The use of simulation for product development in a virtual test environment is becoming more common. Punch Powertrain applies a variety of simulation tools which can augment traditional physical testing methods. This is evident in the testing of new transmissions. The company notes that testing drivetrains can be a tricky business. Transmissions need to align with every other component in a car, while some parts are still in development and not available for testing. That’s where hybrid test benches come in. Punch Powertrain tests its transmissions in a part physical, part virtual setup, where software simulates certain components. It affirms a state-of-the-art technology that allows a quick response and flexibility. One area where this is useful is in acoustic testing. Engineers test the shift noise a transmission makes. That’s something they can start doing even when they don’t have key components, like the engine, yet. Virtual engine simulation also offers the advantage that there is less noise from a combustion engine, which allows a better assessment of transmission noise.
Virtual reality (VR) applications are growing rapidly in industries as diverse as entertainment, professional services, and even education. VR technology is now being rolled out in an innovative way to the automotive industry by London-based independent creative design studio NewTerritory, which has created a multi-sensory virtual reality experience designed to help the automotive industry and mitigate some of the the challenges presented by semi-autonomous driving. Using the latest in VR technology, the company allows the test driver to experience a fully immersive experience, allowing the company to monitor heart rate, reactions to various stimuli, and much more. We visited the NewTerritory office in London to speak with Creative Technology & Design Director Tim Smith to learn more about this unique technology.
Without Datsun, Nissan now has three brands, each of which needs a lot of investment.. Our new report this week looks at two of the three: Infiniti and Venucia..
The process behind vehicle painting is often a laborious task that consumes many hours, sometimes days, between coats, and masking is often involved in more complex designs. With this in mind, leading digital technology company ABB Robotics has developed a robot to help with this task. Equipped with 1,000 nozzles in the print head, the robot sees art and design tasks completed in less than 30 minutes. Called ‘PixelPaint’, this technology can be applied in a single layer and is opening the door to the custom design market for the automotive industry. We spoke to Joerg Reger, Managing Director of ABB Business Line Automotive, Robotics & Discrete Automation to find out more..
Renault said more than 300 patents had been filed for the design of the Megane E-Tech Electric. The automaker said it saw the electric motor playing a strategic role in the EV value chain and decided to [re]design it completely at home. Focused on the Paris metropolitan region, the manufacturing and assembly of all active parts (rotor, stator, power electronics, reducer) are carried out at the Cleon plant (Seine-Maritime) with fewer materials and energy used in the process , while R&D is concentrated in the Guyancourt Technocentre (Yvelines). “We invented a magnet-free rotor winding process. The magnet has been replaced by copper, which has a much lower impact on the environment. The patented process also makes it possible to modulate the current flowing through the rotor to limit the amount of electricity used by the battery, especially at high speeds and on highways,” said Edouard Negre, electric motor design leader in the design department of propulsion systems.
Musical chairs at the VW Group: the supervisory board has named Oliver Blume as the new chairman of the board, effective September 1, 2022. Blume will also continue to act as chairman of the Porsche board. VW also said he would continue in the Porsche role “after a possible IPO.” Herbert Diess resigns as chairman of the VW board of directors by mutual consent. Reports suggest that he will step down three years before his contract officially ends.
Suzuki has shown its new Grand Vitara SUV – a model developed under a collaboration agreement with Toyotaa. Although developed by Suzuki, the new model is produced at Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. (TKM). According to the agreement between the two companies announced last month, there will also be a Toyota model based on the Grand Vitara. Maruti Suzuki India and TKM will market their models in India as Suzuki and Toyota models, respectively. Additionally, the two companies plan to export the new model to markets outside of India, including Africa.
Another Mercedes assembly contract for Finland: Valmet Automotive has signed a contract with the group to build the Mercedes-AMG GT sports car. The plant will manufacture the four-door version of the AMG GT in both ICE and hybrid versions. Production is scheduled to start in the second half of 2023 at Uusikaupunki. Valmet Automotive has already begun manufacturing engineering related to the AMG GT. As part of the project, the paint shop process will be revised to allow for various specialty coatings. The body shop will be modified and a dedicated assembly line for the AMG model will be built in the general assembly area. The coupe is expected to employ around 200 people in various departments at the plant, although the new production will not require any new workers.
Geely’s Volvo Cars is release of a new over-the-air (OTA) software update for all cars with Google built-in, allowing feature and quality improvements. One of the new features will include Apple CarPlay. Users can now connect their iPhone via USB and access apps from an iPhone where CarPlay is available. Volvo Cars has offered regular OTA updates since 2021. Porsche, meanwhile, said the Taycan EV would receive a “free” software update. Some 75,000 units have been delivered since the automaker unveiled its first all-electric sports car in late 2019. All model variants will now be upgraded to 2023 model year status with the update, but this must be installed by dealers. dealers on a market-specific basis.
Tesla Cybertruck customers in Australia can request a refund of their deposit after the The electric van was removed from the Australian website two months ago., drive.com.au informed. The report said: “The sudden removal of the online order button from the Tesla Australia website is considered a sign that the vehicle is not sinking.” He added that Cybertruck deposits in Australia (right-hand drive) had been refundable from the time order books opened on Tesla’s Australian website in late 2019, less than a month after it was unveiled in the markets. The sleekly styled pickup truck was initially expected to be sold in Australia in the US, according to the report, adding that the Cybertruck order button was removed from Tesla Australia’s website in May 2022.
Toyota has suspended a night shift operation (July 27) on a production line at its Takaoka factory in central Japan. due to an outbreak of covid-19. In a statement, the company said eight line workers (ages and genders: three men in their 20s, one man in their 30s, three men in their 40s, one woman in their 30s) were infected at the Takaoka plant in Toyota city, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Toyota said it was necessary to suspend the operation for one shift due to “difficulties in ensuring the safety of our employees and in having the necessary personnel for the operation.”
Have a nice weekend.
Graeme Roberts, Associate Editor, Just Auto