AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY FOCUS


ON THE ROAD to electric mobility


A


s one of the pioneers of electric mobility, Schaeffler has been active


in ABB FIA Formula E, the world’s first electric racing series, from the first season. According to the company, electric racing is an ideal test bed for the development of electric mobility technologies. It’s fully- electric 4ePerformance concept vehicle, however, shows how technology can be transferred from motor racing to a close- to-volume-production drive concept. For this high performance vehicle,


Schaeffler Motorsports, the Schaeffler E-Mobility business division, and the company’s subsidiaries Schaeffler Engineering and Compact Dynamics, worked closely together and were complemented by ABT Sportsline’s expertise. So, 4ePerformance is based on the steel body of a high-volume production vehicle and is powered by four Formula E drives from the winning ABT Schaeffler FE01 racing car, each of which provides a power output of 220kW. In total, an all-electric drive power of up to


Schaeffler’s fully-electric 4ePerformance concept vehicle shows how technology can be transferred from motor racing to a close-to-volume-production drive concept


880kW (approx. 1,200PS) is available, accelerating the concept racing car from 0 to 200km/h in less than seven seconds. Each individual motor is directly connected to a wheel by means of a spur gear unit, while two motors share one gearbox housing and thereby form an electric twin axle. This enables selective control of drive torque to individual wheels (torque vectoring). The power required for this is provided by two batteries with an overall capacity of 64kWh. Simon Opel, director special projects


motorsports at Schaeffler, commented: “For Schaeffler, this vehicle is a test laboratory on wheels thanks to its free scaling options for the drive power. We are currently testing and developing our own driving dynamics control system, which is based on physical vehicle and wheel modelling. We’ve been learning a lot, especially in the area of software- based driving dynamics control systems.” Prof. Peter Gutzmer, CTO of Schaeffler, added: “In the same way as Schaeffler


The fully-electric 4ePerformance concept vehicle is powered by four Formula E drives from the winning ABT Schaeffler FE01 racing car, each of which provides a power output of 220kW


has contributed its technical expertise to Formula E from the very beginning, it also plays a pioneering role and is a partner for components and complete system solutions when it comes to applying electric mobility to volume production vehicles and putting these on the road.”


Schaeffler www.schaeffler.co.uk


BESPOKE POWER SCREWS


Kingston Engineering designs and produces bespoke power screws in materials and lengths that suit specific application demands. The company has been manufacturing right hand/left hand, single/multi-start, cut thread power transmission screws and nuts for over 60 years, and currently offers a full range of thread forms suitable for mechanical power transmission. Standard screw products are manufactured from specially produced precision ground carbon steel. In addition, all parts are manufactured under a quality regime and subject to final inspection before dispatch, working to ISO 9001-2008 accreditation. Kingston power screws are used on the Gripen, a supersonic multi- role/swing-role fighter jet, which has been in service with the Swedish Air Force since 1997. Here, the company provided exacting specialist screw threads, which are powering Gripen’s retractable fuel probe as part of the fighter’s air to-air refuelling capability. Kingston Engineering also offers a full component reclamation and enhancement service. Typical applications where reclamation and enhancement should be considered are for expensive components that are mainly serviceable but with localised wear; components required for quick replacement, but are only available on extended delivery; components where worn areas may be reclaimed and also enhanced with harder, more durable materials for longer service life and reduced downtime.


Kingston Engineering  www.kingston-engineering.co.uk DESIGN SOLUTIONS | JULY/AUGUST 2018 25


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