Network of Automotive Excellence recognises energy efficient products from Schaeffler

Two groundbreaking, energy efficient automotive systems from The Schaeffler Group were previewed at the recent ‘Network of Automotive Excellence’ (NoAE) Awards at the Wuerzburg Automotive Summit in Germany.

Out of several hundred submissions, Schaeffler’s two products were nominated for an award and were also part of a select group of 30 products, which were presented at the ‘Innovation Preview’ to a select group of technical experts from the automotive industry.

Schaeffler Group Automotive was successful in the ‘Innovation Competition’ of the NoAE. The Group was nominated for participation in the Innovation Preview in the ‘CO2 Reduction, Lightweight Design and New Materials’ category for INA’s lightweight balancer shaft with rolling bearing supports, as well as FAG’s twin tandem wheel bearings.

“As a supplier, it is our obligation to offer our automotive industry customers optimised products for the drive train, with which their ambitious goals for reducing fuel consumption and CO2 can be achieved,” explained Dr. Peter Gutzmer, Executive Vice President of Schaeffler KG Technical Product Development and acting Vice President of Schaeffler Group Automotive. “With the nominations, the jury has honored the efforts that Schaeffler has made as a large international supplier in this respect,” he added.

In Schaeffler’s second presentation, Dr. Peter Gutzmer explained how Schaeffler Group Automotive intended to increase the efficiency of its systems with further innovative components for future drive trains. He also emphasised the importance of efficiency improvements as the key to reducing vehicle fuel consumption and emissions. He outlined the product range of the Schaeffler Group, which, for example, comprises fully variable hydraulic valve train concepts for engines, as well as high-performance dual clutch systems in transmissions, which contribute to reduced fuel consumption.

The NoAE Innovation Competition was first held in 2007 as a non-automotive competition. This year is the first time that the Schaeffler Group has taken part in the competition, which is endorsed by Germany’s Federal Minister for Economics and Technology, Michael Glos.

INA Lightweight balancer shaft
By replacing conventional plain bearings on the balancer shaft with rolling bearings, friction is reduced. The use of needle roller bearings with a raceway directly on the shaft, friction is reduced by up to 50% over the whole speed range. The width of the raceway in the area not subjected to load during operation is reduced. Through optimised mass distribution, engine mass can be decreased by around 20-40%, which, for a typical four-cylinder engine, results in a weight reduction of up to 1kg.

The lower mass moment of inertia reduces the load in the power train, therefore improving the acoustic characteristics. In addition, the narrower raceway improves the oil mist supply to the rolling bearings, enabling a simpler system design without oil feed holes, reducing manufacturing costs.

The engine requires a lower throughput of oil, so the oil pump can be made smaller. All these measures lead to a reduction in fuel consumption by up to 2%. Schaeffler has applied similar design principles to camshafts, crankshafts and other engine bearing applications.

FAG twin tandem wheel bearings
The concept of the twin tandem wheel bearing is based on substituting rows of tapered rollers with two rows of ball bearings. This means that a double-row tapered roller bearing becomes a four-row ball bearing. Substituting the ‘line’ contact of the tapered rollers with the ‘point’ contacts of the balls and eliminating rib friction, reduces bearing friction significantly. At the same time, a higher cornering rigidity is achieved compared to the tapered roller bearing.

This innovative twin tandem wheel bearing is ideal for use in vans, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and light trucks, vehicles that are characterised by their high axial loads and usually fitted with tapered roller wheel bearings. Twin tandem bearings are also suitable for other vehicle types.

Twin tandem wheel bearings reduce fuel consumption by around 1.5% per vehicle on average.

For more information on the INA lightweight balancer shaft or the FAG twin tandem wheel bearing, please visit www.schaeffler.co.uk or telephone the marketing department on 0121 351 3833.