Process of development
Product development
In line with the respective customer-specific product development process, we work together with our customers' specialist departments at every stage.
In doing so, we benefit from our extensive expertise, years of project experience and our pioneering test rigs in Asia and North America. Our testing facilities consist of a variety of test rigs from well-known manufacturers as well as test environments developed in-house for specific requirements with associated measurement technology. Our capabilities for analysis using FE simulation and validation of mechanical high-frequency vibration behavior are unique in the NVH market.
Optimization
From the creation process and design of our components, we know how each component acts and identify component parameters such as non-linear static forces, dynamic hardening, dynamic stiffness and damping factors, and high-frequency vibration behavior. Based on the results of the experimental analyses, we optimize the design of the components. By identifying all influencing factors, we can optimize the specifications of the components.
Testing
In addition to acoustic analyses, we perform comprehensive experimental and virtual vibration analyses at the component level. We rise to the challenge in development to optimize performance according to customer-specific requirements.
Using our triaxial test benches, we analyze, optimize and evaluate the effects of our components in terms of component performance and durability. For this purpose, parameters such as deflections or operating vibrations are taken into account.
Similarly, we can investigate a wide range of test setups with a variety of pneumatic cylinders on our test benches and match component performance with our simulation models.
We identify noise from electric motors, conventional combustion engines, and drive shafts through testing in our acoustics lab. We use state-of-the-art measurement technology to determine and process any test data. The signals come, for example, from acceleration sensors, force sensors, humidity detectors and from temperature sensors close to, for example, the engine bearings.
Design
After analyzing and defining the component specifications and requirements, such as installation space and mounting points, durability requirements, the static and dynamic loads, we create the component design using computer-aided design tools.
Finite element analysis reduces the number of physical and experimental analyses on prototypes, as an optimal design is developed at an early stage in the component design. We benefit from our global development team with more than 30 years of development experience in the automotive sector. Global prediction methods via proprietary simulation tools and global company standards for CAD and design drawings ensure a high level of quality even in the early development phase.
Material development
Our long-standing and comprehensive expertise in materials development provides the basis for a general understanding of the chemical and physical behavior of our component structures. To optimize our customers' respective NVH requirements in terms of service life and dynamic vibration behavior, we draw on a wide range of elastomer compounds. Whether natural rubber or temperature-resistant ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), we offer process-stable and reliable materials to reduce noise and vibration.
The materials in our compound families are tested in our laboratories for their rheological properties and also for their reaction kinetics before being scaled up for industrialization. In this process, we are a reliable partner for providing the right material compound and have the know-how to match the associated manufacturing processes.
- Vulcanization
- Adhesion properties
- Elastomers
- Injection behavior
- Silicone
- EPDM
series production
On the way to series production, we use computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools to analyze and validate components at the component or subsystem level during the respective development phase. In this way, the performance of the individual component over its entire service life can be precisely predicted for all drive concepts. For this we use the CAD systems CATIA from Dassault and Siemens NX. In addition to ABAQUS, we also use simulation tools and programs developed in-house for simulation.
After we have created and optimized the component design using CAE and defined the right elastomer compound, prototypes of our components are produced for validation before series production. By feeding back the experimental validation of the prototypes to the simulation, we ensure that our simulation quality is constantly at a high level.
Our standardized procedures and state-of-the-art testing equipment are used to thoroughly test the properties of the components in experimental analyses. Thus, multi-axis load cycles are performed in our investigations to validate static and dynamic properties of the components in all relevant directions. Both static tests and dynamic analyses on low and high frequency test equipment as well as load and hardness tests with chemical load factors such as oils, lubricants and ozone influences.