How Magna Powertrain Develops and Produces Transmission Solutions for Geely

The leading Chinese car manufacturer Geely gradually strengthens its positions on the international automotive market. This year, the company opened a research center in Frankfurt. In Germany, Geely not only develops its future technologies, but also obtains the main car components. For instance, transmission units are designed by Magna Powertrain. In this article, we will take a look inside the Magna’s center for development and testing of vehicle transmissions.

For development of testing transmission units, Magna’s engineers use the same materials as for serial products. On the one hand, it seems obvious - if, for example, more durable parts are used instead of standard work pieces, then the prototype characteristics will differ from future serial products. But Magna specialists try not only to use the same materials as for serial units, but also adhere to the same methods of processing and assembly. The main differences here lie in small details. For example, the workshop for assembly of test units is equipped not only with automatically-operated machinery intended for production of serial parts, but also has hand-operated machines, as the production of pilot products sometimes requires some small and rapid changes in design (for example, increase inner diameter of some part or lathe it).

In fact, this facility for development of transmission units is meant to be a special division, which should function as autonomously as possible (without involvement of other parties) – it is even equipped with 3D-stands for checking the geometric conformity of parts. This makes it possible to gain some time at all stages: when receiving parts from suppliers and from the factory, when checking parts geometry before assembly, and also when examining parts after disassembling a gearbox that has passed a testing cycle.

The center for development of transmission solutions operates in several directions: apart from designing and manufacturing of promising transmission solutions, Magna engineers also perform a thorough testing of their products. To ensure the proper level of quality, specialists of this facility produce and test on average 1,200-1,500 units per year. The testing process starts on test benches: specialists measure a permissible amount of torque, determine maximum permissible operation conditions, and examine how the engine and gearbox operate in pair. There are also stands for studying characteristics of all-wheel drive transmissions. Special attention should be paid to so-called “resource” stands: here it is possible not only to check the operability of the gear shifting system, but also to simulate its full life cycle in just 4 weeks.

Specialists of this facility also test the transmission lubrication system (volume of generated pressure, amount of fluid transferred to particular transmission elements). All processes are tested in dynamics, emulating a real-life environment. A separate room is intended for hydraulic stands: in this room, test units are assembled with measurement of pressing-in moments of all parts (such as bearings and gears) after all geometry measurements are performed. In fact, at this stage transmissions are handled by production engineers, who determine regulations of the in-line assembly.

When it comes to vacuum (leakage) testing, the transmission unit is covered with a contrasting composition of white color, which allows specialists to identify not only leakages but also immediately understand which system failed (by the color change). For instance, areas around the breathers and joints permit only a slight change in color of the contrasting composition, and there should be no sign of moisture. One of the final stages of testing is the check of gearboxes with packaged software: units are tested on the stand in different modes of operation and it takes approximately 25 minutes.

In addition to bench testing, the center also conducts field tests at its test site, where test vehicles equipped with new transmissions are exposed to operating tests on different road surfaces (asphalt, imitation of icy road, etc.) and at different slopes (10%, 20% and 32%). Vehicles are also tested under severe conditions, for instance at a temperature of -30 ° C, which is created with the help of special cooling chambers. From January to March, such tests are performed “outdoors” – in Sweden and Finland, while cooling chambers are used in summer.

After testing of mechanical components, the transmission unit is calibrated for a specific car. As a rule, the software part is not designed from the scratch – the basic control system is modified taking into account new technical specifications. Commonly, this kind of operation is performed under the supervision of the customer, because with the help of software you can set different patterns of operation in modern transmissions. For instance, it is possible to make the process of gear shifting more tangible and sporty-like or, vice versa, to make this process as smooth as possible, depending on requirements of car manufacturers. In addition to obvious difference in transmission software settings for SUVs, sedans or hot hatchbacks, it is also necessary to take into account regional peculiarities of drivers: for example, driving behavior can differ significantly in Germany, China, USA – thus automakers always consider this aspect when developing a new model for a specific country.

All the information mentioned above refers to automatic transmissions, but Magna engineers still work with manual transmissions. Despite the fact that new technologies make automatic transmissions more efficient and easier to use than their manual analogs and modern auto industry such as electrification, hybrid technologies, and autonomous control systems are implemented with the use of automatic gear shifting technologies, there are still some customers who are ready to pay for a reliable manual unit. It should be noted that the transmission development is not only expensive, but also is a quite time-consuming process. A standard development cycle for a new Magna solution takes 3 years on average: for this relatively short period of time specialists manage to perform the whole range of necessary operations, from analysis of technical specifications to setting up a serial production.

When it comes to any modifications of already existing transmission units for a particular customer, it will certainly require less time, but the time frame here may also vary depending on whether the mechanical part of the unit should be upgraded or all changes are limited to the software update.

Carsten Bünder

According to Carsten Bünder, the Director of Global Product Management in Magna Powertrain, it doesn’t matter who orders Magna’s transmission solutions, these products will be equally reliable. Transmission solutions for different customers are exclusively determined by technical tasks received by Magna directly from the customers. Each particular transmission solution must perfectly fit into an installation place which is specified not only by dimensions, but also by the coordinates of mounting points, and shapes of sub-frames. In addition, Magna engineers also have to take into account characteristics of the engine to be paired with a specific transmission unit.

Despite the fact that the type of transmission being designed is specified by the customer, there are still some established standards on different markets: Americans give preference to automatics; Europe, putting aside electrification trends and hybrids, still stick with traditional manual transmissions and show interest in dual-clutch transmissions; Japanese customers still believe in CVTs; Chinese automakers more and more often equip their new models with advanced dual-clutch transmissions.

The last-mentioned type of transmission is considered by Magna specialists as the most promising technology: the process of gear shifting is implemented much faster and the energy consumption for this process is lower. In addition, this transmission technology perfectly suits for the electrification trend. Moreover, DCT transmissions will allow car manufacturers to fit into strict environmental standards, thus Magna sees a lot of potential in this technology.

About Magna Powertrain

A subsidiary of Magna International, Magna Powertrain is located in Troy, Michigan, with more than 50 facilities and over 30,000 employees all over the world. The company is widely recognized as a major supplier for the global auto industry with full capabilities in powertrain design, development, testing, and manufacturing. The ability to offer complete system integration sets Magna apart from our competitors. All transmissions from Magna are based on lay-shaft transmission technology and provide a variable combination of efficiency, driving comfort and performance.