Traditional automotive gear industry transformation and upgrading of high-tech god assists

Recently, the 2017 China Gear Industry Market Demand, Technical Support, and Product Integration Seminar was held in Hanzhong, Shaanxi. The seminar revealed a strong signal that the traditional automotive gear industry has “loved” high-tech in the process of transformation and upgrading.

■Advanced equipment "seduction" gear processing

In recent years, the demand for gears in the development of the automotive industry has been increasing, and the requirements for gear processing efficiency, quality, and cost have become higher and higher. At the same time, the state continues to tighten environmental protection. In addition, with the high labor costs in the country, recruitment difficulties are getting worse. Therefore, automotive gear companies are eager to achieve product processing automation, high efficiency, low cost and green environmental protection.

“We have innovatively and optimally designed the CNC gear hobbing machine in many ways to meet the requirements for high-precision, high-efficiency, high-stability, and environmentally friendly gear hobbing.” Wang Jianwen, Minister of Technology of Zhejiang Tuoman Precision Machinery Co., Ltd. is here. At the seminar, the Rolling Shaved Gear Machining Program was shared with the industry.

Wang Bin, deputy chief engineer of Nanjing Gaochuan Sikai CNC Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd., said: “Intelligent manufacturing is the trend of the automotive gear manufacturing industry. More and more companies are considering the replacement of equipment and hope to choose more advanced automation equipment.”

According to reports, Nanjing Gaochuan Sikai used the “simple” automated mechanical processing concept to design and develop the FMCCKD32 inverted-car flexible unit, which solved the labor intensity of workers with the same specification lathe processing disc sets and shaft parts. A long auxiliary time, high energy consumption and unstable quality issues.

According to reports, Hanjiang Tools Co., Ltd. has replaced many imported products; Qinchuan Machine Tool Group Co., Ltd. has been committed to providing users with high-quality, high-precision, high-efficiency gear processing machine, praised by users.

■ Transmission system test using high technology

Steady-state durability tests for gearboxes include transmission efficiency tests, high-speed tests, temperature rise tests, anti-drag tests, torque-changing tests, type tests, static torsion tests, and cycle conditions tests. Professor Zhang Zhigang, vice president of the School of Vehicle Engineering at Chongqing University of Technology, said: "We have developed automotive transmission test technology and equipment."

Dynamic durability tests of gearboxes mainly include dynamic conditions simulation tests and dynamic load spectrum fatigue tests. Zhang Zhigang introduced: "We have now exceeded the load spectrum processing conditions, load spectrum simulation test, electrical inertia simulation test and engine simulation test technology difficulties."

The gearbox durable early fault monitoring system adopts the order analysis method, which effectively eliminates the disadvantages of variable frequency motion "frequency blur" in the traditional frequency analysis, and solves the key technical problems in the frequency domain feature signal extraction of the rotating parts of the gearbox.

In addition, NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) is a technological bottleneck restricting the development of domestic self-owned gearboxes.

Zhang Zhigang said: “We focus on transmission and drive axles to investigate the typical NVH issues of gearboxes such as howling, percussion and abnormal noise. We have mastered the NVH test methods and evaluation methods for transmissions and drive axles, sound source identification technology, sound source control and optimization. The method and NVH test equipment development technology form the NVH database of transmissions and drive axles. We cooperated with Chongqing Qingshan, Jianghuai and Sichuan Modern and other companies and successfully solved the NVH problems of multiple transmissions and drive axles."

Zhang Zhigang also introduced transmission shift evaluation test technology and equipment, transmission offline evaluation test technology and equipment, manual/automatic transmission off-line detection system and gearbox shaft alignment technology and equipment.

■ Eliminate "dummy equipment" targeting smart manufacturing

Industrial digitalization has entered the era of closed-loop applications, real-time adjustment of processing data, and the realization of industrial digital manufacturing closed-loop, providing a new path for automotive gear enterprise upgrades.

Lu Dong, general manager of the joint wisdom (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., said: "We want to achieve intelligent manufacturing under big data conditions, you need to collect all the information of the factory."

Most domestic automotive gear and other parts factories are using equipment that does not yet have a numerical control system, commonly known as "dummy equipment." To achieve intelligent manufacturing, enterprises must first eliminate "dumb devices" and add distributed data acquisition modules to the devices to collect and send data.

The high price of imported distributed controllers determines that it cannot be widely used in small and medium-sized enterprises and restricts the intelligent manufacturing upgrades for SMEs. Lu Dong said: "Our products will change this situation. It is suitable for domestic SMEs on the management and price requirements."

When deputy secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Jian Jianhua, introduced the development trend of the global auto parts industry, he said: “Informationization can fully optimize the internal management and operational efficiency of an enterprise, and at the same time build an effective information exchange mechanism and reduce costs. Intelligent manufacturing is improving. While efficiency will reduce costs, it will further improve product consistency."

The fundamental driving force for the upgrading of automotive gear companies is talent. Gu Wenjin, Assistant to General Manager of Xingcheng Powder Metallurgy Co., Ltd., advocated: “Everyone should rely on domestic universities and key enterprises to establish talent cultivation bases and establish a high starting point and specialized research and development echelon for 5 to 10 years; it can also be introduced abroad. The technical talents are used by me. At the same time, an incentive mechanism is established to mobilize the enthusiasm and creativity of the scientific and technical personnel."

■ Laser additive technology will boost industrial innovation

Dr. Tang Haibo, a material expert at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, was invited to present the core technologies of high-energy laser additive manufacturing at this seminar. At the 2012 National Science and Technology Award Conference, Wang Huaming, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor of the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, won the first prize of national technology invention with laser additive technology.

Wang Huaming led his innovation team to develop a high-performance and difficult-to-process large-scale production that represents the development direction of advanced manufacturing technologies and has significant application value in the manufacture of major equipment around the strategic needs of major special projects and major equipment manufacturing industries such as large aircrafts. The laser direct manufacturing technology for complex integral key components": A laser beam that regularly travels on metal materials can create any large part of complex shape on the C919 large passenger aircraft. This technology has enabled China's fighter aircraft development to reach the world's leading level, and has made all participating delegates excited and greatly enhanced their confidence and national pride in entering the high-end manufacturing industry.

Li Shengqi, secretary-general of China Automotive Automatic Transmission Innovation Union, pointed out: “Wang Huaming's research team has broken through the difficulties of laser additive technology and made China’s 3D high-end manufacturing technology a world leader. This technology helps to innovate complex structural products and is particularly helpful for cars. The gear transmission industry is innovating and developing."