All of the transmissions available for sale today has grown exponentially within the last 15 years, all while increasing in complexity. The result is certainly that we are actually dealing with a varied quantity of transmitting types including manual, conventional automatic, automatic manual, dual clutch, continuously adjustable, split power and genuine EV.
Until very recently, automotive vehicle manufacturers largely had two types of transmitting to choose from: planetary automatic with torque converter or conventional manual. Today, however, the volume of choices available demonstrates the adjustments seen over the industry.

That is also illustrated by the many different types of vehicles now being manufactured for the market. And not only conventional vehicles, but also all electrical and hybrid vehicles, with each type requiring different driveline architectures.

The traditional development process involved designing a transmission in isolation from the engine and the rest of the powertrain and vehicle. However, this is changing, with the restrictions and complications of the method becoming more widely recognized, and the constant drive among producers and designers to deliver optimal efficiency at decreased weight and cost.

New powertrains feature close integration of components like the primary mover, recovery systems and the gearbox, and in addition rely on highly sophisticated control systems. That is to ensure that the best degree of efficiency and performance is delivered at all times. Manufacturers are under improved pressure to create powertrains that are completely new, different from and better than the last version-a proposition that’s made more complex by the need to integrate brand components, differentiate within the marketplace and do it all on a shorter timescale. Engineering teams are on deadline, and the advancement process needs to be more efficient and fast-paced than ever before.
Until now, the use of computer-aided engineering (CAE) has been the most typical way to build up drivelines. This technique involves elements and subsystems designed in isolation by silos within the organization that lean toward verified 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’s collected without factor of the whole system.

Just what’s your point of view on driveline gearboxes?