Schaeffler Lightweight Differentials
In addition to improving the efficiency of individual drive train components and making energy conversion more efficient, reducing the weight of a transmission is essential for saving fuel while improving driving dynamics. Considerable success in weight r
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1 Preface In addition to improving the efficiency of individual drive train components and making energy conversion more efficient, reducing the weight of a transmission is essential for saving fuel while improving driving dynamics. Considerable success in weight reduction has been achieved in the past by using more efficient materials, but no major improvements have been made in differential technology. The most common axle differential design continues to be a bevel gear differential. Due to the high component loads, this design does not allow weight reductions by replacing materials. Schaeffler’s lightweight differential offers a solution that combines low weight and cost efficiency with remarkable design space reduction. This move away from conventional bevel gear differential designs toward spur gear differentials provides opportunities for integrating innovative design ideas and state-of-the-art manufacturing technology. This paper discusses of the possibilities of lightweight differentials, beginning with a description of the design and the function of these differentials. This is followed by a comparison with conventional bevel gear differentials, specifically with regard to weight and space reduction for various torque classes. F2012-C02-022 T. Biermann (&) Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, Herzogenaurach, Germany e-mail: [email protected] X. Chang Schaeffler Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China B. R. Höhn FZG München, München, Germany
SAE-China and FISITA (eds.), Proceedings of the FISITA 2012 World Automotive Congress, Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering 193, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-33744-4_18, Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
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Fig. 1 Spur gear differential by FZG Munich
2 Introduction 2.1 History The present developments are based on a research project that was initiated by the FZG Munich in 2002. The purpose of the research project was to develop a spur gear differential that is more compact and lighter than conventional bevel gear differentials (see Fig. 1). Industry partners in the project were General Motors Powertrain -Germany GmbH in Rüsselsheim and Schaeffler KG in Herzogenaurach. During the project, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd-Robert Höhn of FZG Munich supervised the setup and testing of prototypes on test stands and in vehicles [1]. Successful vehicle tests with this first spur gear differential led Schaeffler to continue its development work with the goal of offering a solution for largevolume production. In this new differential design, the main focus was initially on manufacturing aspects and on the optimization of production costs while allowing for greater design space requirements compared to the spur gear differential developed by FZG. However, now that some development cycles have been completed, this differential designed for large-volume production is on a par with FZG’s original design. Besides new gear teeth designs that were developed in cooperation with FZG, the consistent use of Schaeffler’s core expertise for cold-forming sheet
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