Automotive Technology News

Demand for automotive lane-departure warning systems will grow dramatically over the next few years, according to new research. Such systems have been slow to catch on until now, probably because of their cost. But significant new features that take advantage of common components add considerable driver value. Examples include road sign recognition, advanced headlight control, and a function that can detect that the driver is weaving within a lane — all of which use data from a front-facing camera. Industry analysts predict more than 22 million installations of lane-departure warning systems by 2016.

FUTEK's Webinar:
Simplifying Your System with USB Technology — 9/7/2011

On September 7, FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc. will present "Simplifying Your System with USB Technology". Join your peers for this free, informative, and interactive ONLINE webinar — right from the convenience of your desktop. Learn more about FUTEK's USB technology and USB sensor applications. Register today!

Dow Automotive Systems delivers cost-effective solutions to the toughest interior, exterior, and powertrain challenges facing OEMs and Tier suppliers. Our products include polyurethanes, elastomers, films, fluids, adhesives, emissions solutions, and acoustic management materials. We also serve the global aftermarket with high-performance glass replacement and body repair systems.

Ingersoll Rand's QE/QM Series tools take critical fastening solutions to a new level of accuracy and reliability with heavy-duty gear train, brushless DC motor, transducerized control, torque range to 2500 Nm, and two-year warranty on cables. Match with an ICM or ICD controller and improve your operation's productivity.

Adchem Corporation, a major supplier of pressure sensitive adhesive tapes for the automotive market, has released bonding studies of several adhesive tape systems to a variety of engineered plastics including TPO's, TPE's, and TPV's. Adchem added its new 650 family of adhesive tapes designed for Low Surface Energy substrate bonding to these studies.

At Materion, we provide high-performance materials essential to the automotive electronics industry. Our products can be found in high-performance connector and leadframe systems, in virtually all OEM vehicles. Similarly, lower voltage applications also require improved performance to meet rising consumer expectations and competitive pressures.

Combining the capabilities of an oscilloscope and a data-acquisition recorder, this latest entry can acquire data at 100 megasamples/second, an order of magnitude faster than its predecessor, with comparable improvements in display and memory-handling speeds. In addition to a general-purpose instrument aimed at a variety of applications, the company also offers a model dedicated to the special needs of the automotive industry.

Geared to automotive designers engaged in projects such as transmission controller development, powertrain electrification, and fuel consumption improvements, this modular signal conditioning and power stage hardware for rapid control prototyping (RCP) supports real-time testing and integration of control strategies on a computer. It is also applicable to industrial and aerospace settings. Scalable, compact packaging and hardware flexibility are key features.

Delphi has developed new smaller gauge cables that use modern materials in both the core and insulation. For example, the new cables use a proprietary copper alloy for the conductor. A 26-gauge wire made with this alloy has about the same strength as a 22-gauge conductor made from a more conventional alloy.

Who needs a hybrid car? Electric-boosted or diesel powertrains are not the only ways automakers are raising mileage in the face of high fuel prices. Automakers are fielding more fuel efficient mid-size cars (more popular than smaller hybrids) that get on the order of 40 miles to the gallon. A key enabler is weight reduction spurred by the use of advanced high-strength steels that meet tough safety standards while reducing overall vehicle weight. Manufacturers are also using inherently lighter aluminum and magnesium alloys, further pairing down the pounds. Saving weight also means they can build smaller and lighter engines and braking systems.

MPS Industries offers a full line of magnetic components for the automotive industry. We offer TS16949 certified manufacturing and reliability testing capabilities, as well as experience with automotive requirements such as PPAP and IMDS. Products include a wide variety of transformers, power inductors, common mode chokes, and current transformers.

MISUMI USA has expanded its line of Automotive (NAAMS) Style Locating Pins and holders enhancing our automotive product offering. Automotive OEMs/suppliers have relied on MISUMI for time-sensitive and cost-effective components.

MISUMI has added new Positioning Stages. New Dovetail Slide Feed Screw, Low Profile Cross-Roller, and Rotary Standard Precision Stages.

Engineers in the automobile industry have adapted an ultrasonic clamping force measurement technology to gauge the clamping force on a fastener. Previous methods measured torque, which only provides an approximation of the clamping force — within about 30%, according to this article. The new approach, already in use in aerospace applications, can measure the force to within 4%.

Three industry teams, comprised of battery and software companies, are working on new software tools to develop battery cells and packs for electric vehicle systems. Helping to drive the process: $7 million of new R&D money from the U.S. Renewable Energy Laboratory. Teams include such well-known firms as Ford, ANSYS, Johnson Controls, and SAFT, as well as A123 Systems, known for its innovative lithium ion battery packs (see video on the system).

The new seven-speed automated manual transmission for Lamborghini's Aventador supercar combines dual-clutch technology with the lightweight, compact size of an automatic. The twin gear-selector-rail transmission has each rail operated by its own actuator, with no two sequential gears on the same shift rail. The system begins to move the rail for the next gear while still withdrawing the previous one, for extremely quick shifts.

The Ferrari FF grand touring car has several firsts for the company, including a hatchback design with all-wheel drive and a new "modular" transmission configuration. The front wheels are powered (along with the rears) only in the first four gears. In fifth to seventh gears, just the rear wheels are driven for more performance handling. (Vrrooom video)

Thousands of sound and vibration professionals have expanded their career horizons by attending Brüel & Kjær courses. Taught by industry experts with decades of cumulative experience, these courses feature the latest available technology in the latest applications.

Please join us, September 27-29, Detroit, MI. Visit us here for full course listing.

For automotive applications that demand the absolute maximum of heat protection, ThermoDyne's microporous insulation systems are more efficient than any other material on the market. ThermoDyne's HyperDyne™ microporous materials are able to achieve a heat transfer of 40-60% less than traditional insulated heat shields for turbos, manifolds, and catalytics.

Pickering Interfaces expands its range of PXI Fault Insertion solutions with the introduction of the 40-197 and 40-198. Fault Insertion (FI) modules are used within an Automatic Test System to simulate fault conditions such as opens, short to ground, or a short to other connections in a device under test.

Barco coolant unions are widely used in the automotive and machine tool industry. The unique sealed-for-life bearings in the Barco SFL union supplies coolant to high-speed, multi-spindle heads, and independent box spindles on automotive transfer lines.

This presentation describes a unique powertrain concept for passenger cars and other vehicles. Currently under development, the idea involves hydraulic axial-piston motors, and a hydraulic free-piston engine with advance fuel injection system. Significant improvements in mileage, emissions, performance, and safety are envisioned.

Sensor makers are developing new ways to share and combine data from multiple sensors and systems, as well as cutting costs by avoiding sensor redundancy, as more automotive electronic control units add sensors. In this video slide presentation, one supplier of sensors and electronics to the automotive industry observes how, over the past few years, systems such as braking and restraint control have integrated enough sensors that each could supply sensor data to the other. The solution: on some new vehicles, the braking system gets much of its sensor data from the vehicle airbag system.

A big drawing card at the UK's recent "'Get Up to Speed with Engineering" event was the opportunity to drive a Formula 1 simulator, provided by Rotherham-based F1 Showcars. Equipped with virtual reality goggles and force-feedback steering wheel and pedals, the simulator gives a sense of what it's like on an F1 track. Take this video tour for a taste of the high-speed action.

Electricity to Power Formula 1 Cars in 2013?

Say it isn't so — Formula 1 may be going electric, at least in the pit lane. Is this a good idea for the sport?

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