All of the transmissions available for sale today has grown exponentially within the last 15 years, all while increasing in complexity. The result can be that we are now dealing with a varied quantity of tranny types including manual, standard automatic, automated manual, dual clutch, continually adjustable, split power and 100 % pure EV.
Until extremely recently, automotive vehicle producers largely had two types of transmission to pick from: planetary automatic with torque converter or conventional manual. Today, however, the volume of options avaiable demonstrates the adjustments seen over the industry.
This is also illustrated by the countless different types of vehicles now being produced for the market. And not only conventional vehicles, but also all electric and hybrid vehicles, with each type requiring different driveline architectures.
The traditional advancement process involved designing a transmission in isolation from the engine and all of those other powertrain and vehicle. Nevertheless, this is changing, with the restrictions and complications of this method becoming more more popular, and the constant drive among producers and designers to provide optimal efficiency at decreased weight and cost.
New powertrains feature close integration of elements like the primary mover, recovery systems and the gearbox, and in addition rely on highly sophisticated control systems. That is to ensure that the best amount of efficiency and performance is delivered at all times. Manufacturers are under improved pressure to create powertrains that are brand new, different from and much better than the last version-a proposition that’s made more technical by the necessity to integrate brand components, differentiate within the market and do everything on a shorter timescale. Engineering groups are on deadline, and the development process must be more efficient and fast-paced than previously.
Until now, the use of computer-aided engineering (CAE) has been the most typical way to build up drivelines. This process involves parts and subsystems designed in isolation by silos within the business that lean toward proven component-level analysis tools. While they are highly advanced equipment that enable users to extract very reliable and accurate data, they remain presenting data that’s collected without account of the complete system.
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