All of the transmissions available for sale today is continuing to grow exponentially within the last 15 years, all while increasing in complexity. The result is definitely that we are now dealing with a varied quantity of transmitting types including manual, conventional automatic, automated manual, dual clutch, consistently variable, split power and pure EV.
Until very recently, automotive vehicle manufacturers largely had two types of tranny to choose from: planetary automated with torque converter or conventional manual. Today, however, the volume of options avaiable demonstrates the adjustments seen across the industry.
This is also illustrated by the countless various kinds of vehicles now being produced for the market. And not simply conventional automobiles, but also all electrical 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. However, 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 reduced weight and cost.
New powertrains feature close integration of components like the prime mover, recovery systems and the gearbox, and in addition rely on highly sophisticated control systems. That is to ensure that the very best degree of efficiency and overall performance is delivered
Until now, the use of computer-aided engineering (CAE) has been the most common way to build up drivelines. This technique involves parts and subsystems designed in isolation by silos within the business that lean toward proven component-level analysis equipment. While they are highly advanced tools that allow users to extract extremely dependable and accurate data, they remain presenting data that is collected without concern of the whole system.
While this may produce components that work nicely individually, putting them with each other without prior factor of the entire program can create designs that don’t work, leading to issues in the driveline that are difficult and expensive to improve.
