All of the transmissions available in the market today is continuing to grow exponentially in the last 15 years, all while increasing in complexity. The result is usually that we are now coping with a varied number of transmitting types including manual, standard automatic, automated manual, dual clutch, continuously variable, split power and real EV.
Until very recently, automotive vehicle manufacturers largely had two types of tranny to choose from: planetary automatic with torque converter or conventional manual. Today, nevertheless, the volume of options avaiable demonstrates the changes seen over the industry.
That is also illustrated by the many various kinds of vehicles now being produced for the market. And not merely conventional vehicles, but also all electrical and hybrid vehicles, with each type requiring different driveline architectures.
The traditional development process involved designing a transmission in isolation from the engine and the rest of the powertrain and vehicle. Nevertheless, that is changing, with the limitations and complications of this method becoming more more popular, and the constant drive among manufacturers and designers to provide optimal efficiency at decreased weight and cost.
New powertrains feature close integration of components like the primary mover, recovery systems and the gearbox, and in addition rely on highly advanced control systems. That is to ensure that the best amount of efficiency and functionality is delivered all the time. Manufacturers are under improved pressure to create powertrains that are brand new, different from and better than the last version-a proposition that’s made more technical by the necessity to integrate brand components, differentiate within the marketplace and do it all on a shorter timescale. Engineering teams are on deadline, and the development process must be better and fast-paced than previously.
Until now, the use of computer-aided engineering (CAE) has been the most typical way to develop drivelines. This process Driveline gearboxes involves parts and subsystems designed in isolation by silos within the business that lean toward confirmed component-level analysis tools. While they are highly advanced equipment that allow users to extract very dependable and accurate data, they are still presenting data that is collected without consideration of the complete system.
While this may produce components that work very well individually, putting them with each other without prior account of the entire system can create designs that don’t work, leading to issues in the driveline that are difficult and expensive to improve.