News Article

GKN Driveline's New Technology Saves Weight And Fuel

January 2006
Vehicle makers plan to introduce "breakthrough" technology from GKN Driveline that provides lighter driveshaft components, improved fuel economy and better overall vehicle performance.

"Customers whose cars are equipped with this new technology will notice significant improvements in performance," said Rob Rickell, director of engineering for the GKN Driveline's global driveshaft group.

The technology is scheduled to appear on new models built in the USA next year, followed by European introductions. Compared with current designs, GKN Driveline's new driveshaft components will offer new-car buyers products that are expected to be:

• Lighter by four kilograms or more,
• More fuel efficient by up to 0.16 litres/100 kilometres
• Easier to park with turning-circle reductions of one metre or more and
• Quieter, due to reductions in driveline noise, vibration and harshness.

"Our new designs represent the first major change in constant-velocity-joint (CVJ) technology in more than 70 years," said Rob Rickell. "Teamwork played a major role in the development process. Engineering groups working together at company research centres in Germany, Mexico, Spain and the USA were able to develop production-ready components in less than three years."

Driveshafts equipped with the new technology will be manufactured at GKN Driveline facilities around the world. The company is the industry's leading supplier of CVJs designed to help transfer power from a vehicle's engine to its wheels. Car and light-truck drivelines typically are equipped with up to 12 such joints. GKN Driveline currently produces more than 95 million CVJs per year.

With GKN Driveline's new technology, the owner of a mid-sized, front-wheel-drive car equipped with a six-cylinder engine could expect annual fuel-economy savings of 4,300 rupees (£55) or more, according to Rob Rickell.

In addition to various consumer benefits, GKN Driveline's new generation of CVJs also provides vehicle manufacturers with reductions in driveshaft package size of up to eight percent or more and improvements in operating efficiency of more than 30 percent. Package-size reductions can also reduce component weight from eight to 15 percent.

The company's patented countertrack™ and crosstrack™ technologies currently are undergoing further development in collaboration with two European manufacturers, two Japanese car makers and one in the USA.

"We expect countertrack™ and crosstrack™ technology to replace designs currently used on an industry-wide basis within a relatively short period of time," Rob Rickell said.

Because of its unique track design, GKN Driveline's countertrack™ system balances internal forces within a joint to improve operating efficiency by reducing energy losses due to heat and friction. Another design feature allows engineers to reduce overall package size and increase steering angles to enhance manoeuvrability.

With its patented crosstrack™ designs, GKN Driveline combines straight-and-angled ball tracks to produce joints that allow car makers to further reduce driveshaft noise, vibration and harshness.

GKN Driveline is a global tier-one supplier of vehicle driveline components and systems with sales of 173 billion rupees (£2,2 billion). The company has 21,000 employees and 49 facilities in 31 countries. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.gkndriveline.com.