Dutch industry

DUTCH INDUSTRY INSPIRATIONAL BUSINESS STORIES FROM THE NETHERLANDS E N E R G Y, C H E M I S T R Y A N D L O G I S T I C S

JAAP JAN BROUWER | GIEDO VAN DER ZWAN

HI G H T ECH SY STE MS |

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Bosch

Bosch Continuously Variable Transmission is increasingly used in cars throughout the world. A flexible metal belt is at the core of this technology. It might look like a simple product, but in fact it is so advanced that it can endure enormous powers, it lasts the lifetime of a car and is responsible for more efficient driving economics.

Invisible innovation While the perception is that Asian-European trade is a one-way street, Bosch Transmission Technology shows that there is an exception to this rule. This company with its large production site in The Netherlands sells 80% of its products in Asia and maintains a clear market leadership in the field of development and mass production of pushbelts for Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

This innovative automatic transmission was invented by a Dutchman, Hub van Doorne, who is held by many to be one of the founding fathers of the Dutch automotive industry.

The metal based manufacturing and repair business he established in 1928 soon expanded into production of cars, trucks and military vehicles and this move into the manufacture of powered vehicles saw the firm’s name change to Van Doorne’s Auto­mobielfabriek (DAF). DAF trucks is still a major player in the European truck market.

From pull to push Alongside the manufacture of powered vehicles, Hub van Doorne also developed and applied the concept of CVT for which the firm would become well known in the 1950s and 1960s. The Van Doorne transmission, using a belt drive between two adjustable coned pulleys, was widely used as the Variomatics in small DAF cars. This pull-belt system was the front-runner of the current push-belt that is capable of handling higher-powered engines.

Since its introduction the pushbelt has been optimized many times with patented improvements. In its current form, it is such a unique product that, is such a unique product that other suppliers have only been able to produce it by using the design from Bosch.

This is why the lead production unit is kept in The Netherlands, close to the company’s research and development department, where innovation is a day-to-day business.

Gert-Jan van Spijk, Director Transmission Engineering explains why the seemingly simple pushbelt is in fact a piece of high technology: ‘When you see the CVT pushbelt it seems a very straightforward industrial product. But it is a piece of ingenuity that you can’t recognise by just looking at it. It has to withstand enormous powers during a very long period, i.e. the lifetime of a car. It took us years to reach the necessary level of quality and endurance with constant small but important improvements in the design and construction. But once ready, the CVT was an immediate and still growing success.’

Due to its international success, the company expects its market share to be maintained and overall volume production to increase. Mass production commenced in 1985, since when the CVT has grown from a niche to a mature mass market product. In 2012 the 25 millionth pushbelt left the factory and the company expects to reach 50 million by 2017.

THE DUTCH INDUSTRIAL HIGHLIGHTS

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CV T TR A N S M I S S I ON W I TH B OS CH PUS HB E LT.

THE ‘STE P- LE S S ’ S HI FTI NG ­M E CHA N I S M OF THE CV T MAK E S OPTI M A L US E OF THE E N G INE POW E R OF THE CA R .

Stop and go!

Arno Vijverberg, Vice President Engineering explains that Bosch takes advantage of the different characteristics in local markets: ‘Different markets show different driving habits and different demands; that is our reality!’

This explains why early customers were to be found in Japan with its dense traffic. Because of the local ‘stop and go’ character of driving the CVT transmission system quickly proved popular. By comparison, European drivers tend to favour a more ‘sportive’ driving attitude using manual transmission, so the automatic transmission has been less popular.

But these latter attitudes have been changing as urban traffic density, coupled with the search for economy, increased.

In the USA CVT has also become increasingly popular for its comfort. In the past years, the USA top five ranking of bestselling cars was dominated by cars with a CVT system. The USA market has by tradition a preference for cars with comfort and automatic transmissions. Combined with the trend for more economic driving, the CVT is a good match. On the other side of the planet

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expectations are as Asian markets, China in particular, show fast growth figures. For local OEMs that are just entering the market, CVT is an affordable concept that enables them to meet the strict CO2 emission targets, while offering their customers high comfort. Other countries in the region are expected to follow.

Product development: an integrated approach As an integral part of the Bosch Group, the company is able to call on the research and development strength of the wider Bosch Group. The latter is one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers. Bosch offers a wide range of products for nearly every vehicle that make driving safer, cleaner, and more economical. This results in a significant and additional market advantage for Bosch Transmission Technology. Together with other business units within the Gasoline Systems division of Bosch, the company is able to gain an overview of all the component parts of the engine, transmission and drive systems that comprise the vehicle’s ‘powertrain’.

The company’s Tilburg hub is supported by specialized satellite offices in Farmington Hills

(United States), Shanghai (China), Yokohama (Japan) and by production locations in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

“Orum, omnimint rernatissi diocupta dis magnihicia volor rehenducipid etur, ilisqui tem volorro vitata cum imus sinctatiis venist untum ea voluptasi consect.” - Mister Surename, president of Bosch Apart from the internal partnerships, Bosch Transmission Technology also closely works together with clients. The company’s development teams work in close cooperation with transmission and car manufacturers from a very early stage of product development.

Together they make sure standard solutions are adjusted to meet customer-specific requirements: a precise balance between efficiency and performance. ‘The company’s objective is to remain the international driving force behind CVT technology through innovations that make the pushbelt even more efficient, compact and robust.

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Bosch WHY CVT? The ‘step-less’ shifting mechanism of the CVT makes optimal use of the engine power of the car. It is used in a variety of models from Asian, European and American car manufacturers and has been to enhance smooth driving and acceleration. At the optimal and most powerful level of motor development, Formula 1 racing, the CVT might also be argued to link success with driving fun. When installed in a Williams-Renault, it proved to be too successful! The F1 racing car lapped several seconds faster than conventional racing cars and, for this reason, was banned from the circuits by the FIA, supposedly because the CVT took away the advantage of crucial driving skills.

Due to the flexibility and the applicability of the product, hybrid vehicles, as well as those with traditional petrol and diesel engines, can be equipped with CVTs. The CVT concept is most attractive when it comes to reducing fuel consumption, hence CO2 emissions, and comfort.

Currently hundreds of different car models are available for sale with CVT as either standard or optional equipment. In all engine types, petrol, diesel and hybrid, torque ranges are covered from 60 to more than 400 Nm.

THE DUTCH INDUSTRIAL HIGHLIGHTS

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Bosch Transmission Technology’s involvement at the leading edge of the rapidly evolving automotive industry can also be seen in Brabant, where the company is working closely with the Automotive Campus in Helmond. The company also collaborates intensively with universities both abroad and in The Netherlands.

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READY FOR THE FUTURE

“Orum, omnimint rernatissi diocupta dis magnihicia volor rehenducipid etur, ilisqui tem volorro vitata cum imus sinctatiis venist untum ea voluptasi consect.� - Mister Surename, president of Bosch

The specific benefits of the CVT: comfort, efficiency, compactness and adaptability can only lead to a further rising demand. CVT also fits well into the trends of vehicle electrification and self-driving cars.

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Hybrid automobiles drive over increasingly greater distances completely on electricity. If the internal combustion engine is switched off, the noise level drops significantly and it becomes crucial that all other sources of noise are reduced to increase the comfort. Bosch has responded to this with a pushbelt that produces 70% less noise.

And in self-driving cars it is important that a drive is as comfortable as possible. Shifting might become disruptive. A pleasantly silent CVT with unique smooth shifting behavior is then a perfect fit.

Production has increased sharply in the past years. Less than 10 years ago, the global annual production of CVT systems amounted to 3 million units, whereas in 2017 annual production is estimated to be 14 million.

Bosch

OMMO DIT IAT A S I O MN IH ITAT EM ET ET VEL EST QUATEMP OR EPUDI CATUR

THE DUTCH INDUSTRIAL HIGHLIGHTS

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