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PivotPoint_<strong>DPN</strong>_Mar09.indd 1 2/12/09 12:27:33 PM 24 Design Product News Automotive Scene dpncanada.com September 2009 Electronic controls make dual-clutch transmission accessible By Bill Vance There’s a new player elbowing its way onto the transmission scene. Over the years the technology has been dominated in turn by the manual sliding gear “crash” gearbox, the manual non-clash synchromesh, and finally the full automatic in which a torque converter is combined with planetary gearsets. A variation was Henry Ford’s 1908-1927 Model T that used planetary gearboxes manually operated by foot pedals. A small market share is also held by continuously-variable transmissions, as well as automated conventional manuals with electromechanical clutching and shifting. The recent entrant is the Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) inspired by the European market, which for fuel economy reasons strongly favors manuals. According to DCT manufacturers, units provide the convenience of a planetary automatic, and equal or exceed the efficiency and fuel economy of a conventional manual. The DCT has been used in racing applications since the 1980s, but until recently was not refined enough for passenger cars. Advanced, powerful electronic controls have helped change that. In the DCT, the traditional torque converter is replaced by an ingenious dual clutch arrangement in which two separate multi-plate wet (oil bathed) clutches (dry ones can also be used), a larger one and a smaller one, are mounted concentrically one inside the other on the same plane. Each clutch operates independently and is connected to one of two concentric shafts, or “shaftwithin-a-shaft” known as quill drive, that carry power to regular synchromesh type transmission gears. One clutch sends power via the outer shaft which is splined to the odd numbered gears, e.g. 1st, 3rd and 5th. The other clutch’s power goes through the inner shaft to the even numbered ratios, e.g. 2nd, 4th and 6th. Since all the gears are contained in the same case, the DCT is in effect two parallel transmissions combined into one unit. The clutch is activated by a hydraulic piston that pressurizes the clutch plates. At idle the piston releases, disconnecting In a DCT, when the gear shift is about to occur, the first clutch opens (green figure), disengaging g g1st gear, and the second one closes simultaneously to vate second gear (blue acti- figure). the clutch. Electrohydraulic servos move the synchronizing sleeves to engage and disengage gears. In operation, the DCT starts off in 1 st gear, and while the car is accelerating, the next gear is pre-selected and sits waiting with its clutch disengaged. When the gear shift is about to occur, the first clutch opens (green figure), disengaging 1 st gear, and the second one closes simultaneously to activate second gear (blue figure). Shifts are virtually instantaneous and are accomplished under load, so there is a continuous, seamless flow of power, something not possible in a conventional manual transmission. Although shifts are as smooth as a hydraulic planetary, the elimination of inherent torque converter slippage helps improve fuel economy. The DCT can be driven in fully automatic mode with shifts managed solely by the mechatronic “brain,” or manually selected by the driver via buttons, paddles or shift lever. The DCT is not torque limited like the continuously variable transmission, and can be designed to handle torque ranging from a Volkswagen engine to the prodigious 922 lb ft of torque of the Bugatti Veyron’s 8.0 litre W16. The DCT can be used with a longitudinally or laterally mounted engine, and in 2- or 4-wheel drive applications. The first production DCT was introduced in six speed form as the DSG (direct shifting gearbox) by Volkswagen in 2003 in their Golf R32 and Audi TT 3.2 (Audi is a division of VW). It was co-developed by VW and BorgWarner. Other manufacturers like Porsche (who call theirs PDK) and Ferrari are using DCTs, and Ford has said it plans to introduce a DCT as early as 2010. In spite of the DCT and the torque converter planetary transmission having approximately the same number of parts, the DCT is still more costly to build. This should change with increased production and the availability of more DCT component suppliers. Although aimed primarily at the European market, the DCT holds the potential to become a real challenger to both the synchromesh manual and the planetary automatic in other markets too. But the synchromesh has over 80 years of development, and the planetary automatic 70 years since the first fully automatic “Hydra-Matic” appeared on the 1940 Oldsmobile, so both will be formidable opponents. Bill Vance is an automotive journalist and author. www.billvanceautohistory.ca Rolling Ring linear drives Zero backlash. Jam-proof design. SLICK [ maybe ] SLICK NEW SLIC Pin DEFINITELY. U.S. Patent No. 6,872,039 Foreign Patents Pending With a Self-Locking Implanted Cotter, it’s a pin and cotter all in one! COST SAVING. QUICK LOCKING. SECURE. If you’re using labor intensive pins, cotters or clips, try something SLIC. Manually slide drive using release lever For positioning & reciprocating motion applications Smooth movement; ultra-low maintenance Uhing ® Rolling Ring linear drives have zero play when the shaft is rotated – even during reversal. The threadless shaft won't clog or jam. If the system is somehow overloaded, the shaft simply slips instead of churning and grinding. • Example applications: material handling machines, winding equipment, test and measurement devices, packaging & converting equipment. • Uhing Drives are available separately or on shaft in custom assembly. • Wide range of sizes for varying linear speeds & axial thrust requirements. Simple set-up & operation Some models feature mechanical control over speed and travel direction – without programming or electronics. BOW-TIE Locking Cotters WORKS LIKE A HAIR PIN COTTER BUT LOCKS ITSELF ON. U.S. Patent No. 6,135,693 and D431,181 Nylon Lanyards NYLON TETHER IS 1/3 THE COST OF STEEL LANYARDS. Steel Lanyards AUTOMATED ASSEMBLY MEANS WE CAN OFFER PRICING COMPETITIVE WITH IMPORTS! Numerous styles and configurations available. U-Lock Style U.S. Patent No. 5,784,760 RUE RING Locking Cotters SURROUNDS THE SHAFT AND LOCKS ITSELF ON. Positive Lock Pins PUSH BUTTON, DUAL BALL SECURITY. Now available with optional T-handle. U.S. Patent No. 4,592,689 Ball Detent Pins WE’RE THE EXPERTS IN BALL DETENTING TECHNOLOGY! Request a Brochure or CD-ROM 1 (800) 252-2645 Email: amacoil@amacoil.com www.amacoil.com Distributed by Amacoil, Inc. PO Box 2228, Aston PA, 19014 Phone: (610) 485-8300 SPECIALS - Our Specialty! NON-THREADED FASTENER SOLUTIONS 920-349-3251 www.pivotpins.com 800-222-2231 HUSTISFORD, WI, USA
September 2009 Advisory Board Directions dpncanada.com Design Product News 25 Online business and personal skills training for industry: everywhere, and anytime By John Bachmann For many companies serving Canadian industry, providing employees with training on technical, business and personal development topics is greatly complicated by geography. Even if you’re lucky enough to be located close to a community college or university, courses covering the specific topics your staff needs may not be offered. Usually this is simply the result of insufficient local demand – a dilemma that can be overcome by accessing courses online. Over the past year, I had the chance to work with co-instructor Paul St. Germain and experts at Mohawk College to develop and deliver the first online course in the Industrial Distribution Leadership Certificate Program (IDLCP). This course on Marketing, Sales and Customer Relationship is part of the Industrial Careers Pathway initiative led by the Power Transmission Distributors Association and supported by more than 20 other industry associations. I had previously taught the course in class at Mohawk but the process of converting it to an online format and then delivering it was an eye-opening experience. The software that we used to set up the course web site was really slick. Material was grouped in lessons, with some content, such as assignments, not accessible by students until scheduled release dates. This course was delivered “asynchronously,” i.e. the students could view the lesson videos whenever they wanted to and did not have to log on at a specific time for a live lesson. All the course material needed to be prepared keeping in mind the lack of teacher-student interaction when students viewed their lesson videos. (These were PowerPoint slide shows with voice-overs.) This meant filling in some gaps in the slides and lesson notes that had been used in class and providing written feedback in lieu of classroom discussions. Experience with this first online course identified both similarities and differences relative to correspondence courses. Selfmotivation is still important and, as a result, the rate of attrition is higher than for in-class courses. But unlike traditional correspondence courses, there are more opportunities for student participation. Online discussions allow students to share their opinions relative to topics such as “what will outside selling in the industrial market look like in 2020” or “managing time more efficiently.” In addition, students can (and regularly do!) contact their instructor to ask for clarification on topics and assignments. In an online course, regular assignments serve as a two-way feedback mechanism, albeit with a bit of a time delay. The assignments submitted by the student tell the instructor how the students are doing, while the instructor’s feedback addresses misunderstandings or incomplete learning. To date, employers have been using the IDLCP (www.ontariolearn.com) courses to upgrade the knowledge and skills of some of their more seasoned staff. The average industrial experience level for this first online course was 16 years. We hope that industrial employers will start to use the program for younger staff with say, two to five years of experience, whom they wish to develop. Just think of the return to the company if these people were making decisions over the next 10 years that were informed by a better understanding of business fundamentals and co-worker behavior! John Bachmann is Corporate Sales & Marketing Manager, Wainbee, and Chairman, Canadian Fluid Power Association. DRIVE YOUR PERFORMANCE VOLUME 37 NUMBER 5 September 2009 Published by CLB Media Inc. 240 Edward Street, Aurora, ON L4G 3S9 Phone (905) 727-0077 Fax (905) 727-0017 EMAIL: dpn@clbmedia.ca Editor - Michael R. Edwards medwards@clbmedia.ca Intern - Daniel Comand Editorial Advisory Board: John Bachmann, Wainbee Ltd. (wainbee.com) and Canadian Fluid Power Association (cfpa.ca) Ajay Bajaj, Rotator Products Ltd. (rotatorproducts.com) and Power Transmission Distributors’ Association (ptda.org) Mirek Tokarz, Langen Packaging Inc. (langeninc.com) Bozena Kunowski, CADmech Design Inc. (cadmech.com) Tim Poupore, Ove Industrial Design (oveid.com) and ACID-O (acido.info) Millan Yeung, Industrial Research Assistance Program, National Research Council Canada (nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/irap) Publisher - Nigel Bishop nbishop@clbmedia.ca Creative Director - Einar Rice Art Director - Graham Jeffrey Advertising Sales Tony Chisholm John Moodie Roger Heritage Ron Salmon Linda Nadon Peter Tams Production Manager - Trish Ramsay Customer Service Representative - Kristen Schulz-Lacey Quebec Office - Linda Nadon (450) 224-0055 Peter Tams P.O. Box 357, Pointe-Claire, Quebec H9R 4P4 Phone (514) 984-2668 Fax (514) 630-6315 Subscription Rates CANADA - 1 year $35.00 including tax U.S. - 1 year $59.50 US FOREIGN - 1 year $105.00 US (Airmail) Design Product News is published six times a year for the specifiers of materials and components in product engineering (OEM); in-plant (systems); and design/production engineering (the crucial stage between finished blueprint/CAD drawing and routine mass production). The contents of Design Product News are copyright by ©2009 CLB Media Inc. and may not be reproduced in whole or part without written consent. CLB Media Inc. disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication. PAP Registration No. 10773 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program toward our mailing costs. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT # 40063602 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESS TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 240 EDWARD ST., AURORA ON L4G 3S9 President: Stuart Morrison Vice President Media, Publishing: Niel Hiscox Vice President, Finance/Corporate Development: Kent Milford Vice President, IT and Operations: David Overall Director, Editorial and Production: Jackie Roth Director, Professional Group: Karen Lorimer Director, Facility Management and Logistics: Steve Dale Director, Human Resources: Denise Desrosiers Director, Information Technology & Support: Phillip Damianidis Director, Manufacturing Group: Nigel Bishop ISSN 0319-8413 Printed in Canada For information on reprints of any article that appears in this publication, contact The Reprint Outsource at 1-877-394-7350. Improve the performance and reliability of your material handling equipment, crane, hoist or monorail with a Magnetek drive. Our controls are designed with versatility, safety and energy efficiency in mind. • IMPULSE ® AC Adjustable Frequency Drives - The gold standard in material handling controls - Open loop vector and closed loop flux vector controls available - Options range from basic units to models incorporating the latest advanced control technology - Applications from ¼ HP to 1500 HP • OMNIPULSE Digital DC Drives - Advanced power technology for DC operations - Designed for series or shunt wound motors, AC or DC supplied power - Drop in replacement for DCCP control - Minimize downtime and maintenance expenses - Improve energy efficiency Our application specific software and diagnostic tools further maximize efficiency. Custom control panels are available featuring all the components needed to provide complete motor control to your specifications. All Magnetek products are backed by the industry’s best warranty and service. Our team of application experts is always on call - available to you 24/7, 365 days per year. CONTACT US TODAY! 800.792.7253 2610 Dunwin Drive • Mississauga, Ontario • L5L 1J5 Canada sales@magnetek.com www.magnetekmh.com YOUR ONE-STOP SOURCE FOR MATERIAL HANDLING CONTROL SOLUTIONS
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