adopted

the first regulatory GHG standards for

light-duty vehicles that apply to new vehi-

cles produced during 2009-2016. Fuel

economy started improving from 2003-04.

The same pattern is observed for other

Organisation for Economic Co-operation

and Development (OECD) countries as

well. Even for Chinese new car fleet, the

pattern is somewhat similar [2]. Applica-

tion of advanced engine and transmis-

sions technologies, such as boosted gaso-

line direct injection, variable valve tim-

ing, and high gear-count transmissions,

have gained momentum in recent years.

In 2011, China adopted Phase 3 of fuel

economy standards, along with incentive

policies for small engine and efficient

vehicle models.

In Europe, the fleet average CO2 emis-

sions were reduced by more than 20 %

during the last 15 years. Such improve-

ments were possible primarily because of

the use of diesel engines as well as pro-

gressive introduction of advanced power-

train technologies for emissions, and fuel

consumption reduction technologies.

➋➋ Estimated crude oil and natural gas reserve in India


A study by the Global Fuel Economy

Initiative (GFEI)[3] found that the global

average new vehicle fuel economy in 2005

was about 8 l/ 100 km. The study also

observed that in developed countries, the

available technologies for optimised fuel

economy has not been fully exploited,

mainly due to consumer focus on other

attributes. There existed large differences

in average fuel economy values between

countries at the “starting points” in 2005.

This is believed to be mainly due to varia-

tions in the average size, weight and

power of cars, and in technology on cars

of a similar size and weight. Policies,

incomes, geography and culture of the

respective countries are the reasons

behind such variations. Whereas bigger

cars are preferred in North America, in

Europe many people buy small cars to

improve their chances of parking on

urban streets.

PROJECTIONS OF FUTURE FUEL

ECONOMY

Unless there are breakthrough technolo-

gies offering dramatic improvements in

fuel economy at affordable cost, the fuel

economy of future vehicles will largely be

determined by the fuel economy stand-

ards in force. These standards are gener-

ally set after considering various aspects

like need for GHG reductions, availability

of technologies, costs associated, and net

benefits, etc. It may even be possible that

such breakthrough technological improve-

ments are used to meet power, perfor-

mance or comfort demand of the consum-

ers, rather than providing additional fuel

economy benefits. Hence, it is relevant in

this context to have a look at the global

initiation on fuel economy standards of

future vehicles.

Most of the initiatives of fuel economy

standards are inspired by the need for

reduction of GHG emissions. GFEI has set

a target of reducing fuel consumption by

50 % for all new cars by 2030, with 2005

as the reference year, when global average

fuel economy was about 8 l/ 100 km, ➌.

Accordingly, the target for 2030 is 4 l/ 100

km for passenger vehicles. This would

require a fuel economy improvement of

2.17 % per year. However, during the

period 2005-2013, the average improve-

ment has been 1.3 % per year.

The future fuel economy targets in var-

ious countries are presented in, ➍.

TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVES

Thermodynamically, compression igni-

tion engines offer higher efficiency as

compared to spark ignition Otto Cycle

engines. However, modern gasoline

engines too are competitive with diesel

and natural gas (CNG) engines, with

technologies like electronic valve control,

downsizing, direct fuel injection and

turbo-charging ensuring efficient perfor-

mance. Hybrid and electric vehicles

improve fuel economy drastically. For

instance, the 10 most fuel-efficient vehi-

cles in the US are all either battery elec-

tric vehicles or plug-in hybrids, ➎. Even

the next 10 best vehicles are hybrids.

However, most roadmaps and studies

highlight that targeted fuel economies

can also be achieved through improve-

ments of IC engine technologies. It is

believed that reaching a fuel economy

level of 95 gCO2/ km should be possible

with existing IC engine technologies.

➌➌ GFEI has set a target of reducing fuel consumption by 50 % for all new cars by 2030

➍➍ Different markets have set their own fuel economy targets

COUNTRY/ ORGANISATION FUEL ECONOMY TARGET

THE USA [2,4] As per the standards released by NHTSA and EPA in August 2012, the

fuel economy of cars and light duty trucks should be 54.5 mpg by 2025.

This means the average fuel economy of these vehicles will be double

that of the value for similar new vehicles of today. It is estimated that this

will result into oil saving of 12 bn barrels. By 2035, the average motor

vehicle is projected to get over 22 mpg, up sharply from about 17 mpg

today.

CHINA [2] The first phase of plan aims to achieve a fleet average target of 6.9 l/ 100

km by 2015, while the second phase aims at 5 l/ 100 km by 2020.

GFEI [3] The GFEI target is to halve new car fuel consumption between 2005

and 2030. This target has been set considering the 2 °C Scenario (2DS)

described in ETP 2012 (IEA, 2012b), whereby energy-related CO2 emis-

sions are halved by 2050, helping to limit the global average temperature

rise to 2 °C.

EUROPE [5] As per the legislation adopted in 2007, fuel economy of new car fleet

should be 130 gCO2/ km by 2015 and 95 gCO

2/ km by 2020. The 2015

target is equivalent to 5.6 l/ 100 km for gasoline vehicles and 4.9 l/ 100

km for diesel. Similarly, the 2020 target translates to 4.1 l/ 100 km for

gasoline and 3.6 l/ 100 km for diesel. For vans, the targets for 2017 and

2020 are 175 gCO2/ km (7.5 l/ 100 km for gasoline and 6.6 l/ 100 km for

diesel) and 147 gCO2/ km (6.3 l/100 km for gasoline and 5.5 l/ 100 km

for diesel) respectively.



But going beyond 70-80 gCO2/ km will

require lightweighting and/ or hybrid

electric technology.

A study by the US National Research

Council in 2009 projected that by 2020,

conventional gasoline engine vehicles

could be 15 % more efficient, diesels 28

% more efficient and full-hybrid vehicles

44 % more efficient. By 2035, the same

study predicts significantly greater

improvements with turbocharged gaso-

line and diesel engine vehicles, both

reaching nearly 50 % improvements over

today’s vehicles. Hybrids by then would

reach 65 % lower fuel use per km.

The projections of fuel economy

improvement are based on available

technology and with respect to their sta-

tus in 2006. The IEA study of 2009 also

finds that improvement of about 25 %

compared with average performance in

2005, could be achieved with technolo-

gies already commercially available. The

GFEI targets 50 % reduction in new LDV

energy consumption (in l/ 100 km) by

2030 and feels that these are feasible

with existing technologies.

In the USA, The Environmental Pro-

tection Agency (EPA) and NHTSA con-

sidered in detailed several battery elec-

tric vehicle technology as a possible

pathway to meet the 2025 standards,

but both agencies concluded that these

technologies are not necessary to meet

the standards.

The EPA projected that the 2025

standards can be met primarily by

major “across the board” improvements

for gasoline vehicles. These could

include over 90 % downsized turbo-

charged direct injection engines, about

90 % right-speed transmission, mass

reduction by an average of eight per

cent for cars and light trucks, better

tyres, aerodynamics and more efficient

accessories, etc. A moderate increase in

hybrids (mainly mild hybrids and a

smaller share of strong hybrids), and

only a tiny marketshare for plug-in

hybrid and battery electric vehicles (up

to one per cent and two per cent of new

vehicle sales for both types of vehicles

in 2021 and 2025, respectively) can help

improve gasoline vehicles.

However, most of the fuel efficient

technologies can be used either to

improve the fuel economy of the vehi-

cle, or to make larger, heavier or more

powerful vehicles keeping the fuel econ-

omy constant. These technologies are

also associated with various levels of

incremental costs.

According to the EPA estimates, an

average year 2025 car will cost about $

1,700 more than a year 2016 car, and

about $ 2,600 more than (or less than 10

➏➏ Transmission technologies in the 2017 and 2025 horizon

➐➐ Technologies considered by EPA for hybrid vehicles

➎➎ The 10 most fuel-efficient vehicles in the US are all either battery electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids


Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) is an auto-

nomous organisation set up in 1988 under the Department of Science & Technology to

look ahead in technologies, assess the technology trajectories, and support technology

innovation by network actions in select technology areas of national importance.

Send in your feedback to [email protected]

% price increase from) a 2012 model

car, after complying with the new stand-

ards. But it is estimated that due to the

fuel savings from much improved fuel

economy of the car, the incremental cost

will be off-set in about three years. The

technologies considered in the final rule

by EPA and associated costs for 2017

and 2025 cars are presented in ➏, ➐

and ➑.

INDIAN SCENARIO

The growing vehicle population in India

has met with concerns on both energy

security and environmental aspects. As

per an internal estimate by Maruti Suzuki

India, transport related emissions in India

may increase by 134 % in 2020 with

respect to 2007 values [6].

It must be noted that the Society of

Indian Automobile Manufacturers

(SIAM) had launched its first voluntary

fuel efficiency labelling in September

2008, and in 2010, a comparative label-

ling was also introduced to enable the

consumer make a more informed choice

in buying the more fuel efficient vehicle

from a class of vehicles.

Mandatory fuel economy standards,

prepared by the Bureau of Energy Effi-

ciency (BEE), are likely to be announced

this year. This would push the deadline

for implementation of these fuel econ-

omy standards by three years, to 2017.

As per the proposal, the government

wants to make it mandatory for carmak-

ers to improve fuel efficiency by at least

20 % per km by 2022, from the current

average of 16.6 km/l. The efficiency

norms will be put in place in two phases

– in the first phase to 18.1 km/l by

reducing CO2 emissions to 129 gCO

2/ km

and in the second to 20.79 km/l by

reducing CO2 emissions to 113 gCO

2/ km.

The first phase was to be launched from

2015 and the second from 2020, but

owing to the delay in notifying the stand-

ards, these deadlines have now been

moved to 2017 and 2022 respectively. A

fixed formula would decide the fuel effi-

ciency target for each company based on

the average weight of its entire fleet.

There have been some concerns from

the vehicle manufacturers regarding

enforcement of high fuel economy stand-

ards. It has been felt that due to non-

availability of high quality fuel, OEMs

cannot develop high compression ratio

engine. It was also felt that Indian road

conditions are a challenge for getting fuel

economy. High cost is another challenge.

Globally, the fuel economy standards

are mainly driven by environmental con-

cerns, although energy security aspects

are also present. As per recent news,

crude oil production in the US exceeded

imports in October 2013, for the first

time since February 1995. Horizontal

drilling and hydraulic fracturing or frack-

ing, have unlocked supplies in shale for-

mations in North Dakota, Texas and

other states. Crude oil production from

shale oil has been steadily growing over

the last few years and it is expected to

grow. For the year, production will reach

7.49 mn barrels a day, which is 20,000

barrels lower than imports, as forecasted

by the US Energy Information Adminis-

tration (EIA). Output will reach 8.49 mn

in 2014 as imports drop to 6.54 mn.

However, in case of India there is a

huge gap between domestic production

of crude oil and imports. It is clear that

the concern for energy security will be

much more in case of India than in

many other advanced countries. So,

even though fuel economy standards of

India may be comparable with others,

there should be specific thrust on the

promotion of alternative fuel vehicles.

Electric and hybrid electric vehicles are

much more relevant for India than any

other countries. Diversifying of energy

mix for the transportation sector is

essential for India.

REFERENCES

[1] Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; Indian

Petroleum and Natural Gas Statistics 2011-12

[2] Hui He, Anup Bandivadekar; Passenger Car

Fuel Efficiency 2020-25: Comparing Stringency

and Technology Feasibility of the Chinese and US

Standards; Working Paper 2013-3, ICCT; August

2013

[3] International Energy Agency; Technology Road-

map: Fuel Economy of Road Vehicles; 2012

[4] Environmental Protection Agency and Depart-

ment of Transportation, USA; Federal Register Vol

77, No. 199; October 15, 2012

[5] Climate Action, European Commission; Road

Transport: Reducing CO2 Emission from Vehicles;

http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/transport/vehi-

cles/index_en.htm

[6] IV Rao; Car Fuel Economy – Automobile Indus-

try Perspective; Presentation in the Workshop Se-

ries on Transport and Climate; New Delhi, 24 July

2013

➑➑ Weight reduction as envisaged by EPA



POWERTRAIN EFFICIENCY THROUGH FRICTION REDUCTION

Friction reduction is one of many approaches for making powertrains more energy efficient. The aim is to mini-

mise drivetrain losses through specific and strategic measures applied to individual components, while taking

into account the impact on the overall system. For this purpose, interdisciplinary basic research topics were de-

fined. Within the framework of the Low Friction Powertrain research cluster, a simulation model for an entire ve-

hicle powertrain was developed at RWTH Aachen University and TU München for the virtual representation of

relevant energy flow rates within a thermal management system, including a detailed description of a thermal

gearbox model, for the purpose of evaluating measures to reduce powertrain friction.


COV ER ST ORY CHASING EFFICIENCY

AUTHORS

DIPL.-ING. JOHANNES

BEULSHAUSEN

was Research Assistant at the Insti-

tute for Combustion Engines at RWTH

Aachen University (Germany).

DIPL.-ING. JOHANNES GEIGER

is Research Assistant at the Institute

for Machine Elements at the Gear

Research Centre at TU München

(Germany).

PROF. DR.-ING.

STEFAN PISCHINGER

is Head of the Institute for

Combustion Engines at RWTH

Aachen University (Germany).

PROF. I. R. DR.-ING. BERND-

ROBERT HÖHN

was Head of the Institute for Machine

Elements at the Gear Research

Centre at TU München (Germany).

MOTIVATION

The reduction of environmental pollution

and vehicle fuel consumption has been

put into the main focus of attention in

research and development in the automo-

tive industry. Reducing friction is one of

many measures to increase overall power-

train efficiency. Friction reduction may be

achieved by improving the general fric-

tional behaviour of components – for

example, by means of sophisticated sur-

face coatings. Additionally, since friction

is a function of the engine and vehicle

state, a reduction potential can be found

in optimising the system state itself.

The temperature distribution in the

engine and gearbox – particularly in sys-

tem warm-up – is of major importance [1,

2]. As part of a holistic approach covering

the entire powertrain, engine and gearbox

system, states may be influenced through

thermal management. Optimisation meas-

ures are evaluated and quantified for a

petrol-powered powertrain representative

of an upper medium-sized class vehicle

with a manual six-speed gearbox. This is

carried out in the simulation environment

GT-Suite. By means of several measures, a

total friction reduction of approximately

30 % can be achieved, which corresponds

to a fuel consumption reduction of

roughly 12 %.

SIMULATIVE APPROACHES

Only a small amount of the energy of a

chemical fuel is converted into mechani-

cal energy to overcome vehicle driving

resistances. The major part of it leaves the

system as hot exhaust gases or is con-

verted into heat energy. This heat is

responsible for system warm-up until it is

finally dissipated in the environment. A

rough representation of the distribution of

these energy flows can hardly be achieved

by using pure engine test bench or vehicle

measurements. A detailed energy distribu-

tion of the complete system can be gained

only by using a simulation model, which

is often called a warm-up model or ther-

mal management model in the literature [2, 3, 4].

In this work, a simulation model devel-

oped by the FVV/FVA Low Friction Pow-

ertrain research project, which was vali-

dated with numerous test bench measure-

ments, is used. It can be employed to

evaluate optimisation measures and is

based on an upper medium-sized class

vehicle (Mercedes-Benz C-Class) powered

by a supercharged 1.8 l four-cylinder pet-

rol engine with multipoint injection (M271

KE), ➊. A similar holistic approach with a

lower degree of detail can be found for

instance in [5]. A manual six-speed gear-

box complements the powertrain. In the

simulation, the gearbox is based on a

front-transverse transmission, unlike the

original vehicle’s gearbox.

POWERTRAIN ENERGY

DISTRIBUTIONS

European emissions legislation defines a

driving cycle referred to as the NEDC.

For this cycle, the simulated accumulated

energy flow distribution is shown over

time in ➋. Driving resistances are catego-

rised into three portions: to overcome air

resistance, rolling resistance and vehicle

mechanical inertia in acceleration

phases, whose energy is only partly fed

back into the powertrain in the overrun

phase. With this, the rising and falling

trends of the lowermost component are

also plausible in an accumulated dia-

gram. The energy directly wasted in

wheel brakes remains and stays positive

in this description. The energy flow dis-

tribution is shown for a system which

includes, in addition to the driving resist-

ances, the exhaust gas enthalpy, combus-

tion chamber heat transfer, engine fric-

tion and a remaining portion of the pow-

ertrain (mainly gearbox losses).

By choosing a different system, the

spent fuel energy may be divided into

other portions. For instance, combustion

chamber heat and engine friction can be

divided in energy portions to heat up the

engine structure and engine fluids, the

coolant and oil, which can be further

subdivided into portions that leave the

system via the main radiator or hot sur-

faces. A diagram showing a more

detailed energy split over time will be

fairly confusing, which means that a dif-

ferent way of visualisation is recom-

mended: a Sankey diagram for only one

time step. ➌ shows the accumulated

energy flow distribution for the last sim-

ulated time step of the NEDC. In this

overview, the total fuel energy flow is

31autotechreview Januar y 2014 Vo lume 3 | Is sue 1

given with a high degree of detail.

Only about 16 % of the total fuel

energy is converted into mechanical

energy. The energy to heat up the warm-

up system consists of combustion cham-

ber heat and engine friction, which makes

up roughly one quarter of the entire

warm-up energy. Engine thermal inertia is

represented by seven thermal masses,

while masses close to the combustion

chamber and close to the exhaust gas

ports are illustrated as finite elements

with a coarse mesh. The engine coolant

and lubrication oil are also of significant

importance here, and their hydraulic cir-

cuits are simulated in a 1D hydraulic

network.

Therefore, this simulation model is

comparable to the one presented by Sei-

der in [6]. For every simulation time step,

the temperature field of the finite ele-

ments, the temperatures of the additional

thermal inertias and the states in the fluid

circuits are determined with many bound-

ary conditions. In ➍, one of the coarse

finite element meshes is given with an

indicated temperature field at one simula-

tion time step of an inside central liner.

Combustion chamber heat losses are

determined for nine zones enclosing the

combustion chamber surface. For each

zone, a mean inner temperature and heat

transfer coefficient is used together with

the actually simulated surface tempera-

ture to define combustion chamber heat

input into the warm-up model. Mean

inner temperature and heat transfer coeffi-

cients are derived from a previously per-

formed combustion process simulation

with GT Power for steady-state condi-

tions. The complete operating range of the

engine is covered and validated with

detailed test bench measurements. Here,

more than 60 material temperatures were

gathered, of which eight were placed in

the engine piston and transmitted their

temperature values via telemetry as pre-

sented in [7]. Most of the boundary condi-

tions in the warm-up model are congruent

with the ones used in the GT Power

engine process simulation.

Since the main focus was aimed at

improving engine frictional behaviour,

engine friction was subdivided into ten

components. These components are

partly derived from measurements and

are partly a result of the actual system

state, such as the friction of the engine

coolant pump or the friction due to elec-

tricity generation in the generator. Opti-

misation measures through sophisticated

thermal management or through the

implementation of optimised surface

coatings of friction components can be

evaluated entirely with secondary effects

on the remaining powertrain.

For example, if the mechanical coolant

pump is replaced by an electric coolant

pump, generator friction increases,

whereas the small amount of friction of

the mechanical coolant pump, typically

low for low engine speeds, naturally

becomes zero. But more importantly, this

has a major effect on engine warm-up.

The engine coolant, lubrication oil mainly

driven through the coolant to oil heat

exchanger and the engine structure

behave differently with a corresponding

effect on remaining friction components.

DESCRIPTION OF THE GEARBOX

Apart from the reduction in the losses

caused by the internal combustion engine,

the aim of the research cluster was to

lower the frictional losses of the gearbox.

The focus of several projects within the

cluster was the optimisation of the power

loss of bearings and gears. The effects of

the optimisation measures were partly

verified within the LFP sub-project Effi-

ciency-Optimised Transmission by compo-

nent tests. The results of these experimen-

tal investigations were subsequently

adapted to the simulation model of the

reference gearbox. The basis for this was

a standardised test method, which was

originally developed to analyse the fric-

tional behaviour of different lubricants [8].

With this test method, the influence of the

tooth geometry on the load-dependent

power losses can also be investigated.

The reference vehicle has a front-trans-

verse manual gearbox, which consists of

three shafts – input, intermediate and out-

put. The input and intermediate shaft are

each supported by one ball bearing and

one cylindrical roller bearing. The output

shaft is fixed with an adjusted bearing

mounting with two tapered roller bear-

ings. Needle bearings are used to support

the idler gears of the gearbox. In order to

compute the power losses of the gearbox,

the gear and bearing data of a series-pro-

duction gearbox was used. The reference

lubricant of the cluster MT Ref (kinematic

viscosity ν40° C = 30.9 mm²/s and ν100° C =

5.2 mm²/s) was integrated into the simu-

lation model.

The power loss calculations were per-

formed with the software tool WTplus

2.0. This is used to calculate the effi-

ciency and temperature characteristics of

transmissions. The software first auto-

matically analyses the power distribution

in the transmission, taking into account

the power split and circular power flows.

On the basis of the calculated speeds and

ENGINE TYPE4 cylinders in line,

gasoline multipoint injection

BORE 82 mm

STROKE 85 mm

DISPLACEMENT 1.8 l

COMPRESSION RATIO 8.5

NOMINAL POWER OUTPUT 135 kW at 5500 rpm

MAXIMUM TORQUE 250 Nm at 2800 rpm

SUPER CHARGER Eaton M45 compressor

❷ Simulated accumulated energy distribution in the NEDC

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100

Use

d f

uel

ener

gy [

kJ]

Time [s]

Exhaust gas enthalpyWall heat lossesEngine frictionRem. power trainAir dragRolling resistanceAcceleration and brake energy

❶ Technical engine data



loads on the transmission components,

the loss proportions of the gears,

together with the roller bearings and

seals, are calculated. This is followed by

an iterative power distribution and power

loss calculation until the input and out-

put power is in equilibrium with the

power loss that occurs.

For several optimisation levels of the

gearbox power loss, characteristic maps

were simulated with WTplus by varying

the input speed and torque, the engaged

gear and the operating temperature.

These power loss characteristic maps

were introduced into a Matlab/Simulink-

based drivetrain simulation tool devel-

oped by the Gear Research Center (FZG)

of TU München. The detailed results

allow a component-based quantification

of the savings potential of the different

optimisation measures to be performed.

Using this tool, the effects of the optimi-

sation measures could be analysed and

broken down to each component for any

driving cycle such as the New European

Driving Cycle (NEDC).

In addition, the power loss characteris-

tic maps were introduced in the full vehi-

cle simulation of the VKA Aachen. The

result of the NEDC simulation with the

near-series configuration of the gearbox

contains the shares of gears, bearings and

seals. As a result of the internal heat

sources of the gearbox, the operating tem-

perature rises by 11 K during the NEDC.

GEARBOX OPTIMISATION

The load-dependent power loss PVZP of a

single gear mesh depends on the mean

coefficient of friction μmz, the gear loss

factor HV and the transmitted power PAn:

EQ. 1 PVZP = μmz · HV · PAn

Using efficiency-optimised tooth geom-

etry (low loss design according to Wim-

mer [9]) for each stage of the gearbox, the

tooth loss factor HV can be reduced on

average by 50 %, while retaining the gear

ratio and load-carrying capacity, ➎. To

keep the load-carrying capacity constant,

it was necessary to increase the tooth

width by approximately 20 %. This leads

to a slight increase in the no-load gear

❸ Energy flow diagram for the last time step in the NEDC

ABBREVIATIONS OF THE SANKEY DIAGRAM

PF Piston friction (skirt and rings) OP Oil pump friction

WP Coolant pump friction GE Generator friction

VT Valve train friction ADAccessory drives (power steering pump, air conditioning

compressor, vacuum pump, fuel pump)

CB Connecting rod bearing friction CO Supercharger friction (Eaton compressor)

MB Main bearing friction OC Oil cooler

BS Balancing system friction DU Change of internal energy

Exhaust gas enthalpy(37.2 %)

Wall heat losses(34.3 %)

Fuel energy(100.0 %)

Exhaust ports

Flame deck

CB

(12.9 %)

(8.3 %)

(5.0 %)

Indicated work(28.4 %)

Frictional work(12.2 %)

MB

VT

BS

Ge

AD

(0.7 %)

(1.7 %)

(1.0 %)

(1.8 %)

(1.4 %)

Co

OP

WP

(1.1 %)

(0.7 %)

(0.1 %)

Effective work(16.2 %)

Head

Oil

Coolant

Liner

Block

Hot surfaces

(8.2 %)

Compressor air enthalpy increase

(17.3 %)

Piston

(0.9 %)

(0.0 %)

PF (2.8 %)

dU (0.2 %)

dU (0.2 %) dU (0.7 %)

dU (5.2 %)

dU (0.4 %)

Cooler

To ambient

Cabin heater

(0.0 %)

(0.0 %)

dU

dU (4.4 %)

(4.5 %)

Electric energy (0.8 %)

Inter coller

OC

dU (2.8 %)

To ambient (2.4 %)

Usable energy(15.1 %)

Losses in clutch(0.1 %)

Gear box losses(0.9 %)

Inertial energy (6.8 %)

Air resistance (5.0 %)

Rolling resistance (8.1 %)

Brakes (2.1 %)


losses (4 %) due to splashing and squeez-

ing of the lubricant. However, the overall

power loss savings amount to 13 % dur-

ing the NEDC.

By using a lower viscosity lubricant

called MT Kand (kinematic viscosity ν40°C

= 19.7 mm²/s and ν100°C = 4.5 mm²/s),

the overall power losses could be reduced

by another 7 % in NEDC. On the one

hand, the power loss reduction is mainly

based on the saving of no-load bearing

losses, which show a distinctive depend-

ency on the lubricant’s viscosity (see Eq.

2, no-load bearing loss torque according

to SKF [10]). Other influence parameters in

Eq. 2 are the mean diameter dm, the rota-

tional speed n and the lubrication and

bearing type factor f0.

EQ. 2 M0 = 10-7 · f0 · (ν · n)2/3 · dm3

In contrast, the load-dependent bear-

ing losses have no dependency on the vis-

cosity [10] (see Eq. 3). They can be calcu-

lated with the decisive bearing load P1,

the mean diameter dm and parameters

which depend on the baring type (f1, a

and b).

EQ. 3 M1 = f1 · P1a · dm

b

On the other hand, the frictional

behaviour of the gear stages could be

improved by using the lubricant MT

Kand. In long periods of the NEDC, EHD

friction occurs in the gear meshes. Lower-

ing the lubricant’s viscosity leads to a

thinner film thickness in tooth contact,

which results in a decreasing coefficient

of friction in the case of EHD friction

according to Doleschel [11], ➏. Experimen-

tal investigations concerning the load-car-

rying capacity with MT Ref and MT Kand

were performed on an FZG test rig within

the project Fuel Economy Oils. As a

result, both lubricants offer the same

load-carrying capacity.

Due to the lower frictional losses of the

low loss gears, the reduced heat input to

the wheel body leads to lower bulk tem-

peratures. Consequently, the oil level can

be reduced without the risk of a thermal

overload, until the bulk temperatures of

the low loss gears reach the temperature

level of the conventional gear design. This

procedure was carried out on the FZG test

rig in order to perform efficiency measure-

ments with low loss gears. The results

were adapted to the simulation model of

the automotive gearbox. Consequently,

the calculated no-load losses decrease. In

addition, higher bulk temperatures in con-

trast to low loss gears with a conventional

oil level occur and thus the operating vis-

cosity in the tooth contact becomes lower.

This leads to a decreasing coefficient of

friction in the case of EHD friction. In

total, the overall losses of the automotive

gearbox could be reduced by 23 %.

Another way to reduce the operating

viscosity is to utilise the heat loss of the

internal combustion engine in order to

achieve faster heating of the gear lubri-

cant. In simulations, 15 % of the exhaust

gas enthalpy was transferred to the oil

sump of the gearbox during the NEDC.

This amounts to approximately six times

the gearbox losses. The additional heat

input causes a temperature rise of 57 K at

the end of the cycle. Due to the faster

❹ Example of a temperature field and mesh of one liner

❺ Conventional automotive gear design and low loss design



heating of the gearbox, power loss savings

of another 6 % were calculated. To avoid

thermal overload, the heat transfer to the

gearbox must be controlled and restricted

to the heat-up phase. In total, the optimi-

sation measures mentioned above lead to

power loss savings of 29 % regarding the

gearbox losses, ➐. Therefore, the losses of

the entire drive train can be reduced by

approximately 2 %.

ENGINE OPTIMISATION MEASURES

Other sub-projects of the Low Friction

Powertrain research project were aimed at

optimising friction combinations. In par-

ticular, piston friction and the friction of

the main and connecting rod bearings

were investigated. Concerning piston fric-

tion, both measurements and simulations

were performed. Due to the complexity of

this friction combination, both methods

required a lot of effort. Measurements

depicted a 150° honing to be most favour-

able in terms of friction reduction. Here,

three different combinations compared to

a base system were investigated. In simu-

lation, more than 15 different measures to

improve piston friction were in the scope

of interest, including changes in toler-

ances for the piston skirt or piston rings

and combinations of measures.

In ➑, friction reduction is quantified

for numerous measures compared to the

base system in the NEDC. When the dia-

gram is read from left to right, measures

have to be considered as being additional,

thus showing their potential for measure

combinations. The first four values show

the most effective simulated piston fric-

tion reduction combination.

Additional potential can be exploited

through crankshaft bearing improve-

ments. Bearing tolerance, width and sur-

face coatings are analysed via experiment

and simulation. Powertrain friction is

reduced in the range of some tenths of a

per cent. A far greater potential is

observed when plain bearings are

replaced by roller bearings, as shown in

⑧. In this context, it is to be noted that

the quantification of roller bearing friction

is partly based on theoretical examina-

tions and might underestimate the bene-

fit. Here it was simulated to be 3.2 % in

fuel consumption improvement.

Investigations by Kalenborn in [12] for

another vehicle and engine combination

identify greater potentials of 3.7 % to 5.2

% for different concepts. Both investiga-

tions considered lower oil pump friction

for the roller bearing engines, which, for

the case of this investigation, have a

much smaller effect on the overall engine

friction. Additionally, the potentials in [12]

were gained with a starting temperature

of 20 °C compared to 29 °C in this case.

With that, the potential of roller bearings

fits into the lower range of previously car-

ried out investigations.

The upcoming steps to reduce friction

are accomplished with thermal manage-

ment measures. In addition to shifting the

opening temperature of the thermostat by

including a map-controlled thermostat,

the effect of an electric coolant pump is

shown. The advantage of an electric cool-

ant pump is primarily explained through

the rise in the liner temperature during

warm-up and for steady-state engine oper-

ation. With higher liner water jacket cool-

ant temperatures, higher material temper-

atures occur and therefore lower piston

friction occurs. If a split cooling system in

which the liner water jacket may be sepa-

❼ Overview of the gearbox power loss savings

0

20

40

60

80

100-13 % -20 % -23 % -29 %

Seriesstandard

Low lossgear design

Low lossgear design

+LubricantMT Kand

Low lossgear design

+LubricantMT Kand

+Reduced oil level

Low lossgear design

+LubricantMT Kand

+Reduced oil level

+Thermal

management

Gea

rbox

loss

ene

rgy

NE

DC

[%

]

Seal lossesNo-load bearing lossesLoad-dependent bearing lossesNo-load gear lossesLoad-dependent gear losses

0.10

0.080.07

0.06

0.05

0.04

0.03

0.02

0.01 0.1 1 10

0.01

Relative film thickness [-]

Mea

n co

effic

ient

of

fric

tion

μ [

-]

Boundaryfriction

EHDfriction

Mixedlubrication

Solid bodyfriction

Mixed friction from solid bodyand EHD friction

EHD frict

ion

λ

❻ Schematic figure of the mean coefficient of friction on the relative film thickness


rated from the remaining cooling system

by a block valve is additionally imple-

mented, a further reduction in friction is

observed. At this point, it should be stated

that benefits through split cooling or an

electric water pump can only be gained

with an appropriate control algorithm.

As already described by Haubner in [1],

critical material temperatures in the cylin-

der head and crankcase need to be input

into this strategy. These temperatures are

not yet available for engine control units

of state-of-the-art mass production engine

applications. Either robust material tem-

perature sensors that are capable of sens-

ing temperatures close to the combustion

chamber need to be developed, or a simu-

lation model has to be integrated in the

engine control unit to accurately simulate

the engine thermal state.

Replacing the conventional lubrication

oil pump with a variable vane oil pump

alone shows a low potential. Here, the

implemented oil pressure in the main oil

gallery is decisive. Piston cooling jets

show different flow rates according to the

applied pressure and thus have to be

adapted to a system with a changed oil

pump. A recommended adaptation espe-

cially accounts for the check valves posi-

tioned upstream of them. In the best case,

these check valves are replaced with con-

trollable valves. It has been shown that

piston cooling in the warm-up phase

should be used to heat up the lubricating

oil, although oil pump friction naturally

increases with higher oil flow rates.

This situation is reasonable when look-

ing at the accumulated energy flows in ②,

in which the heat from the piston to the

oil is rather small when considering pis-

ton heat flow rates alone, but when con-

sidering all heat flow rates into the oil, the

heat from the piston makes up a substan-

tial proportion. When using a start/stop

strategy in addition and heating up the

gearbox with exhaust gas enthalpy, the

entire powertrain friction in the NEDC is

reduced by about 30 % in simulation with

a fuel consumption benefit of about 12 %.

SUMMARY

A simulation model for an entire vehicle

powertrain to virtually determine relevant

energy flow rates within a thermal man-

agement system including a detailed

description of a thermal gearbox model

was used to evaluate and quantify the

benefits of optimisation measures to

reduce powertrain friction. The model

was developed as part of the Low Friction

Powertrain research project. A compre-

hensive overview of the split of the fuel

energy used is given for a reference pow-

ertrain of an upper medium-sized class

vehicle. System changes can easily be

quantified with possible secondary

effects. Therefore, the developed simula-

tion model can be used in helping to

decide on prospective technology devel-

opments in the automotive industry to

reduce vehicle fuel consumption and

improve CO2 compliance.

REFERENCES

[1] Haubner, F. G.: Bauteilbelastungsgeregeltes

Kühlsystem für verbrauchsoptimierte Verbren-

nungsmotoren. Aachen, Technische Hochschule,

Dissertation, 2002

[2] Deussen, N.: Einfluss der Fahrzeug-Starttem-

peratur auf den Kraftstoffverbrauch. In: Wärme-

management des Kraftfahrzeugs V. Haus der Tech-

nik, Band 68, 2006, pp. 1-22

[3] Barthel, R.; Dohmen, J.; Klopstein, S.: Der

Wärmehaushalt im Motor von morgen. Fachkon-

ferenz Thermomanagement im Kfz, 2003

[4] Wagner, J. R.; Marotta, E. E.; Paradis, I.:

Thermal Modeling of Engine Components for Tem-

perature Prediction and Fluid Flow Regulation. In:

Thermal Systems Management and Heat Exchang-

ers (2001), SAE 2001-01-1014, pp. 1-13

[5] von Grundherr, J.; Misch, R.; Wigermo, H.:

Verbrauchssimulationen für die Fahrzeugflotte.In:

ATZ 111 (2009), No. 3, pp. 168-173

[6] Seider, G., Mehring, J., Weber, C.: A high-res-

olution warm-up simulation model for a gasoline

engine with advanced thermal control. In: Vehicle

Thermal Management Systems Conference,

(2011), pp. 189-200

[7] Orlowsky, K.; Dohmen, J.; Duesmann, M.:

Simulation und Messung im Kurbeltrieb. In:

Hochleistungsbauteile für Verbrennungsmotoren.

Haus der Technik, Band 30, 2003

[8] Doleschel, A.: Wirkungsgradtest. Frankfurt/

Main: Forschungsvereinigung Antriebstechnik e.

V., Heft 664, 2002

[9] Wimmer, A.: Lastverluste von Stirnradverzah-

nungen. München, Technische Universität, Disser-

tation, 2006

[10] SKF-Gruppe: SKF-Hauptkatalog 1994. Pad-

erborn: Media-Print Informationstechnologie, 1994

[11] Doleschel, A.: Wirkungsgradberechnung von

Zahnradgetrieben inAbhängigkeit vom Schmierst-

off. München, Technische Universität, Disserta-

tion, 2003

[12] Kalenborn, M.: Vollwälzgelagerter Kurbeltrieb

für einen PKW-Ottomotor zur Reduzierung des

Kraftstoffverbrauchs. Aachen, Technische Hochs-

chule, Dissertation, 2009

THANKS

This technical paper is an extract of scientifi c

investigations completed under the direction of

the Forschungsvereinigung Verbrennungskraft-

maschinen e. V. (FVV, Frankfurt/Main) in

cooperation with the Forschungsvereinigung

Antriebstechnik e. V. (FVA, Frankfurt/Main).

The project was accompanied by a working

committee under the direction of Dr.-Ing.

Volker Lagemann, Daimler, and was embedded

in the research structure Low Friction Power-

train under the direction of Dr.-Ing. Martin

Hartweg, Daimler. The authors would like to

thank the working committee and especially

the named project managers for their strong

support.



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EFFICIENCY UNLOCKING WITHINTEGRATED POWER ELECTRONICS

Automobile manufacturers consistently promote the powertrain electrification. Moreover, complete systems are

increasingly in demand. However, rising demands still meet relatively low production volumes. Schaeffler uses

its system know-how in the field of powertrain and chassis to meet this challenge by applying a stringent module

concept, standardisation at the function level and high degree of the component integration.



TRENDS

As of 2020, the limit value for CO2 emis-

sions from new cars is expected to fall to

95 g/km, and it is obvious that automo-

bile manufacturers press ahead even

more vigorously with the powertrain

electrification, ➊. The customer needs

range from mild hybrids based on a par-

allel 48 V on-board electrical system to

the plug-in full hybrid and purely electric

drive. It is expected that future low volt-

age systems will come up with functions

that have been feasible only in a high-

voltage (HV) environment so far.

Increasingly, entire systems are in

demand rather than individual compo-

nents. Original equipment manufacturers

change the structure of the E/E system to

keep the complexity of the vehicle man-

ageable. This means, for example, that

domain control units no longer control

functions directly, but provide the down-

stream system at the functional interface

with a target value. The downstream sys-

tem sets this value intrinsically safely

and compensates for tolerances, temper-

ature and aging effects.

The main task of the system partner

is to optimise the electrical path and its

interaction with the existing

mechatronic systems. Technical chal-

lenges go along with economical ones:

during the market launch phase of this

technology, development costs are high,

whereas the production volume is rela-

tively low.

REQUIREMENTS

Major requirements derived from these

trends are as follows:

:: Systems with a self-contained and

secured function

:: Well-matched modules within the

system

:: A standardisation approach that ena-

bles system partners to achieve econ-

omies of scale across all projects, as

cost advantages are not possible at

the order level due to small produc-

tion volume at the initial stage; this

equally applies to hardware (HW),

software (SW) and tool chain

:: Highly integrated and compact mod-

ules need to be used to reduce the

installation space, weight and costs

within the system

:: Maximise all opportunities to gener-

ate additional value by using func-

tional integration

:: Optimal integration of the electrical

system into the overall vehicle

:: System partners must have overall

vehicle competence.

STRATEGY AND CONCEPT

On the basis of the experience acquired

by Schaeffler over decades, a portfolio of

e-mobility products has been compiled.

It consists of electrical axes, hybrid mod-

ules and wheel hub drives, defined

within a modular system. This system

covers the electrics/electronics, software

control, mechanics and all relevant func-

tion ranges from 48 V to HV applications.

The major system elements in the field of

electrics/electronics are developed in-

house. In the development and series

delivery of the sub-modules (motor, elec-

tronics and sensor modules), Schaeffler

uses every opportunity to cooperate with

partners that are benchmarked as the

best in their field.

Part of the overall concept is to stand-

ardise components at the function level

rather than at the housing one. This is

achieved by systematically decoupling

the control functions of the software and

hardware from the power functions,

which provides several advantages:

:: Once developed, a control unit can

be re-used because the basic func-

tions usually remain the same for all

power categories.

:: Since the control unit requires the

greatest development effort, the mar-

ginal costs decrease rapidly if the re-

use percentage is high.

:: The combination of control and

power units can be as flexible as

required for each available space, ➋.

:: The power amplifiers can be freely

scaled and integrated into the sys-

tem. They are currently designed for

a range between 300 W and 100 kW.

To achieve a high degree of the software

re-use capability, the software architec-

ture always complies with the AUTOSAR

standard. Furthermore, model-based

control units replace characteristic map-

based ones. The idea of standardising

also affects the tool chain which, in

AUTHORS

DIPL.-ING. THOMAS PFUND

is Head of Central Functions and

Mechatronics inside the Schaeffler

E-Mobility Systems Division at LuK

GmbH & Co. KG in Bühl (Germany).

DIPL.-ING. MATTHIAS GRAMANN

is Head of Electrical Drives inside the

Division of Central Functions &

Mechatronics at LuK GmbH & Co KG

in Bühl (Germany).

DR. MARTIN FRITZ

is Head of Software Development

inside the Division of Central Func-

tions & Mechatronics at LuK GmbH &

Co KG in Bühl (Germany).

EDUARD ENDERLE, M.ENG

is Team Manager Power Electronics

inside the Department of Electrical

Drives at LuK GmbH & Co KG in Bühl

(Germany).


turn, depends on the specific control

module being developed. Development

engineers work with identical tools and

user interfaces across all locations and

testing facilities. This reduces errors and

increases the working efficiency.

CONCEPTUAL IMPLEMENTATION

The system structure of the Schaeffler

e-axis [1] ➌ illustrates the first step of the

conceptual implementation. Its power

electronics system ➍ is close to the

torque-vectoring motor (TV motor). The

advantage is a direct connection without

separate cabling. The power electronics

is designed so that it requires no space

that could be used for other purposes.

The target value for the torque differ-

ence at the wheels will be used as a func-

tional interface and is provided by the

dynamic drive control unit. All functions

to be derived from this value are calcu-

lated in the control unit of the module

and executed via its actuator system. The

distribution of the torque to the driving

wheels has been achieved electromechan-

ically for the first time. Since the TV sys-

tem must meet the highest safety stand-

ards, it is classified according to ASIL-D.

This approach can unlock considera-

ble potential in technical and economic

terms. Initially, it is obvious that the

efficiency of the electrical path can only

be increased without additional costs if

the traction motor, power electronics,

actuators, sensors and control electron-

ics are perfectly matched. In the course

of integration, certain issues that are

often disregarded become the focus of

attention. For example, the cabling

between the power electronics and the

TV motor is no longer required in the

system described. From the perspective

of an overall vehicle project manager,

the removal of the finger-thick cables

means that they cannot cause subse-

quent damage in case of a crash. Only

the connection cable to the battery is

still to be taken into account.

The cabling from the motor sensor

system to the control unit and external

piping for cooling the power electronics

can as well be avoided. The die-cast alu-

minium housing will be eliminated in

the next development stage. Together,

this leads to significant savings in cost

and weight. Thanks to the compact

design, less space is required compared

to decentralised components.

The side effects of downsizing,

explained in detail below, clearly con-

firm the additional value that can be

achieved by using the highly integrated

functional approach. Turbocharged

motors produce torsional vibrations that

can be mechanically isolated only by

using complex vibration damping sys-

tems. The electrical machine that exists

in a hybrid system can be used, for

example, to eliminate such vibrations in

the most critical area via counter-excita-

tion. As a consequence, a more cost-

effective mechanical damping system is

sufficient. The same applies to systems

that damp or suppress acoustic emis-

sions via their structure. Such

approaches, however, require that the

system partner is able to control its own

system and has comprehensive knowl-

edge of the overall vehicle.

MODEL-BASED CONTROL OF THE

ELECTRIC DRIVE SYSTEM

The control of the Schaeffler electric ➋ P2 hybrid modul with integrated power electronics

➊ Degree of integration on p2 hybrid modules



drive system – consisting of the electric

machine, sensors, function and electron-

ics – is based on its basic physical equa-

tions. The parameters of the mathemati-

cal functions derived, including their

saturation behaviour, are identified on

the basis of the FEM simulations, ana-

lytical calculations and measurement

data. In this way, the transition from the

system description based on sampling

points and its disadvantages (numerical

effects, interpolation) to a model-based

one is completed.

With the help of these mathematical

functions, the tables required for the field-

oriented control (d-q current, inductance,

rotor flux) can now be reduced or even

eliminated, ➎. Moreover, this enables a

parametrisable control and can be used,

for example, to adjust the electrical drive

quite easily to the respective system toler-

ances and physical boundary conditions,

such as temperatures.

In this way, aging effects and other

varying parameters can be properly iden-

tified and adaptively compensated via

parameters not only when performing

measurements during commissioning,

but also under real driving conditions.

The unified analytical modelling of

the electric machine, field-oriented con-

trol and thermal behaviour enables the

pre-calibration of the overall system so

that calibration at the end of the pro-

duction line can be largely avoided. The

model-based methods can only be

implemented if the high real-time

requirements put on the control and

feedback control software can be

mapped to the hardware platform in a

highly dynamic way.

Schaeffler describes a hardware

architecture divided into the control part

and a scalable power part. The control

part comprises all the necessary func-

tions required for the vehicle communi-

cation, connection of sensors and actua-

tors, monitoring, diagnosis, state control

and scheduling. The core function of the

power electronics, the field-oriented

control including the sensor evaluation

and position detection, is executed in a

prioritised process. The control board

with series production-proven proces-

sors can be replaced with a board with

elements based on new technologies,

such as the Aurix processor, for research

and development purposes.

ASIL D MONITORING AND TV PE

VOLTAGE SUPPLY

Diversely redundant monitoring of the

respective driving torque is provided to

meet the safety requirements of the

future drive concepts. This means that

one of the two identical Infineon Tri-

Cores of the control board calculates an

independent estimation model based on

the measured and specified signals, ⑤.

The high safety requirements have

➌ E-axis with torque vectoring power electronics

➍ Torque vectoring power electronics of the Schaeffler electric axis


also been implemented in the design of

energy supply. Both redundantly

designed controllers and drivers of the

IGBT full-bridges can be supplied from

two independent voltage sources – the

12 V on-board electrical system and the

HV network – via a galvanically isolated

full-range DC-DC converter. Part of the

implemented safety concept is to exam-

ine the failure of voltage supply. Such

failure would lead to uncontrolled dif-

ference torques at the drive wheels,

causing the car to make an uninten-

tional self-steering movement. High

recuperation voltages can also nega-

tively affect the high-voltage network.

Energy harvesting processes can

ensure that the power supply is retained

so that the system can still be actively

influenced. Besides the functional safety,

the electrical safety is also comprehen-

sively implemented. This includes cir-

cuitry used to discharge the DC interme-

diate circuit capacitors and to monitor

isolation in the HV network. Further-

more, the monitoring of temperature,

current and voltage is a standard feature.

CONCLUSION AND OUTLOOK

Schaeffler has developed a modular sys-

tem that covers all design variations of

an electrified drive in all common on-

board electrical systems. Hardware and

software are standardised at the function

level. A high degree of integration at the

component and function level means

advantages not only in terms of space,

weight and costs, but also in terms of

additional functional value. The next

steps will involve complete integration of

the traction electronics into the hybrid

module for high and low voltage sys-

tems. In addition, the module technology

will be consistently developed further.

REFERENCE

[1] Smetana, T.; Berger, M.; Gramann, M.; Mitar-

iu-Faller, M.: Baukastensystem für elektrische

Antriebsachsen. In: ATZ 115 (2013), No. 9, pp.

684-689

➎ System structure of the model based e-motor control

THANKS

We express our deepest appreciation to the

co-authors Carsten Angrick, Cedric Blaes and

Jochen Reith, who have made a substantial

contribution to this paper. Carsten Angrick and

Jochen Reith are experts in system develop-

ment, and Cedric Blaes is a design engineer in

the electric drives subdivision at Schaeffl er

eMobility Systems Division LuK GmbH & Co.

KG in Bühl (Germany).





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THERMAL INSULATION OFELECTRIC VEHICLE CABINS

Increasing demands regarding energy efficiency result in conflicts of objectives between driving range and ther-

mal comfort. In contrast to measures aimed at optimising the efficiency of heating and air-conditioning systems,

thermal cabin insulation offers potential that has not yet been investigated in sufficient depth. Studies carried

out at Daimler AG are addressing this issue.



MOTIVATION

Unlike combustion engines, electrified

powertrains have much lower levels of

waste heat that can be used to heat the

passenger cabin. Additionally, the refriger-

ant compressor that is traditionally linked

directly to the internal combustion engine

needs to be powered electrically. Conse-

quently, in fully electrically powered vehi-

cles, independent heating and air-condi-

tioning systems need to be implemented,

and these have to be powered by the vehi-

cle’s battery itself. The operation of these

systems has immediate effects on the

driving range, thus resulting in conflicting

objectives between driving range and

thermal comfort [1, 2, 3].

Several approaches are aimed at

increasing the efficiencies of the air-condi-

tioning and heating systems by active

measures. However, improving the ther-

mal cabin insulation offers untapped

potential. Reliable conclusions regarding

the impact of improved thermal insulation

of cabin components on the vehicle’s

thermal management are only feasible

using detailed Computational Fluid

Dynamics (CFD) analysis or climate and

wind tunnels. This is due to the large in-

homogeneities in flow and temperature

ratios.

Previous studies assessing passive

measures in cars are largely based on

highly simplified models that neglect the

above-mentioned in-homogeneities. In

particular, the assumption that the cabin’s

air volume can be represented by a single

node leads to an underestimation of the

local potential of thermal insulation.

Claims of driving range benefits of 3 % to

4 % relating to a full-surface insulation of

the car’s exterior components with a very

low heat transfer value of 0.5 W/(m2K) at

ambient temperatures of -10 °C in a modi-

fied NEDC (accounting for the required

power to operate the heating and air-con-

ditioning systems) need to be re-consid-

ered in 3D simulations [4].

SUBJECT OF THE INVESTIGATION

The goal of the investigation is to present

a comprehensive assessment of the tech-

nical and economic aspects of cabin insu-

lation for alternatively powered vehicles.

Firstly, a fundamental understanding of

the system and an objective basis for the

evaluation of insulation concepts is devel-

oped with the aid of a CFD-based Design

of Experiments (DoE). Subsequently, a

packaging analysis of relevant compo-

nents is carried out to demonstrate

options for the implementation of insula-

tion technology for a conversion design

electric vehicle.

THE CAR AS A THERMODYNAMIC

SYSTEM

The heating and air conditioning of the

passenger’s cabin is accomplished

through a temperature-conditioned air

mass flow through three different blow-

ers (a), (b) and (c), ➊. The percentage

distribution of air mass flow between the

different blowers depends on the sur-

rounding temperature conditions. In

summer, the conditioned air mass flow is

equally divided between the upper vents

(b) and the defroster vents (a). The mix

of ambient and already conditioned

cabin air is cooled and dehumidified at

the evaporator (2).

Depending on the existing climatic

conditions and requirements, air is in

some cases cooled more than necessary

for comfortable climate control of the

cabin. In order to achieve the desired

temperature level at the outlet nozzles,

the air is re-heated by the heat exchanger

(5). Therefore, the approach of raising

the incoming air temperature by using

improved cabin insulation does not nec-

essarily lead to an energy saving poten-

tial in summer scenarios.

Based on knowledge gained in the

sector of climatic physiology, it is

AUTHORS

DIPL.-WIRT.-ING. STEFFEN WIRTH

is Ph.D. Student in the Field of Energy

Flow Simulation in the Research and

Development Department of the Daim-

ler AG in Sindelfi ngen (Germany).

DIPL.-WIRT.-ING. MARCO EIMLER

is Consultant at the Unity AG; the

paper is a result of his diploma works

at the Daimler AG in Sindelfi ngen

(Germany).

DR.-ING. FRANK NIEBLING

is Project Leader for Cabin Insulation

in the Field of Energy Flow Simulation

in the Research and Development

Department at the Daimler AG in Ulm

(Germany)Department at the Daimler

AG in Ulm (Germany).

➊ Structure and functionality of the HVAC unit [5]


observed that the largest amount of the

air mass flow for heating in winter enters

the cabin via the foot vents (c). Only a

small amount of the volumetric air flow

is led through the defroster vents (a)

within the dashboard to prevent misting.

The air being drawn in is heated and

dehumidified via the heat exchanger (5)

and the evaporator (2) respectively.

In stationary heating scenarios, heat

loss via radiation, convection and the

outlet vents equals the heat flow that is

necessary to condition the cabin’s inte-

rior. The use of insulation materials is

aimed at reducing the heat loss via the

cabin’s exterior panelling. For a medium-

sized car, this energy flow can be quanti-

fied to about 1200 W at a surrounding

temperature of -7 °C and an input power

of approximately 3100 W [6].

LAYER BUILD-UP OF

THE BODY-IN-WHITE

With regard to a thermal analysis, the

components of the vehicle cabin can be

categorised into the following three

groups:

:: Transparent components (wind-

screen, windows and sunroof)

:: Components with air gaps (door,

roof, A-, B-, C-pillars and boot lid)

:: Components without air gaps (floor,

firewall).

Depending on the characteristics of the

above-mentioned layer build-up, the

opportunity of integrating either insulat-

ing materials, low-emissivity (low-e)

surfaces or functional textiles (low-e

textiles) presents itself.

The prerequisite for the use of low-e

coatings is an air gap in the layer build-up

of the component, leading to a reduction

in the exchange of radiation between the

two end surfaces. Simultaneously, the

generated temperature difference through

the air gap increases, which could possi-

bly lead to compensating effects due to a

larger amount of convection in the air

gap. Therefore, the integration of low-e

coatings in the layer structure of compo-

nents might result in the phenomenon of

‘thermal cannibalisation’. Possible simpli-

fied modifications of automotive compo-

nents are shown as in ➋.

For a better understanding, the

relevant modifications to the door

system are described as examples. The

door of the smart fortwo electric drive

(frame design variant) consists of a 2.8

mm thick polypropylene (PP) exterior

surface, a 2 mm thick door separation

layer of polyethylene separating dry

and wet areas, the door interior surface

of a 3.7 mm thick PP and a laminated

textile structure.

Possibilities for material integration

and reinforcement arise either at the

door separation layer or directly at the

inner surface. Insulation options that do

not influence packaging space, such as

low-emissivity coatings, can be included

on one or both sides in damping or lam-

inating scenarios of the separation layer

and the inner surface. Additionally, the

integration of functional textiles in the

passenger’s field of vision provides an

interesting approach towards increasing

the passenger’s experience of an insu-

lated drive cabin.

As is shown in the temperature

curves, the temperature difference

between the ambient surroundings and

the air volume of the cabin is distrib-

uted in accordance with the thermal

resistances of the constitutive layers, ②.

These resistances comprise convective

and radiant heat transfer at the outer

and inner surfaces, coupled with the

➋ Available options for component modification of the smart fortwo electric drive



heat transfer mechanisms that exist in

the individual component. For compo-

nents with relatively low thermal resist-

ance, such as the windscreen, the con-

vective heat transfer on the inner side is

the dominant mechanism. The influence

of this effect is reduced as the thermal

resistance of the component increases.

EVALUATION CHALLENGES

Energy-saving potentials of active meas-

ures can easily be evaluated by simply

measuring the energy consumption. The

assessment of passive measures, how-

ever, is facing specific challenges. The

complexity of an objective ground for

evaluation of passive methods is

explained by the causal dependencies

for a winter scenario in ➌. Leaving

input power unchanged, an improve-

ment in the thermal insulation leads to

an increase in the averaged cabin air

temperature. For the neutral determina-

tion of relevant effects, constant cabin

comfort is considered as a reference. In

order to achieve this, HVAC units offer

two configuration options: the adjust-

ment of the incoming blower tempera-

ture or the alignment of air mass flow.

The adjustment of the incoming air

temperature is accompanied by a

change in local cabin temperatures. This

effect is especially noticeable in cabin

areas that are exposed to stronger circu-

lation. The reduction in air mass flow

results in a reduction in circulation

velocities within the cabin. Thus, the

convective heat transfer resistance in

boundary layers rises. This has a signifi-

cant effect on heat transfer, especially

for components with a relatively lower

heat transfer resistance, such as win-

dows. The decrease in air mass flow is

restricted due to a higher risk of mist-

ing. Both modified variants are accom-

panied by secondary effects, thus result-

ing in an unclear conclusions criterion.

In an attempt to derive an efficient

insulation strategy, greater importance

is placed here on the modification of the

incoming air temperature, subject to

lower secondary effects. Although sec-

ondary effects are to be minimised dur-

ing the analysis of the system behav-

iour, the same play an important role in

the overall evaluation of the insulation

potential of a system functioning at the

desired thermodynamic optimum.

BENEFITS IN WINTER SCENARIOS

Due to various system interactions, the

effect of specific measures on the power

consumption required for cabin condition-

ing is not always additive. In order to

mathematically describe the power con-

sumption in accordance with the individ-

ual measures and their combination, a

simulation-based Design of Experiments

(DoE) with the aid of the CFD program

Star-CCM+ from CD-adapco Group was

executed, ➍.

With reference to the thermal insulat-

ing properties of different components,

limiting input values between the contem-

porary series scenario and a thermal

resistance value equivalent to a 3 cm

thick polystyrene layer were used. With

the intention of maintaining an approxi-

mately constant average air cabin temper-

ature of 25 °C (comfort requirement) sub-

ject to all parameter combinations, the

incoming air temperature was adjusted

linearly in accordance with the state of

cabin insulation. The premise of a linear

relation of the state of cabin insulation

and the incoming air temperature leads to

a measurement uncertainty (approxi-

mately 2 %) of the volume-averaged

cabin temperature. In order to achieve

more precise observations for comparable

cabin comfort, future simulations should

be expanded by the addition of a passen-

ger’s model.

The results for power dissipation show

significant influences from the main

effects, with the exceptions of the wind-

➌ Objective evaluation of insulation concepts

➍ Design of Experiments (DoE) set-up


screen and windows. This can be attrib-

uted to the fact that the study was carried

out for a winter scenario only varying the

window surface emissicity that does not

have a great impact on the heat loss.

Interaction effects at the 5 % significance

level (p < 0.05) could not be accurately

proven. These interactions are possibly

very small, leading to their compensation

by numerical oscillations in the average

cabin temperature.

The equation shown in ④ can directly

be adapted to the smart fortwo electric

drive for this specific winter scenario by

considering the assumed coding of fac-

tors. A roof structure insulation equivalent

to a thermal resistance of a 3 cm polysty-

rene layer results in a reduction in dissi-

pated power of approximately 49 W (2 x

24.5 W). The large area of the Tridion cell

is responsible for its significant influence

on the power dissipation of the cabin.

Modifications to this specific component

group are, however, subjected to packag-

ing restrictions.

For the derivation of a desired compo-

nent insulation strategy, the effect result-

ing from the combination of various

parameter combinations (DoE) is to be

linked to the development effort involved

in series production (development and

production effort), costs (material costs)

and other automotive-specific material

requirements (weight, long-term behav-

iour, geometric flexibility, package

restraints). Only thereby a holistic evalua-

tion is guaranteed. Taking the construc-

tive component set-up into consideration

for the smart fortwo electric drive, indi-

vidual insulation concepts for the door,

the firewall, the roof, the floor and the

Tridion cell have been developed, ➎.

Overall, from 144 possible scenarios,

14 insulation concepts were shortlisted,

primarily taking insulation and economic

effects into consideration. The approach

of a vacuum insulation panel within the

door has not been regarded due to short-

comings in geometric flexibility, long-term

behaviour and material costs. Feasible

solutions, which have been implemented

in the development process, are polyure-

thane (PU) foams of varying thicknesses

on the firewall (D1), roof (A1) and floor

(E2) similar to the integration of a low-e

coating in the door construction (C1).

The implementation of these

approaches reduces the power consump-

tion of the HVAC unit by up to 20 %,

assuming a constant driving speed of 50

km/h and a surrounding temperature of

-7 °C. An equivalent adjustment of heat-

ing power results in a total driving range

benefit of approximately 12 km for the

smart fortwo electric drive related to the

power consumption required in the NEDC

with a consideration of secondary loads.

Some of these approaches have already

been implemented in series production

within the framework of a quick-win

package. A low-e coating in the air gap of

the door construction and PU foam on the

inner side of the firewall make it possible

to reduce consumed heating power by

about 350 W via a modification of the air

mass flow. This was proven by tests car-

ried out in the climate and wind tunnels

at Daimler AG.

CONCLUSION AND OUTLOOK

The methodological coupling of CFD-

based DoE with an automotive-specific

criteria catalogue leads to an objective

conclusion basis that allows clear recom-

mendations for an insulation strategy to

be developed. This strategy has been

implemented for the optimisation of the

smart electric drive’s thermal insulation.

In order to be able to evaluate the

effect of passive methods on the cabin’s

heat management system more accurately,

contemporary cabin models must be

further detailed. The ultimate aim is the

analysis of local temperature differences

and locally refined circulation and

radiation phenomena in the interiors of

automotive components. The set-up of

three-dimensional CFD component

models would enable a better

fundamental understanding of system

behaviour and forecast validity of

simulation models. Against this

background, contemporary cabin models

at Daimler AG are being optimised.

REFERENCES

[1] Bloch, A.: Bis zu 47% weniger Reichweite.

EElektroauto-Reichweite im Winter. URLRL: http://

www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/eco/elektroauto-re-

ichweite-bis-zu-47-prozent-geringere-reichweite-

im-winter-3295701.html [12.06.2012]

[2] Hesse, B.; Hiesgen, G.; Koppers, M.; Sch-

ramm, D.: Einfluss verschiedener Nebenver-

braucher auf Elektrofahrzeuge. In: Proff, H.

(Hrsg.): Zukünftige Entwicklung in der Mobilität.

Betriebswirtschafliche und technische Aspekte, 1.

Aufl. Wiesbaden: Gabler, 2012, pp. 91-104

[3] Hinrichs, J.; Schäfer T.: Thermomanagement

von Elektrofahrzeugen. In: Mager, R. (Hrsg.): Pkw-

Klimatisierung VII. (Reihe: Pkw-Klimatisierung,

Bd.7). Renningen: Expert, 2011, pp. 205-209

[4] Konz, M.; Lemke, N.; Försterling, S.; Eghtes-

sad, M.: Spezifische Anforderungen an das Heiz-

Klimasystem elektromotorisch angetriebener

Fahrzeuge. In: Forschungsvereinigung Automo-

biltechnik e.V. (Hrsg.): FAT-Schriftenreihe 233,

2011

[5] Schweizer, G.: Heizung und Klimatisierung.

In: Robert Bosch GmbH (Hrsg.): Sicherheits- und

Komfortsysteme. Funktion, Regelung und Kompo-

nenten. 3. Aufl. Wiesbaden: Vieweg, 2004, pp.

285-287

[6] Currle, J.: Thermische Isolation der Pkw-Fahr-

gastzelle. Daimler AG, unpublished report, 2012

➎ Insulation concepts





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VERIFY AND OPTIMIZE YOUR DESIGNS WITH

LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN FOR MORE ENERGY EFFICIENCY

In order to ensure sustainable success, most OEMs are currently focusing their innovation concepts on achiev-

ing technology leadership in lightweight design and the use of lightweight materials. For this reason, innovation

management with composite materials and lightweight design concepts is also particularly important for engi-

neering partners such as Edag.



BACKGROUND

The importance of lightweight design in

vehicle development continues to

increase. Not only the ambitious CO2

targets for 2020, but also the introduc-

tion of a whole range of electric vehicles

on the market, which require mastery of

the substantial changes to weight distri-

bution and the load paths involving

lightweight construction, are bringing

the focus back to this issue.

Consequently, there are all sorts of

requirements for components, from

which specific design criteria can be

used. At its own Competence Centre for

Lightweight Construction, Materials and

Technologies, Edag is pursuing selected

lightweight strategies approaches, from

the conception stage through to the

evaluation stage.

COMPOSITE LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN

In order to make weight reduction and

functional improvements with innovative

fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP) a reality,

the plastics experts of BASF have, in col-

laboration with Edag, developed a fibre-

composite sandwich demonstrator

applied to a convertible roof module [1].

A convertible roof module was

selected since this shows promise of a

relatively speedy market entry on

account of the relatively moderate pro-

duction volume of around 20,000 units

per year. On the one hand, this offers

manageability, while on the other hand,

the volume is nonetheless sufficiently

large that, without automated produc-

tion processes, the use of FRP technol-

ogy would not be possible from an eco-

nomic viewpoint. In addition, weight

reduction above the centre of gravity of

a vehicle has a positive effect on drive

dynamics and, compared to costlier

steel or aluminium lightweight construc-

tion, this type of construction can be

realised more readily for this vehicle

segment, ➊ and ➋.

Altogether, the convertible roof mod-

ule exhibits the following six key

features:

:: Dry CF mat with fibre orientation

based on the load applied,

:: Low-density polyurethane foam core

with high compressive strength,

:: Fast-curing RTM resin systems with

good flow properties,

:: Unidirectional reinforcements,

:: Metal inserts at points where forces

are applied, and

:: Short glass fibre reinforced plastic

inserts.

Despite the high potential for weight

reduction, there are some obstacles with

regard to the application of FRP light-

weight construction methods for large-

series vehicle production. These are the

relatively high costs in relation to the

weight reduction and the current lack of

experience of OEMs and suppliers in

merging the individual supply-related

AUTHORS

DR. MARTIN HILLEBRECHT

is Head of the Competence Centre for

Lightweight Design, Materials and

Technology at Edag GmbH & Co KGaA

in Fulda (Germany).

JÖRG HÜLSMANN

is Head of the CAE Department of the

Vehicle Integration Division at Edag

GmbH & Co KGaA in Fulda

(Germany).

ANDREAS RITZ

is Head of the Sales and Project Man-

agement Department of the Tool and

Body Systems division at Edag GmbH

& Co KGaA in Eisenach (Germany).

PROF. DR. UDO MÜLLER

is Professor of Mechanical

Engineering at the University for

Applied Sciences in Würzburg-

Schweinfurt (Germany).Aluminium

reference

4553 g

Dual-shell inner structure with

plating and reinforcement plus

connecting elements

sealers and surface reinforcement

for improvement concerning dent

stiffness and natural frequency

2915 g

Sandwich composed of

carbon-fibre cover layers, with

unidirectional reinforcement

and PUR foam core with inserts

Generi

c

concept

Desi

gn

Snow load Wind load EigenmodesCollision

load

Polishing work

for dents

Central

block

FRP foam

sandwich design

❶ Fibre-composite sandwich demonstrator applied to a convertible roof module


production competencies into a coher-

ent value chain.

While BASF was able to offer its com-

prehensive product range and processing

know-how for the three material classes

of epoxy resin, polyurethane and poly-

amide, along with the closed-cell PUR

structural foam, Edag applied its FRP

development expertise in the project.

For the design of fibre-reinforced

plastic components, as in the case of

isotropic materials, numerical computa-

tion is essential for achieving the

required component properties with

minimum weight.

In order to ensure that the predic-

tions of the computations are reliable, it

must be possible to characterise the

fibre-reinforced plastics or their material

properties, as well as the influencing

factors arising from production, ➌. In

contrast to typical isotropic materials,

additional material testing is required.

For the production of material cards

for fibre-composite materials, the fol-

lowing procedure has been determined

to be effective:

:: Experimental characterisation of the

material properties via testing,

:: Selection of the material modelling

software (Abaqus, Pam-Crash, etc.)

or implementation of a new method

for determining solutions,

:: Verification of the material model

and calibration for the material card,

:: Initial validation of the material card,

and

:: Validation of the calibrated model via

component testing.

❷ Cross-section of the demonstrator: the characteristic features of the novel fibre-reinforced composite con-

cept, the poly urethane foam core, the impregnated CFRP skin layers and a metallic insert can be seen

❸ CAE material cards can be prepared in the accredited testing laboratories of Edag



LIGHTWEIGHT STEEL DESIGN

In spite of the lightweight construction

potential of FRP, steel will continue to be

a prominent lightweight construction

material in high volume vehicle produc-

tion. This fact is underlined by the cur-

rent FutureSteelVehicle (FSV), which has

been developed on behalf of the interna-

tional steel industry WorldAutoSteel [2].

The FSV utilises CAE methods in

combination with an extended portfolio

of high-strength and ultra high-strength

steels, which will come onto the market

between 2015 and 2020. Besides two

hybrid drive units and one fuel cell drive

unit, the focus was on the electric power-

train. As a battery electric vehicle (BEV),

a body weight of just 188 kg could be

realised, demonstrating a future potential

>20 %. The project not only illustrates

that steel is the most cost-effective mate-

rial for bodies in volume production; it

also underlines the importance of a life-

cycle assessment, since steel is the most

recycled material worldwide, ➍.

Lightweight steel-plate construction is

always limited owing to the complex

joint sections in small spaces. Further-

more, joining processes suitable for

series production have technical and geo-

metric limitations.

Low-pressure, thin casted steel parts

may offer potential for the future. For the

Edag Light Car [3] concept vehicle, a

space frame joint involving a thin cast-

steel component was realised for the first

time. The purpose of this was to demon-

strate the application potential as well as

to subject the joining technology and the

corrosion properties to close scrutiny.

Weight reduction is possible because

of the increase in local stiffness, the

constructive degrees of freedom in the

design (for example, ribs) as well as the

reduction in sheet thickness in the area

around the components. Optimisation of

production costs arises from the use of

similar joining technologies rather than

bonding methods, and is reinforced if

the degree of flexibility is very high or if

highly diverse components are used.

The additional cost per kilogram saved

appears to be extremely positive.

Consequently, thin-plated cast steel

structures could well be the vision of

each body developer if process reliabil-

ity and technical realisation were

already guaranteed. Following promis-

ing preliminary work in cooperation

with the CX Group, it is a declared aim

to help make the breakthrough, using

new casting methods, bonding technolo-

gies, system concepts and design meth-

ods, ➎, ➏ and ➐.

LIGHT METALS

For certain component groups of the

vehicle concepts of today, in particular

sliding doors of vans, there is further

lightweight construction potential in the

application of magnesium, which is

already an established design material

in body construction. The declared aim

here is to compensate for the additional

weight of sliding doors (15 % to 40 %

higher than conventional swinging

doors) by using lightweight construction

material, and, if possible, to reduce the

weight even further. The example of a

sliding door of a car illustrates the light-

weight construction potential of magne-

❹ The body concept of the FutureSteelVehicle demonstrates the lightweight construction potential of steel ap-

plications of the future

❺ Comparison of sheet and cast joints in a typical steel-intensive body design of today


sium, when applied in sheet form,

extruded section form or in cast form, ➑.

The theoretical weight reduction

potential of substituting steel with magne-

sium is essentially dependent on the geo-

metrical shape of the component as well

as the stress, and lies in the range from 0

% to 60 %. The stiffness and strength are

decisive factors for the door structure. In

contrast to this, the local and global dent-

ing properties are of particular importance

for the outer door panel.

Regarding the examination of the

door structure, a door with a die-cast

inner section, a frame involving deeply-

drawn components and a side-impact

member as an extruded section turns

out to be the best solution. Concerning

the design of the components, the load

conditions include excess door pressure

when being opened, a vacuum on the

outside, an idealised collision and mis-

use due to a person being supported by

a door.

Compared to the benchmark door

made of steel, a weight reduction of 44

% is achieved for the magnesium door

with the same stress resistance. If an

outer magnesium panel is also included

in the analysis, the total weight poten-

tial rises, reaching up to 50 % [4], ➒.

SMALL-SERIES PRODUCTION IN THE

PREMIUM SEGMENT

The practical application and realisation

of widely differing lightweight construc-

tion strategies are currently taking place

with all sorts of small-scale premium

products. These often involve specific

body developments and adjustments for

high-performance vehicles.

Edag has been making specific devel-

opments in the area of body and tool sys-

tems for such vehicle structures at its site

in Eisenach, Germany, ranging from indi-

vidual part production processes and join-

ing processes for add-on modules (bon-

nets, mudguards) through to small-series

supplier conditions.

In the area of body and tool systems,

the multi-material lightweight construc-

tion strategy can be clearly recognised

from widely-differing products. Alongside

aluminium and composite materials

(organic sheets), hot-forming and ultra

high-strength, cold-forming steels also

belong to the single component produc-

tion range. For this reason, process and

method planning concerned with forming

occurs directly at the site.

From the direct exchange of experience

between tool makers and method plan-

ners, results can be verified and, if neces-

sary, further developments or corrections

can be made. The application of various

proven joining processes helps to shape

❻ Comparison between steel-sheet design and thin cast-steel-plate design for the “rear collision” and

“axle attachment” load cases

STEEL-SHEET DESIGN THIN CAST-STEEL-PLATE DESIGN

WEIGHT [g] 5458 4921*

NUMBER OF COMPONENTS 4 3

NUMBER OF JOINING

OPERATIONS/DEVICES5 4

WELD POINTS 29 26**

BOND SEAM None None

COST OF MATERIALS [EURO] 3.28 3.13

COST OF MANUFACTURING [EURO] 8.72 9.24

COST OF TOOLS [EURO] 997,500 765,000

*** DYNAMIC STIFFNESS 100 % 100 %

COLLISION PERFORMANCE 100 % > 120 %

* from which cast part weight = 980 g; ** additional weld points for load path optimisation;

*** design criterion

❼ Evaluation of potential based on a generic body structure for a thin cast-steel-plate design compared to a

steel sheet design



the character of a functional, multi-mate-

rial lightweight design structure.

Joining processes such as punch rivet-

ing, clinching, roller hemming and laser

joining techniques are, along with con-

ventional joining methods such as spot

welding and MAG welding, continually

being applied and the experience of using

these methods is beneficial for the func-

tional and production-oriented develop-

ment of individual parts and structures

with lightweight construction properties.

SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK

Only with interdisciplinary teamwork is it

possible for lightweight construction and

multi-material concepts to be imple-

mented speedily and successfully. Of cen-

tral importance in achieving this are the

material specialists in specialised compa-

nies with experience in automotive devel-

opment, and in particular those with

many years of experience in lightweight

design, from the concept stage to series

production readiness. Lightweight con-

struction is, and will continue to be, a

challenging engineering discipline.

Moreover, the initial technical imple-

mentation of lightweight construction pro-

duction technology requires the involve-

ment of all partners of a new value chain

that has not yet been established. In this

case too, highly specialised technical

knowledge is essential and demands will

be made on generalists to be able to iden-

tify and assess pioneering technologies.

REFERENCES

[1] Dallner, C.; Sandler, J.; Reul, W.; Hillebrecht,

M.: Faserverbundkonzept für ein Cabrio-

Dachmodul. In: ATZproduktion 5 (2012), No. 3,

pp. 178 – 183

[2] Ten Broek, C.; Singh, H.; Hillebrecht, M.: Fu-

tureSteelVehicle: Innovativer Stahl-Leichtbau und

neue Entwicklungsmethoden. In: ATZ Automo-

biltechnische Zeitschrift 114 (2012), No. 5, pp.

370 – 377

[3] Hillebrecht, M., Schwarz, W.; Reul, W:

Leichtbau durch Multi-Material-Design am Beispiel

des Elektrofahrzeugs “Light Car Open Source”. Ka-

rosseriebautage Hamburg, 2010

[4] Rathfelder, A.; Müller, U.: Das Leichtbaupo-

tenzial verschiedener Werkstoffkonzepte am

Beispiel einer Pkw-Schiebetür. 4. Nano- und Ma-

terial-Symposium Niedersachsen, 2011

❽ Overview of components for a sliding door

THANKS

Edag is grateful for the successful and collabo-

rative cooperation with customers and business

partners who have given their agreement to

publish their contributions with us. These are

Dr. Claus Dallner, Dr. Jan Sandler and Dr.

Katrin Nienkemper of BASF SE, Cees ten Broek

of WorldAutoSteel and Ivo Herzog of the CX

Group.

A

B

C

D

E

B

C

DE

A

Reinforcement (top)

Window frames

Window shaft reinforcement

Side impact member

Inner section

Local thickness increase to 5.0 mm

2

1.6

3.3

2 – 5

Deep drawing

Deep drawing

Deep drawing

Extrusion

Die casting

DescriptionThickness of

magnesium part [mm] Production method

3.3

❾ Components of the door structure with the associated production methods




AUTHORS

MAIK SCHULTE

Global Application Development, High

Performance Materials business unit,

LANXESS Deutschland GmbH.

DR GÜNTER MARGRAF

Product Development, High Perfor-

mance Materials business unit,

LANXESS Deutschland GmbH.

DR DIETMAR MÜLLER

Managing Director of xperion Energy

& Environment GmbH in Kassel

(Germany).

WEIGHT SAVINGS THROUGHNEW POLYAMIDE USED INNATURAL GAS TANKS

A new polyamide 6 is available for manufacturing high-pressure tanks that are up to

75 % lighter and more cost-effective for natural gas-powered cars. Ultra-tough at

extremely low temperatures, this high-tech thermoplastic is ideal for the extrusion blow

moulding of in-liners for these vessels.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is an

alternative fuel to super unleaded or

unleaded gasoline and diesel, particu-

larly as it is cheaper and more environ-

mentally friendly. Natural gas engines

emit around 25 % less CO2 than gasoline

engines and some 15 % less than their

diesel counterparts. What’s more, emis-

sions of particularly harmful nitrogen

oxides are reduced by 53 % and 95 %,

respectively. The CO2 balance improves

even more when biogas from renewable

sources is added to the natural gas.

On account of the high energy content

and low price, a vehicle run on natural

gas can cover a far greater distance for the

same cost – roughly twice as far as when

using super unleaded gasoline. And

although it is often confused with lique-

fied petroleum gas (LPG), compressed

natural gas has clear advantages thanks to

its significantly higher energy content.

Natural gas-powered vehicles are

therefore one of the things the automotive

industry is focusing on its sustainable

mobility concepts. Another factor is offi-

cial targets such as those of the European

Union, which has ruled that the average

amount of the greenhouse gas CO2 emit-

ted by manufacturers’ vehicle fleets must

be reduced by 40 % compared to 2008 to

95 g/km by 2020.

High-pressure tanks for natural gas-

powered vehicles are frequently made of

steel or aluminium. Thin-walled steel and

aluminium in-liners that are wrapped and

rein-forced with a composite material are

much lighter and have also been tested in

volume production. The composite con-

sists of continuous carbon and/or contin-

uous glass fibres soaked using a thermo-

set reaction system (e.g. epoxy resin) that

is cured thermally after wrapping the

in-liner.

POLYAMIDE 6 AS AN ALTERNATIVE

A new lightweight construction concept

for natural gas tanks uses thermoplastic,

blow-moulded in-liners that are also

wrapped with a continuous carbon/ con-

tinuous glass fibre-reinforced thermoset

composite. These systems weigh four

times less than a tank made entirely of

steel, which reduces the weight per vehi-

T ECHNOL O GY NATURAL GAS


cle by three to four per cent, thus cutting

their CO2 emissions significantly.

Only a small number of thermoplas-

tics are suitable for manufacturing the in-

liners. The plastics need to exhibit excel-

lent barrier properties relative to natural

gas, which consists mainly of methane.

Non-polar thermoplastics, such as poly-

olefin, are therefore less suitable or

require elaborate measures to minimise

their gas permeability.

Plastics also have to be extremely resil-

ient in cold conditions and highly flexible,

as it must be possible to operate and fill

CNG tanks even at -40 °C. At these tem-

peratures, thermoplastic in-liners shrink

to a greater extent than the composite

shells surrounding them. The entire sys-

tem expands instantaneously during fill-

ing as a result of the gas pressure. The in-

liners must not tear or crack despite the

cold conditions.

EXCELLENT PERMEATION

PROPERTIES

LANXESS studied various grades of

Durethan in preliminary testing to see

whether non-reinforced polyamide 6

meets the strict permeation requirements

for thermoplastics for CNG tanks. The

results were very positive. As well as

good barrier behaviour, the polyamide 6

materials also need to offer excellent low

temperature properties and good blow

moulding characteristics. This is a com-

plex task in material development, as the

barrier properties and impact-strength

modification in particular have a nega-

tive impact on each other.

Nevertheless, LANXESS has recently

succeeded in manufacturing low-tem-

perature modified polyamide 6 grades

PH

OTO

© A

UD

I A

G

➊ CNG pressure tanks take up minimal space in series-produced natural gas-fuelled vehicles

➋ Comparison of the natural gas permeation of Durethan, POM and HDPE

The size of the red ball indicates the amount of permeation rate

DurethanBC 550Z DUS XBL

DurethanBC700HTS

HDPE

POM

DurethanDPBC600HTS

Tota

l ene

rgy

abso

rtio

n at

- 40

° C [J

]

Izod notched impact strength ISO 180-1A at - 40° C [kJ/m²]

0 10 20 30 40 500

10

20

30

40

50

60

70


for blow moulding that also retain their

excellent barrier effect against natural

gas. Compared to high density polyeth-

ylene (HDPE), these materials – as

LANXESS was able to ascertain using

200 μm thick films – are 100 times less

gas-permeable, ➋. The barrier behav-

iour is around ten times better than for

polyoxymethylene (POM). As shown in

natural gas permeation testing, on 3

mm thick test plates made of the poly-

amides, no measurable gas losses occur

even after six months.

These results were used to design a

new polyamide 6 specifically for CNG

pressure tanks. Using the material as a

basis, xperion Energy & Environment

GmbH – an Avanco Group company that

has made a name for itself in developing

and manufacturing lightweight composite

components for the energy and environ-

mental sectors – worked in close coopera-

tion with LANXESS to develop a CNG

tank all the way to series production, ➌.

Special challenges that xperion over-

came during this process included pro-

ducing an appropriate design for the pres-

sure tank and valve and adapting the

composite wrapping technology to the

polyamide in-liner. The new CNG tank

system has already been exhibited in the

Audi A3 at the Geneva Motor Show.

ECONOMICAL PROCESSING

The new polyamide 6 shows similar and

in some instances better toughness at low

temperatures and enhanced barrier

behaviour in resisting natural gas than

the materials used in preliminary testing.

It can be processed economically using

conventional extrusion blow moulding

and can also be used to manufacture

large CNG pressure tanks thanks to its

excellent melt stiffness. Manufacturing is

more cost-effective, as the material is

much more heat-stable than HDPE, for

instance. The thermoset composite wrap-

ping that reinforces the CNG tanks can

therefore be cured faster at higher tem-

peratures. The material is also much

more dimensionally stable than HDPE,

for example.

This technology does not require the

costly forming and welding operations

needed for manufacturing sheet steel

pressure tanks, which cuts production

costs significantly. Manufacturing tanks

with the new polyamide 6 is also more

cost-effective than the production of

aluminium tanks. Blow moulding of the

polyamide 6 is much more energy- and

cost-efficient. It also enables cost-effec-

tive integration of functions such as the

valve port.

ECE R110 PASSED

xperion tested the jointly developed com-

posite-reinforced CNG tank in extensive

field testing in the summer of 2011,

assessing its suitability for everyday use.

Prior to this, the tank passed the tests

under the European ECE (Economic Com-

mission for Europe) R110 vehicle standard

for drive systems with compressed natu-

ral gas. Testing included drop tests from a

height of 1.8 m, burst pressure tests at

over 550 bar, pressure pulsation tests with

over 50,000 load cycles and pressure refu-

elling at -40 °C.

OUTLOOK

Good growth could be in store for CNG

pressure tanks based on polyamide 6, as

compressed natural gas is becoming

increasingly popular with consumers as

a fuel, particularly because it is cheaper

and more environmentally friendly. For

example, around 19 % more natural gas

fuelled vehicles were registered in Ger-

many in 2011 than in 2010, according to

the German Federal Motor Transport

Authority (KBA). Their growth rate was

therefore almost twice as high as that for

the entire market.

PHOTO: LANXESS AG



HiAnt — TAILORED CUSTOMER

SERVICE

LANXESS helps project partners at all

levels in developing thermoplastic

components – from selecting the

material, drawing up a component

concept and CAE simulation to com-

ponent testing and processing. This

support is part of the HiAnt brand,

which pools thermoplastic know-how

to deliver a customized service, ➍.

As well as material development, the

services made available to xperion in

the joint project included design

advice, extremely complex simulation

of load scenarios and various tests

relating to natural gas permeation

and the chemical resistance of the

polyamides to media typically found

in motor vehicles.

➍ HiAnt customer service also includes

tensile tests. The aim of this tensile test is to

precisely monitor the local strain distribution in

the specimen

➌ The CNG pressure tank developed by xperion in

conjunction with LANXESS is ready for series

production

T ECHNOL O GY NATURAL GAS


“Making IndianTechnology Count”

Supported By:

Venue: Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

(Entry from Gate No. 2)

Date: February 7, 2014 (Friday)

r o u n d t a b l e

Presents

For more details log on to http://www.autotechreview.comFor Sponsorship and registration, please contact Chanakya Mehta @ +91-98999 22297 | Email: [email protected]

At

AGENDA

Opening SessionSession - 1 Session - 2

Powertrain Technologies In-Vehicle Electronics

Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India

AUTHORS

CHANDRAKANT DANGE

is President at ZF Steering Gear

(India) Ltd in Pune (India).

DOUBLE BARREL HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING GEAR

In vehicles with twin-steer axles, the first axle is steered by the biggest available steering gear and is supported

by an extra hydraulic cylinder. The extra hydraulic cylinder supports high torque requirement of the vehicle for

manoeuvring. Posed with that challenge, ZF India conceived the idea of tackling high torque requirement by

providing a high torque steering gear and eliminating the extra cylinder. Thus was born the eco-friendly Double

Barrel Power Steering Gear.


T ECHNOL O GY STEERING GEAR

INTRODUCTION

In Greek mythology, Prometheus is cred-

ited with the creation of man from clay,

and was considered as one who defied

the gods and gave fire to humanity, an

act that enabled progress and civilisa-

tion. Along with fire came optimism,

which helped improve living conditions

for humans. The art of improvement

paved way to efficiency measurement.

And, the chase began.

The first possible use of a steering

gear could be traced back to the use of

rope steering of a bullock cart. With the

advent of automobiles came mechanical

steering, with gears employed in some

form or the other. Peg- designed steering

gears gave way to worm & roller steer-

ing gears, and further to the recirculat-

ing ball and nut steering gears – the

chase for efficiency continued. In the

process, efficiency was improved from

50 % to 90 %.

THE EARLY DAYS – POWER

STEERING GEAR

Dealing with torque with mechanical

steering gears became difficult as man-

ual force on the steering wheel was a

constraint. The low steering velocity

provided by mechanical steering gear

was another problem area. In 1927,

General Motors installed a power steer-

ing gear in a coal mine truck. The

inventor, Frances W Devis came to be

known as the father of power steering

gear. Though its utility was appreciated,

it failed to penetrate the automobile

market till 1952.

An integral hydraulic power steering

gear was introduced by ZF India, for the

first time in the Indian market, way

back in 1986. An integral hydraulic

power steering gear is basically a

mechanical steering gear, wherein the

hydraulic cylinder and valve are integral

parts. On steering, road wheels are

turned mechanically. But, the hydraulic

valve, which has the ability to sense the

requirement of torque by road wheels,

generates pressure on one side of the

piston. This differential of pressure

helps the piston to move and we get

hydraulic assistance. The hydraulic

assistance is proportional to the

required torque of turning of road

wheels, ➊.

Power steering offered three principal

advantages:

i Reduction in the effort on steering

wheel by around 85 %.

ii High steering velocity (1.5 t/sec or

more), and

iii Absorption of road shocks.

However, these advantages come to

us at the expense of fuel. For every 100

km run of a normal truck, 1.4L of diesel

is burnt for the usage of power steering

gear alone.

BIRTH OF DOUBLE BARREL

STEERING GEAR:

At ZF India, we were posed with chal-

lenges when twin-steer axle vehicles

were introduced in India. In this config-

uration, the first axle is steered by the

biggest available steering gear (ZFI

8046) and is supported by an extra

hydraulic cylinder. The extra hydraulic

cylinder is in series with the hydraulics

of main steering gear. It supports high

torque requirement of the vehicle for

manoeuvring. ZF India conceived the

idea of tackling high torque requirement

by providing a high torque steering gear

and eliminating the extra cylinder, lead-

ing to the birth of the double barrel

power steering gear, ➋.

The concept is very simple. In the

customary integral hydraulic power

steering gear, the output shaft, also

known as sector shaft, receives a

moment of force from the piston gear

teeth on the sector shaft gear teeth.

While on the contrary, in the double

barrel power steering gear the sector

shaft receive two moments of force.

Therefore, torque doubles or, for the

same torque, pressure halves.

➌ shows installation of the present

steering gear on vehicle chassis. As it

cannot cater for the torque required by

two-steer axles, an additional cylinder –

booster cylinder – is added. Meanwhile,

➍ shows the double barrel steering gear

replacing the present one. As it can pro-

vide higher torque, it has eliminated the

booster cylinder.

The steered axle loads vary from

➊ Hydraulic assistance is proportional to the required torque of turning of road wheels


2,800 Kg to 8,000 kg, while the torque

levels required from the steering gears

range from 1,300 Nm to 6,835 Nm.

Hydraulic Power steering gears are

available to handle these torque levels.

But, with multi-steer axle vehicles, the

axle load goes up very high. As a matter

of fact, some of the multi-steer axle

vehicles that are being built currently in

India, have steer axle load that goes up

to 12,000 kg and torque levels from the

steering gear going up to 9,000 Nm.

A double barrel steering gear offers a

good solution to the problem. A smaller

steering gear from the basket of ZF

(8043), smaller than the 8066 type, when

converted to double barrel gives 9,450

Nm of torque. ZF India is currently work-

ing on converting two of its models –

8033 and 8043 – into double barrel ver-

sions. These units will provide torque

ranging from 1,700 Nm to 9,400 Nm.

The double barrel steering gear

would not only reduce cost of manufac-

turing, but will also cut down the vehi-

cle running cost, as it saves fuel. At

today’s retail price of diesel (` 60 plus),

it is possible to save 0.47 p/km.

There are four specific advantages that

the double barrel steering gear offers:

:: Cost reduction: If the double barrel

steering gear is used on a twin-steer

axle vehicle, six parts get eliminated,

resulting in an estimated cost saving of

at least ` 5,000 per vehicle.

:: Running cost of fuel: For a truck steer-

ing, a 16 l pump is normally employed.

This pump consumes 1.4 l of diesel for

every 100 km a truck runs. As the pres-

sure is halved due to the usage of a

double barrel steering gear, the pump

draws half the power. Hence, the truck

would consume only 0.7 l of diesel for

steering manoeuvring, for the same

100 km run.

:: Reduction of CO2 and NOX emissions.

:: Every hydraulic power steering gear

(HPS) designed by ZF India can be

converted into double barrel HPS.

TECHNOLOGY DECODED

Normal Power Steering Gear

➎ describes the cross section of an exist-

ing integral hydraulic power steering

gear, which comprises of a housing [1]

and has suitable bore to accommodate

piston assembly [2]. The piston assembly

has worm [3] running through it, and is

supported in the housing [1]. One end is

formed by the end cover [5], and a nut

[12] is fixed in the cavity of the piston.

This is responsible for reciprocation of

piston [2] in the bore of housing [1] as

the worm [3] is turned by the driver

either clockwise or anticlockwise.

The nut [12] is assembled on the

worm [3] with recirculation balls [10]

and “driver” [11] is press-fitted on the

nut. The “driver” [11] then engages with

the valve [6]. This valve movement to

➋ Illustration of a double barrel power steering gear

1. END COVER

2. WORM

3. STEERING NUT

4. DRIVER

5. VALVE SPOOL

6. PISTON - 1

7. RECIRCULATING BALL

8. HOUSING

9. SECTOR SHAFT

10. PISTON - 2

➌ Installation of the present steering gear on vehicle chassis

➍ The double barrel steering gear replacing the present one

T ECHNOL O GY STEERING GEAR


the left or to the right is responsible for

the generation of pressure in the system.

The piston [2] is engaged by suitable

gearing with the sector shaft [4], which

is supported on roller bearing [17] on

which drop arm is mounted (not

shown). The valve [5] controls the flow

as the worm [3] is turned, otherwise,

this allows oil to go to the tank [18] in

neutral position.

When the worm [3] is turned, piston

moves left or right, depending on the

hand of the worm [3], and chambers

[13] or [14] are pressurised to help pis-

ton move. If chamber [13] is pressur-

ised, chamber [14] is at low pressure

and vice-versa. Pressure level depends

upon load on the tyre, which is commu-

nicated to the valve [6] via sector shaft

[4]. The sector shaft [4] develops the

necessary torque to move the road

wheel as it [4] is connected to it via pit-

man arm, drag link and steering arm

(not shown).

Double Barrel Steering Gear

It is evident that in an integral hydraulic

power steering gear, the torque devel-

oped by the sector shaft [5] is depend-

ent upon, (i) area of the piston; (ii) the

centre distance of input shaft and out-

put shaft and (iii) the pressure.

In the double barrel steering gear, ②,

we increased the area of the piston [6]

by having a parallel piston [2] operated

by the same sector shaft [9]. In a con-

ventional steering gear, the pressure

developed by the steering gear acts

upon the face of the piston. In the dou-

ble barrel steering gear, it acts upon one

face of piston 1 and opposite face of pis-

ton 2, forming a couple of forces to act

upon sector shaft [9].

Since the area has doubled, torque

has gone up twice as well. But in any

vehicle, the torque required from the

steering gear depends on the speed of

the vehicle and load on the steered axle.

Therefore, in the double barrel steering

gear, the pressure halves as compared

with a conventional steering gear. The

reduction of pressure reduces power

drawn from the engine and hence, fuel

consumption reduces and consequently

CO2 emission is cut down as well.

OUTLOOK

We at ZF India, having applied for patent,

believe that “Double Barrel Steering Gear”

is a concept that has many advantages,

though it was thought to solve only one

problem, i.e. elimination of hydraulic

booster in multi-steer axle vehicles,

thereby eliminating parts, which results in

cost reduction. Other advantages include

reduction of CO2, NOx emission and

reduction of vehicle running cost. OEMs

should consider it with broader perspec-

tive to reap hidden advantages of it.

A vehicle engine should only be used

to pull the load, which essentially is its

prime function. Auxiliary functions like

air conditioners, power steering gear, etc.,

which absorbs power and cannot be elim-

inated, should be made more efficient to

save on energy, and in turn, release less

CO2 and NOx to the atmosphere.

CALCULATING TORQUE

The torque required to turn a loaded tyre is calculated using the following formula:

T pr drd

pR d

pR

WpN

st

R

.

.

.

/ .

( )

=

= ( )

=

=

∫ ∫

∫

0

2

0

2

0

23

3

1 5

3

2323

π

π

μ θ

μ θ

πμ

μπ

mm

Where,Tst. = Torque to turn static tyre in Nmμ = Coefficient of friction between tyre

and groundW = Weight on steered axle, NP = Tyre pressure in N/m2

When tyres start rolling, the torque Tdy drops down to almost one third of Tst torque. There are basic assumptions in this formula. One is that the contact patch is assumed to be circular, and that the king pin offset lies in the contact patch of the tyre.

Example: Consider, a vehicle with steered axle weight of 53,400 N, the inflation pressure of 70 psi, the static torque will be:

T X XX X X X

X X XX

st =

=

2 534003 3 14 6 9 70 1000

2 1 53400 534003 1231

1 5μ ( ). .

.

..

..

.

51

2 1 53400 231 083694 53

6679 96

=

=

X X X

Nm

EFFICIENCY EQUATION

Output power on pump outlet = Volume Flow Rate * Gauge Pressure

600 kW

In the present situation: = Output power on pump outlet = 16*130

600 = 3.46 kW

With the Double Barrel HPS: = Output power on pump outlet = 19*65

600 = 2.05 kW



➎ Cross section of an existing integral hydraulic

power steering gear

Source: Dr VE Gough


DELPHI CONNECTION SYSTEMS —PITCHING GROWTH WITH SRS

Cochin in Kerala houses two critical centres of Delphi’s global product portfolio for Safety-Restraint Systems.

Delphi Connection Systems India is one of the seven global manufacturing plants for SRS, while a global tool

centre is located next door. Delphi, as a matter of fact, has built complete capability for SRS in India with an en-

gineering and validation centre as well. In a recent visit to DCS India, we witnessed various connector system

capabilities, and their importance to the Indian and global markets.


TECHNOLOGY CONNECTORS

INTRODUCTION

Globally, there has been a steady

increase in the number of road accidents,

and India has the dubious distinction of

being the country with the highest num-

ber of road accidents. If we analyse the

numbers of the past decade or so, India

throws up some staggering numbers.

From 407,497 accidents in 2002, the

number of road accidents has gone up to

490,383 accidents in 2012, with 2010

recording the peak of 499,628 accidents.

A World Health Organisation Global

Burden of Disease Forecast (2008) said

by 2030, road traffic injuries would far

surpass HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and

malaria as the leading factor of human

deaths.

While there are various factors lead-

ing to accidents on road, it is only natu-

ral that automotive companies devise

ways and means of ensuring accidents

due to vehicles are minimised. One such

company that has developed some of

the major innovations in the area of

safety is Delphi, a leading global sup-

plier of automotive parts. In a recent

visit to the Delphi Connection Systems

India in Cochin, we found how connec-

tion systems are increasingly making

our vehicles, and systems, safer.

GROWING BUSINESS IN INDIA

The growing electronics and safety con-

tent in automobiles puts Delphi in a

vantage position, and the acquisition of

FCI Group's Motorized Vehicles Division

(MVL) in late October 2012 helps it fur-

ther its position in the market. MVL was

a leading global manufacturer of auto-

motive connection systems with a focus

on providing high-value, leading tech-

nology applications, and its acquisition

has further enhanced the product port-

folio and capabilities of DCS.

Over the years, there has been a

steady increase in the DCS portfolio,

and the company is now preparing to

ramp that up further. On sight is the

start of production of terminals in 2014.

Mika Arpe, Director, Global Product

Line Management SRS, Delphi said a

study conducted by the company deter-

mines the possibility of producing six

terminal families in India. The plan is to

start with one in 2014. “We want to

build our capabilities here and expand

year-by-year,” Arpe said.

Bruce Shuler, General Manager – Del-

phi Connection Systems India said the

data connectivity is another area that

has a large growth potential. The fastest

growing product line for Delphi globally,

DCS India is working with some OEMs

locally to produce these data connectiv-

ity systems in the country starting 2014.

DCS India also makes safety restraint

system, housings, high power cables,

electrical centres, mechatronics packag-

ing and pin headers.

NEXT-GEN PRODUCTS, MARKETS

Arpe gave us an insight into what safety

systems could look like in the future.

Delphi is currently preparing next-gener-

ation products, which will improve the

mechanical properties and will also sim-

plify the architecture to take out some

cost. In the process, Arpe said the com-

pany would continue to use, but bring

down the amount of precious materials,

in these products. “The trick is to adjust

the design to the latest level of require-

ment. There is a slight drift in require-

ment and we are designing our products

(L-R): Mika Arpe, Regi Verghese and Bruce Shuler are confident of the growth in the SRS business in India

Squib connectors in a driver airbag and a seatbelt pre-tensioner could bring down fatal injuries by

25 % & 45 % respectively


to meet those new requirements,” he said.

These next-gen products will eventu-

ally get manufactured in Cochin as well,

but that depends on when the OEMs

specify them. Currently, the company is

still digesting the current generation prod-

ucts. “The current lot will continue to

emerge and grow over the next five years.

I see the next generation products coming

into India by 2017-18,” said Arpe.

From a technology perspective, the

automotive industry continues to

advance with breakneck speed. There

are new challenges brought forward by

electric vehicles and hybrids. However,

from a safety standpoint, the challenges

are pretty similar. Nonetheless, there are

possibilities of a tighter set of specifica-

tions for EVs, but these won’t be much

different, opined Arpe.

Delphi today has the largest range of

connectors in the world, and the broad-

est access to the market, which of

course leads to a higher marketshare,

said Shuler.

Market research firm, IHS, noted in a

March 2013 report that the total SRS mar-

ket globally is worth $ 660 mn, of which

Europe and North America accounts for

60 % of the market with valuations of $

229 mn and $ 193 mn respectively. Japan

is the third biggest market for SRS with

an industry worth $ 112 mn. China is

growing rapidly and is worth an esti-

mated $ 64 mn, while South Korean mar-

ket is valued at $ 44 mn currently.

The Indian market value for SRS was

not obtainable, but the three Delphi offi-

cials we met were highly optimistic of

its growth in the years to come. The

proposed enhancement of safety regula-

tions in the country augurs well for DCS

India. Reji Verghese, President and Man-

aging Director, India, Delphi Automotive

Systems Pvt Ltd agreed, but said that

even within the existing regulations

there is an opportunity for Delphi prod-

ucts getting adopted into more and

more vehicles.

“There is a gradual acceptance of

high-end safety features in more mass

market vehicles. Moreover, with better

roads, and speeds going up, we will

need to offer more safety features, and

the OEMs and governments are aware of

this,” he noted.

One country that witnessed a dra-

matic growth in implementation of

safety features is Brazil. With the gov-

ernment mandating airbags in every

vehicle by 2012, frontal airbag penetra-

tion went up from less than 10 % to 100

% in just four years. One could expect

similar growth in India, should neces-

sary legislations come into force.

CONNECTOR SYSTEMS

Through our tour of the DCS India facil-

ity, we were shown how intricate, yet

precise the range of products within the

Safety Restraint System is. The squib

connector is a good example of a prod-

uct that requires high degree of preci-

sion. The use of a squib connector in a

driver airbag helps reduce fatal injuries

by up to 25 %, while on a seatbelt pre-

tensioner, it could bring down fatal inju-

ries by 45 %.

These connectors, which are used to

connect wiring to pyrotechnic devices

such as airbags, belt pre-tensioners, knee

bolsters and pedestrian safety devices,

aid in the protection of vehicle passen-

gers. As per a Delphi analysis, a modern

vehicle could have up to 10 squibs con-

nectors on an average, Arpe noted.

At times, the squib connectors have

to perform in severe automotive envi-

ronments, and must possess circuit fil-

tering capabilities as they need to coop-

erate with on-board diagnostics. The

Delphi SRS connection circuit can go up

to 800 connection points with individual

requirements in large vehicles like the

Mercedes S-Class or a Jaguar model.

A squib connector doesn’t work in

isolation. Any industry standard connec-

tion between the wiring harness and the

airbag also requires a retainer, which is

installed into the pocket of the ignitor.

The retainer interface includes indexing,

a shorting clip and pin protection that

ensures a reliable connection to the

squib connector. It must also be noted

that world over, a migration towards the

next generation of interface standards is

The Delphi SRS connection circuit can go up to 800 connection points with individual requirements in large vehicles like the Mercedes S-Class or a Jaguar model

T ECHNOL O GY CONNECTORS


currently taking place.

Harping on the importance of quality

in making of these products, Arpe said

there is no provision of a product being

near perfect, but they have to be abso-

lutely perfect. And this is what Delphi

has been doing for the last two decades

in the area of connection systems

through innovations that are being con-

sidered as standards globally. One such

example is the AK-2 interface (pin pro-

tection), which is a scoop-proof solution

for inflators. Standards organisations

like ISO, AK and USCAR have adopted

the Delphi design in their latest specifi-

cations, Arpe said.

Some of the other notable innova-

tions in the area of SRS include:

:: Advanced joint technology (resist-

ance welding): This has gained trac-

tion in the industry as the preferred

technology for squib connectors,

replacing the mechanical crimp of

terminal to wire. This is a far more

reliable connection technology over

the lifetime of the vehicle, and was

introduced in the mid-1990s.

:: Miniaturisation (ABX): With space

coming at a premium in modern

vehicles, Delphi started offering the

smallest connectors available in the

market today.

:: Ergonomic mating: This is to ensure

the connectors are assembled well,

and do not fall apart.

:: Integrated grounding (AK-2+): Elec-

tro-static discharge is a huge prob-

lem in pyrotechnic devices. “In the

assembly process of the vehicle, if

you have too much static electricity

on your body, and you touch the

module, you might transmit so much

energy that the airbag will deploy.

The integrated grounding protects

such incidences,” Arpe explained.

OUTLOOK

Airbag is a passive safety system and

there is a limit to how much it can

grow. While there are new applications

in research that might be added at some

point in time, at the moment, there

seems to be some kind of a saturation

level building up, especially in markets

like North America, Europe, Japan and

South Korea. Arpe agreed, but said in

the meantime there would be other

regions in the world, which will con-

tinue to grow.

“Beyond a point, it won’t give addi-

tional value. There will be a time when

active safety will actually help avoid

vehicle crashes. And you’ll have passive

safety features in vehicles, just to pro-

tect should active systems are not able

to avoid such crashes. But this is proba-

bly 20 years away,” he said.

The future certainly seems interest-

ing in the passive safety domain, what

with manufacturers claiming zero acci-

dents with autonomous vehicles, thanks

to the active safety systems that will

drive them. Would that render passive

safety systems redundant? The answer

is ‘no’, but what they might do or look

like is beyond comprehension today. But

there is little doubt that Delphi will be

ahead of others in that race too, con-

cluded Arpe.

TEXT : Deepangshu Dev Sarmah

PHOTO: Delphi

SEALED PCB ELECTRICAL

CENTRES

Delphi Connection Systems India

makes an interesting product at its

Cochin facility, the Delphi Sealed

Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Electrical

Centres. Often referred to as the heart

of the E/E architecture, electrical cen-

tres are electrical distribution units that

route signals and ensure proper circuit

protection throughout a vehicle.

This is an environmentally-pro-

tected electrical centre that is dust

tight and water resistant, and is capa-

ble of providing electronics integra-

tion in harsh conditions, such as

those found in commercial vehicle,

construction, agricultural and spe-

cialty vehicle applications. It can

withstand temperatures in the range

of -40 °C to 105 °C.

A printed circuit board technology

enables cost-effective bussing tech-

nology and allows the use of lower

cost, board-mounted components,

including PCB relays, diodes, and

resistors. It reduces mass by

approximately 30 % compared to

stamped metal electrical centres,

explained Bruce Shuler, General

Manager, Delphi Connection Sys-

tems India.

These sealed PCB Electri-

cal Centres feature a dis-

pensed polyurethane/sili-

cone foam gasket as well

as sealed Delphi GT Con-

nectors and sealed Delphi

Metri-Pack Connectors for

outstanding resistance to

temperature, chemicals and

abrasion, stated a Delphi

release during the launch in

2010. The housing can be adapted to

meet customer-specific device con-

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AUTO TECH REVIEW | SPRINGER INDIA PVT. LTD., 7th Floor, Vijaya Building, 17 Barakhamba Road, New Delhi – 110001. Ph: +91 11 45755888 | Fax: +91 11 45755889 Advertising: [email protected] | Editorial: [email protected] | Subscriptions: [email protected] us at: www.autotechreview.com

EACH

January 2014 | Volume 3 | Issue 1www.autotechreview.com

POWERED BY

18 INTERVIEW

Jayant Davar, Founder,

Co-Chairman and Managing Director,

Sandhar Technologies Limited

22 TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT

Fuel Economy of Future Indian

Road Vehicles

76 NEW VEHICLE

Royal Enfield Continental GT —




SHOPFLOOR FAURECIA

70

FAURECIA TECHNICAL CENTRE INDIA – COST CONSCIOUS, QUALITY ASSURED

With consumers giving increased importance to connectivity, individuality and luxury, the engineering develop-

ments in the area of interiors of a vehicle have been tremendous. Customisable Human Machine Interfaces

(HMIs), lighter & greener materials and an interactive cabin are some of the few key qualities that car interiors

will sport in the coming years. A recent visit to the R&D centre of Faurecia Interior Systems India Pvt Ltd in

Pune gave us a glimpse of what could be expected in times to come.


INTRODUCTION

A technical centre that started out in 2004

as a joint venture between Faurecia and

Tata AutoComp Systems is now a full-

fledged, captive unit of the 6th largest

automotive part manufacturer in the

world. The Faurecia Technical Centre

India (FTCI) is today a key development

location for Faurecia Interior Systems

India, both from a local as well as global

perspective. The facility is responsible for

activities related to automotive interiors,

seating and exteriors.

At the facility we met Dilip Bogawat,

Engineering Director, Faurecia Interior

Systems, India & Thailand and Vinayak

Shendkar, Senior Design Director, Faurecia

Interior Systems.

Being an offshoring centre, FTCI pro-

vides its services to all key R&D centres of

Faurecia globally, thereby ensuring its

capabilities are much beyond mere cus-

tomisation of products for the local mar-

ket. This also puts up a challenge in the

form of engineering products for premium

vehicles globally and cost-effective solu-

tions for inexpensive vehicles in India at

the same time.

Both Bogawat and Shendkar pointed

out that the perceived quality in India and

western markets varies significantly.

While in India varied gaps in the range of

1 mm in instrument panels are accepted,

gaps in premium German cars are almost

zero. The key reason is that Indian instru-

ment panels are mostly injection-moulded

and aren’t covered, whereas in cars such

as BMW, Audi and Mercedes, foam parts

are used, which eliminate any gaps and

crevices. This also highlights the kind of

flexibility possessed by the FTCI in terms

of developing products and materials.

TESTING & DEVELOPMENT

The FTCI, over the past few years, has

evolved into an end-to-end solution pro-

vider and presently offers services right

from conceptualisation to getting the tools

manufactured and then carrying out the

testing and delivering the pre-series pro-

duction. In order to ensure competitive-

ness in future, there’s an innovation team

at the centre, which was formed a couple

of years back. Highlighting the achieve-

ments of this 15-member team, Bogawat

said that they have already got about 10

approved patents till now. There’s also a

team working on surfacing but the largest

team is dedicated to the design activities.

This team is responsible for designing

interior parts such as centre console, door

panels, and glove boxes among others,

along with their operating mechanisms.

Instrument panels are not developed at

FTCI, as any such panel beyond the width

of 1 m, requires tools that are not made in

India today. Tooling for instrument panels

comes from China or South Korea.

The centre also possesses strong capa-

Using some of the most advanced testing machines lends greater flexibility to Faurecia


SHOPFLOOR FAURECIA

bilities in the area of Computer Aided

Engineering (CAE), which plays a crucial

role right from the design till the testing

stages. Advanced processes herein allow

the centre to change or modify designs in

a span of few hours, expediting the over-

all development process.

Our visit of the facility began with the

benchmarking centre, which does exactly

the work as suggested by its name. Next

up was the testing facility, which carries

out various tests to ensure the perfor-

mance of a product under diverse condi-

tions. For conducting the durability tests,

the facility is equipped with climatic

chambers and ovens, which replicate a

wide temperature range and test how well

parts such as the glove box, instrument

panel, door panel and centre console

stand up to the changing temperatures.

Interactive parts such

as glove box and door

panels involve move-

ment and hence it’s

important to test how

many cycles of open/

shut movements can

these parts handle

before failing. Knowing

this is also important

because such parts are a

direct representation of

the vehicle’s overall

quality, and hence cru-

cial for an OEM. Fix-

tures for testing these

movements are made

according to the part to

be tested. Repeated test-

ing in varied temperature allows engi-

neers to identify and understand defect

areas in the product and formulate solu-

tions accordingly. The number of cycles to

be tested is specified by the customer but

in general, it is around 50,000 cycles for

the centre console. Another test carried

out here is the product lifecycle test,

wherein the product is continuously

tested till the time the product gets dam-

aged. The testing cycles vary as per the

requirements of individual OEMs.

As consumer expectations rise, there is

greater demand for interiors which do not

show age despite the regular actions such

as rubbing of fabric and metal objects on

the interior surfaces. In order to test these

properties, the centre also has an exten-

sive set-up to test the wear and tear prop-

erties of the materials used in the interior.

Automated machines rub a dry cotton

cloth and a wet one to check the effect of

them on the armrest material. The mate-

rial is then taken to a colour matching

booth and checked for any abrasion or

visible wear on the surface.

Among many others, another notable

test was that for calculating the burning

rate. This test indicates how fast a mate-

rial, such as the polypropylene in the door

panel, would combust in case of a fire.

The ideal standard states that the flame

shouldn’t travel a distance of more than

100 mm in one minute, giving occupants

enough time to leave the vehicle in case

of a fire. Other machines check for the

scratches caused by finger nails and

objects such as key chains and phones.

Similarly, gaps between instrument panel

and other parts are also tested in accord-

ance with customer requirements using

advanced measurement tools.

Up next was the work area of the

innovation team, which has the liberty of

working on ideas independent of produc-

tion or selling potential. As the name

suggests, the team’s endeavour is to ide-

ate solutions for the future, thereby giv-

ing them more liberty to imagine. We

were told that the team is presently

experimenting with various materials for

fitment in different places of an automo-

tive interior. Given the properties of each

material and the different usage pattern

of parts in the cabin, the team needs to

carry out extensive tests and imagine

every possible scenario.

When asked about the possibilities of

using materials such as jute to make

interior parts, we were told that the chal-

lenge with these materials is that they

can be thermoformed but not injected.

Due to this limitation, it becomes tough

to maintain precise and complex designs

of the panel without the risk of crack

developing. That said, a progress in this

area still has to be made and hence Fau-

recia has come up with a new bio-mate-

rial solution. Natural Fibres for Injection

(NAFI) uses in-line compounding to add

fibres such as hemp or kenaf to polypro-

pylene to reinforce parts in place of heav-

ier glass. This also reduces the weight of

the part by approximately 20 % to 25 %

vis-à-vis injection-moulded components.

Since this material can be injected, it

also overcomes the challenge of shape Customisable simulation machine set-ups allow for extensive testing for all customers

All minute areas of a part put through an extensive checking process


formation to an extent.

In addition, the company has also

been conducting research into bio-plastics

derived from 100 % natural materials.

Towards this, they have signed an exclu-

sive industrial partnership agreement with

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation to co-

develop bio-plastics designed for mass-

production for use in automotive interi-

ors. The long-term plan is to develop a

full range of bio-plastics, which according

to Faurecia will see a boom in the 2015 to

2020 period.

OUTLOOK

The FTCI was nothing short of an eye-

opener for us in terms of the extensive

work that goes into developing something

as minor as the material in a cup holder

and its ability to survive abrasions with-

out showing visible scratches to a certain

extent. The work being done at FTCI in

many ways is much advanced than what

is available in India presently, given the

offshoring nature of the centre.

The roadmap ahead for Faurecia is

well-charted and the company is look-

ing forward to a significant growth in

India, both in terms of business as well

as R&D. The interiors plant in Chennai

recently witnessed a doubling of invest-

ment, which will increase the capacity

to 155,000 car sets per year. The Sanand

plant too will play a key role in the

company’s growth, considering the

thriving automotive manufacturing base

in the region.

An area of key focus for FTCI is HMI,

and it has an interesting philosophy

towards it, explained Shendkar. There are

two important aspects of HMI – bringing

in your office to the car and bringing in

your personal life to the car. The philoso-

phy is to use smart ways to integrate them

in your car, easy to identify, easy to glide

through. “HMI is best, when it need not

be taught. Self learning is the key mantra

today,” he said. However, there is a fine

line between confusing the driver and

assisting the driver. In this area, Faurecia

has already signed a cooperation agree-

ment with Magneti Marelli for develop-

ment of advanced HMI solutions.

The FTCI in itself is poised for a signifi-

cant growth, and during our visit we did

see a considerable amount of space for

further expansion. Bogawat told us that

there is now a rise in business and hence

the company is looking at adding 30 engi-

neers in 2014. The product & validation

areas too will undergo an expansion with

the addition of a few new machines and

processes. In terms of challenges, the

company is a bit paralysed to handle off-

shore product development assignments

in India because of the limited capacity

and capability of the local tool makers.

Despite these constraints, the company

has developed a product development

strategy to focus on base level (injection-

moulded) and small or medium size prod-

ucts, which are in high demand in India.

The Indian market’s focus on cost

rather than overall quality would continue

to be a challenge in the future, admitted

Shendkar. But perceptions among Indian

consumers are changing owing to

advanced products being introduced by

multinational OEMs. As a result, their

expectations are increasing and meeting

these expectations of improved quality

and new technologies within the cost con-

straints will be a challenge everyone will

have to face over the next few years.

FTCI to our understanding has taken a

holistic approach to devise a growth plan,

despite the present and future challenges.

Once the economic downturn is over, the

main challenges over the next few years

would be primarily from a technical per-

spective. Our time at the facility and with

the innovation team indicated that FTCI is

well geared up to offer cost-effective yet

advanced solutions in the coming years –

many of which we’ll experience with

newer vehicles in the coming years.


PHOTO: Arpit Mahendra/Faurecia



A dedicated innovation team is responsible for ideating new solutions

Available space for expansion is adequate to support projected growth in the coming years


NEW VEH ICLE ROYAL ENFIELD

ROYAL ENFIELD CONTINENTAL GT — ICONIC PAST, PROMISING FUTURE

One look at the new Royal Enfield Continental GT and it’s clear that this is the best-looking product to have

rolled out of its Chennai factory in decades. The café racer styling though is not the only change in the new

motorcycle. The GT reflects the company’s new found direction towards technology, something it didn’t excel at

earlier. However, such technical focus could be a dilution of the character associated with Royal Enfield

motorcycles, the largest reason why people buy them. Has Royal Enfield managed to hit a sweet spot then? We

found out on the scenic roads in and around Goa.

autotechreview January 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 1 77

INTRODUCTION

The Continental GT in its first avatar was

the fastest 250 cc motorcycle of its time in

Britain and as time determined, is now a

glorious part of the classic British motor-

cycling history. The new Continental GT

500 reflects the company’s increased

focus on technical improvements and also

its flexibility. Two partnerships – with

Xenophya Design and Harris Performance

of the UK – helped Royal Enfield (RE)

develop a recipe of modern technology

wrapped in the iconicity of the product.

But does it deliver? Read on.

DESIGN

Taking up the café racer styling theme

was a challenge since it’s too easy for

the designers to get carried away with

the modern tools and software, right up

to the point where the classic look is

lost. In order to prevent that and offer

an authentic yet pleasing design RE tied

up with Xenophya Design of the UK and

the results are impressive indeed. The

straight horizontal line from the bottom

of the elongated fuel tank, right up till

the rear is reminiscent of café racers.

The humped seat (also available in

twin-seater configurations) along with

the upswept megaphone silencer goes

well with the traditional design, while

giving a sporty look. The rear-set foot

pegs along with the clip-on handlebars

add a slung-forward look, owing to

which, one gets an impression of speed

from the top area, while the lower area

exudes a mechanical look, something

rare in present motorcycles.

A key aspect of the overall design is

that except the engine platform, every

part has been designed ground-up,

translating into a unique and unmatched

character. A key reason for this extensive

approach is that the GT is just the

beginning of RE’s vision to become a

global player in the mid-ranged

motorcycles. In line with this idea, the

design research for the GT was carried

out across several countries. This helped

the designers better understand the

desires of various geographies.

The bar-end mirrors along with the

bright yellow Paioli rear shocks, a 300

mm & 240 mm Brembo disc set-up and


NEW VEH ICLE ROYAL ENFIELD

the aptly sized Pirelli Sport Demon tyres,

all indicate that the motorcycle is made

with a purpose beyond looks. Along with

the claims of the Continental GT being the

lightest, fastest and most powerful RE

motorcycle in production, it wouldn’t be

wrong to add best build-quality to the list.

The GT is a significant step forward by

the company and features the best fit

and finish quality levels of all present

RE bikes. The paint finish quality

deserves a special mention, mainly

owing to the automated paint shop at

the Chennai plant. RE claims the facility

to be one of the best in the country

within its segment.

There are some areas of improve-

ments though, such as the plastic used in

the switchgear and some of the exposed

harnesses around. These, however, aren’t

a let down by any means and given the

amount of quick learning RE has gone

through with the GT, one could expect

them to sort these out soon.

ENGINE & PERFORMANCE

The single-cylinder air-cooled engine for

the GT is surprisingly unchanged and is

from the existing UCE (unit construction

engine) platform. The power figures are

now up to 29.1 hp, while torque devel-

oped is 44 Nm @ 4,000 rpm. Part of the

power increment is down to the larger

bore, resulting in a 535 cc displacement.

While this minor upgrade may seem to be

a limitation in the overall package, it actu-

ally isn’t. The way the engine behaves is

very different from what one would usu-

ally expect of a Royal Enfield.

There’s a sense of hurriedness as one

opens the throttle, something absent on

the earlier motorcycles. The remapped

ECU and a lower inertia helps the engine

perform better through the rev range,

especially during the mid and top-range.

An improvement in volumetric efficiency

of the engine further helps the power out-

put and top-end performance. RE claims a

0-100 km/h acceleration time of 9.4 s for

the GT, which is significantly better than

the other bikes from the stable. Adding to

the delight is the optional megaphone

silencer, which lets out a deep thump and

gets better as the revs climb.

The five-speed transmission offers

decent levels of shift smoothness but isn’t

devoid of shift slips. Owing to the overall

package we were able to propel the GT to

a speedo-indicated top speed of 140 km/h

with not much juice left in the engine.

Although a fast motorcycle, the vibrations

beyond 90 km/h or thereabouts are quite

noticeable, gaining momentum thereon

much quicker than the crankshaft. Also,

making the bike fun to ride is the fact that

when riding hard, one would need to use

all gears since they have a very short

range. This also means that the shifts

need to come at the proper time, making

the experience more engaging.

At the end of the ride though, we

were left deeply impressed to see the

progress made by RE. While the perfor-

mance might not be trend setting, the

riding experience and authenticity to

classic motorcycling is unmatched for the

Continental GT.

FRAME & HANDLING

One of the most important aspects for a

motorcycle to be sold as a café racer is the

ability to be nimble. Putting the café racer

tag to any of the existing RE motorcycles

would’ve been a disaster, a fact under-

stood well by the company. The Continen-

tal GT though was different. RE brought

Harris Performance into the scheme of

things – the company that develops prod-

Simple old school looks with a modern touch lends stunning visual appeal to the Continental GT

Bits such as the instrument cluster, rear shocks and generous amount of chrome add purpose and elegance to the bike's character


ucts for the WSBK racing series.

As a result of this collaborative engi-

neering effort, the Continental GT has a

double cradle frame unlike any other RE

motorcycle. This is a significant move

since it now opens up new avenues for

the company. While RE bikes have mostly

been a pleasure to cruise on, they haven’t

been dynamically rewarding, an area

where the GT excels.

The reason why the GT handles so

well is not because of some fancy techni-

cal bits being bolted on, but a detailed

and focussed development approach,

which reflects RE’s intent to play globally.

The handling of the motorcycle was fine-

tuned on racing tracks in the UK, after

which the suspension was again tested on

the racing tracks and roads in India.

From the moment one rides-off on

the GT, it doesn’t take long to realise

that it’s a better handling machine than

any other RE motorcycle in the market.

The double cradle architecture and the

elliptical swingarm’s benefits were easy

to spot on the twisty roads we rode on.

The crouched forward riding position is

not only in sync with the styling, but is

also engineered to help the rider extract

more from the machine over curves.

The aluminium spoke wheels are a first

in the country and help lower the

unsprung weight, thereby improving

handling. The Paioli shocks at the rear

offer acceptable ride quality over

smooth surfaces but are a bit stiff for

broken roads. They do go well with the

intended purpose of the motorcycle

though. Helping further are the sticky

Pirelli Sport Demon tyres, which signifi-

cantly add to the overall dynamic capa-

bilities of the bike.

Another impressive bit is the brake set-

up, consisting of a Brembo 300 mm disc

upfront and a 240 mm rear disc. The stop-

ping power is adequate and the bite is

progressive, making it easier to master the

motorcycle in a short span of time. Even

better is the way all of these bits work

seamlessly on every corner, reflecting the

engineering efforts that have gone in.

Still, the GT is not a perfect or the

best handling motorcycle in its price

segment. There’s still some weighty

feeling around the corners and one

needs to make a physical effort to cor-

ner hard. The motorcycle’s improve-

ments have to be seen with relativity

and with past and present RE motorcy-

cles in mind. Since there is no competi-

tion, a price comparison with any other

motorcycle for the sake of it would be

unfair to one of the bravest efforts in

the Indian motorcycling industry.

ROUND-UP

With all the good bits about the technical

improvements and the authenticity to the

café racer styling, some doubts too come

to mind. The ability to do a ton (100 mph)

was quite synonymous with café racers

and is something the Continental GT isn’t

capable of. Does that place it anywhere

far on the scale of authenticity? Not much

in our opinion. A strong classic character

is why one would buy a RE, and with the

Continental GT you get even more of that

yet better and modern technology.

For Royal Enfield, the turnaround by

Eicher Motors, led by Siddhartha Lal and

his team has opened up the possibility of

transformation at a global level. The

company’s idea of embracing modern

technology without sacrificing character

or legacy is what would define its poten-

tial success ahead. With better cash

reserves and increasing demand, the

company is open to the idea of a new

engine platform, which could sweeten up

things further potentially. The Continen-

tal GT then is only the first yet critically

right step in the direction of the global

success Lal envisions.

The two bits on the motorcycle, which

give it a classic and eye-catching look are

the exhaust pipe and bar end mirrors.

These bits however are optional and will

cost you ` 4,325 and ` 4,000, respec-

tively and should be opted for in our

opinion for a better riding experience.

The Continental GT is priced at ` 2.05

lakh, on-road, Delhi, and thereby offers

great value-for-money along with an

unmatched ‘wow’ factor.

TEXT & PHOTO: Arpit Mahendra

Riding posture can be uncomfortable over long distances but works well from a handling perspective

Paint and material quality is the best to have come from Royal Enfield till date



DECOD ING TECHNOLOGY

empowering through knowledge www.traktion.biz

DR ARUN JAURA

Managing Director and Founder,

TRACTION Management Services

Private Limited (TRACTION)

Efficiency will continue to be the decid-

ing factor as consumers make buying

decisions. Vehicles will be evaluated for

efficiency in fuel consumption, carbon

footprint, styling, features, powertrain

options, space, ergonomics, cabin com-

fort, infotainment, connectivity, drive

comfort and many others. With about

150 cars being rolled out per minute

globally and growing, OEMs will have

to reinvent their strategies for design

and development, manufacturing,

sourcing, manpower and pull in rele-

vant technologies.

With this growth, and transportation

accounting for about 25 % of global

energy use the need for efficiency across

the board is more critical. Unfortunately,

only about 15 % to 25 % of the energy

from fuel is used to move a vehicle. Over

57 % to 62 % is lost in the engine, 17 %

to 20 % during idling, eight per cent in

accessories and driveline, 2.6 % to 9 %

in aerodynamic drag and rolling resist-

ance and 5.8 % in braking. Therefore,

the opportunity to improve efficiency

with advanced technologies and efficient

manufacturing is enormous.

Enhancing powertrain technology

with highly efficient diesel and gasoline

engines, efficient transmissions, electric

steering, active air conditioning, and effi-

cient drivelines has gradually improved

this overall energy conversion. The

engine power density has increased over

the last decade through innovative prod-

uct engineering. Embedding smart con-

trol strategies through automotive info-

tronics has provided the cutting edge. In

parallel, material technologies and light-

weight materials have changed vehicles.

More recyclable materials are integrated

in newer vehicles. Greener materials

help with end of life regulations and also

offset weight addition due to the addi-

tional gizmos in hybrids.

Fuel efficiency has grown with devel-

opment of Hybrids, EVs, use of alterna-

tive fuels and technologies, combustion

efficiency and with collaborating energy

companies. eGallon is much better in

EVs at about one-third of a conventional

gallon. eGallon is the cost of fuelling a

vehicle with electricity compared to a

similar vehicle that runs on gasoline.

STRINGENT NORMS

The stringent norms of grams of CO2/km

in mature markets have churned ideation

to develop technologies and techniques

in manufacturing besides design and

development. This opportunity is being

harnessed by OEMs for green manufac-

turing, creation of flexible lines to assem-

ble different powertrains, drivelines, and

hybrids on the same vehicle platform.

Sourcing strategy can reduce cost,

bring in efficiency in production, and

improve standardisation of components

across different vehicle platforms. An

inclusive strategy encourages collabora-

tive innovation by vendors to reduce

year-on-year cost, develop new technolo-

gies and processes, manage vendor

parks, and after sales support.

Efficiency can be enabled through

appropriate skill sets, training and devel-

opment, a mindset for change by keep-

ing talent abreast with trends. Joint pro-

grammes with academia can leverage

resources, build talent pipeline through

internships and research partnerships,

set-up technology parks and finally

ensure that talent is included as a build-

ing block, when efficiency is being strat-

egised in the organisation.

With more and more technology per-

meating into vehicles for better efficiency

it becomes an imperative to educate the

consumer on driving habits, road sense,

environmental impacts, interfacing with

vehicle and regulatory needs.

The ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ initi-

ative was launched by the UN to mobi-

lise action and partnerships focused on

sustainably meeting the increasing

energy requirements of businesses and

society. The initiative has set three pri-

mary objectives, to be met by 2030 – (i)

ensuring universal access to modern

energy services; (ii) doubling the global

rate of improvement in energy efficiency;

and (iii) doubling the share of renewable

energy in the global energy mix. This ini-

tiative from UN has drawn an efficiency

framework that opens avenues for radi-

cal innovation in mobility. Holistic vehi-

cle efficiency is an inherent vehicle

attribute that not only is a customer

delight and OEM aspiration but a cata-

lyst for expanding the global techno-eco-

nomic ecosphere.

BEYOND THE GREEN MYOPIA:VEHICLE EFFICIENCY

Ford’s 1 l EcoBoost engine is one of the most

efficient engines available in India currently

Siemens PLM Software: Smarter decisions, better products.

A simple idea inspired this product. Thousands of decisions made it real.

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Answers for industry.

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CHASING EFFICIENCY — ACROSS-THE-BOARD DEVELOPMENTS...IMT Manesar-122050 Gurgaon, Haryana, India Tel.: +91-124-4763200 Fax: +91-124-4365189 ISO 9001 Extension Springs are close coil