Electrification has already started to have a noticeable impact on the global automotive industry. As a result, the drivetrains of hybrid (HEV) and full electric vehicles (EV) are facing many challenges, like increased requirements for NVH in high speed e-Drives and the need for performance improvements to deal with recuperation requirements. Motivated by the positive validation results of surface densified manual transmission gears which are also applicable for dedicated hybrid transmissions (DHTs) like
e-DCTs, GKN engineers have been looking for a more challenging application
for PM gears within those areas.
Gear Industry Steps Up to Automation
Challenges in Auto Industry. Automotive parts are always moving. They are zipping across conveyors, smashing into each other in bins and traveling across the production chain before ending up inside an automobile. For gears, this can be a somewhat precarious situation as they tend to run best when they're free from nicks, abrasions, cracks or other damages.