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On the path to decarbonizing road transport, electric commercial vehicles will play a significant role. The first applications were directed to the smaller trucks for distribution traffic with relatively moderate driving and range requirements, but meanwhile, the first generation of a complete portfolio of truck sizes is developed and available on the market. In these early applications, many compromises were accepted to overcome component availability, but meanwhile, the supply chain can address the specific needs of electric trucks. With that, the optimization towards higher usability and lower costs can be moved to the next level. Especially for long-haul trucks, efficiency is a driving factor for the total costs of ownership. Besides the propulsion system, all other systems must be optimized for higher efficiency. This includes thermal management since the thermal management components consume energy and have a direct impact on the driving range.

Considering the current trend towards the electrification of commercial vehicles, the development of Beam eAxle solutions has become necessary. The utilization of an electric drive unit in heavy-duty solid axle-based commercial vehicles presents unique and demanding challenges. These include the necessity for elevated peak and continuous torque while meeting packaging constraints, structural integrity requirements, and extended service life. One such solution was developed by BorgWarner to address these challenges. This paper offers a comprehensive overview of the design and development process undertaken for this Dual Motor Beam eAxle system. This includes the initial comparison of various eAxle solutions, the specifications of components selected for this design, and the initial results from dyno and vehicle development.

Nowadays, Bismuth (Bi) is being applied as an overlay material for engine bearings instead of Lead (Pb) which is an environmentally harmful material. Bi overlay has already been a solid performer in some automotive engine sectors due to its superior load carrying capacity and good robustness characteristic which are necessary to maintain its longevity during the lifetime of engines. The replacement is also seen on relatively larger size engines, such as Trucks and Off-highway heavy duty applications. Basically, these applications require higher power output than passenger cars, and the expected component lifecycle becomes longer. Though Bi has similar material characteristic to traditional Pb, it becomes challenging for the material alone to satisfy these requirements. Polymer overlay is known for its superior anti-wear performance and longer lifetime due to less adhesion against a steel counterpart than metallic materials (included Bi).

Lithium-ion batteries serve as the main power source for contemporary electric vehicles. Safeguarding these batteries against damage is paramount, as it can trigger accelerated performance deterioration, potential fire hazards, environmental threats, and more. This study explores damage progression of a commercial vehicle lithium-ion battery module containing prismatic cells under indentation crush loading. We employed computational simulations of mechanical loading tests to investigate this behavior. Physical tests involved subjecting modules to low-speed (0.05 m/s) indentations using a V-shaped stainless-steel wedge, under six unique loading conditions. During the tests, force, and voltage change with wedge displacement were monitored. Utilizing experimental insights, we constructed a finite element model, which included key components of the battery module, such as the prismatic cells, steel frames, and various plastic parts.

Aluminium composites are remarkably used in automotive, aerospace, and agricultural sectors because of their lightweight with definable mechanical properties. The stir casting route was followed to fabricate cylindrical samples with base aluminium alloy LM4, LM4/SiC, LM4/Al2O3, and LM4/SiC/Al2O3. The tensile strength, compressive strength, hardness, and micro-structural analysis were performed on samples and Finite element analysis (FEA) was adopted to predict the failure modes of composites. The composites experimental results were found to be in line with the FEA results, however, the LM4/SiC/Al2O3 revealed better results on the mechanical properties when compared with other composite configurations. The mechanical properties improvement like hardness 5%-11%, tensile strength 10.26%-20.67%, compressive strength 15.19% - 32.58% and 71.52 - 82.1% reduction in dimension have been achieved in LM4/SiC/Al2O3 composite comparing to base metal.

Lightweight materials are in great demand in the automotive sector to enhance system performance. The automotive sector uses composite materials to strengthen the physical and mechanical qualities of light weight materials and to improve their functionality. Automotive elements such as the body shell, braking system, steering, engine, battery, seat, dashboard, bumper, wheel, door panelling, and gearbox are made of lightweight materials. Lightweight automotive metals are gradually replacing low-carbon steel and cast iron in automobile manufacture. Aluminium alloys, Magnesium alloys, Titanium alloys, advanced high-strength steel, Ultra-high strength steel, carbon fiber-reinforced polymers, and polymer composites are examples of materials used for light weighing or automobile decreased weight. The ever-present demand for fuel-efficient and ecologically friendly transport vehicles has heightened awareness of lowering weight and performance development.

Aluminum alloys are employed in agricultural equipment, aerospace sectors, medical instruments, machinery, automobiles, etc. due to their physical and mechanical characteristics. The geometrical shape and size of the parts are modified in turning operation by using a single-point cutting tool. A356 aluminum alloy is widely used in various engineering sectors, hence there is a necessity to produce A-356 components with quality. The inappropriate cutting parameters used in turning operation entail high production costs and reduce tool life. Box–Behnken design (BBD) based on response surface methodology (RSM) was used to design the experiments such that the experiment trials were conducted by varying cutting parameters like N-spindle speed (rpm), f-feed rate (mm/rev), and d-depth of cut (mm). The multi-objective responses, such as surface roughness (SR) and metal removal rate (MRR) were analyzed with the desirability method.

With the rise of worldwide trends towards light weighting and the move towards electric vehicles, it is now more important than ever for the automotive industry to develop and implement lightweight materials that will result in significant weight reduction and product improvements. A great deal of research has been done on how to best combine and configure honeycomb cores with the right face sheets for Truck-Mounted Container Applications. Honeycomb structures possess the ability to bring about superior structural rigidity when the core parameters are selected and optimized based on the automotive application requirements.

Commercial transportation is the key pillar of any growing economy. Light and Small commercial vehicles are increasing every day to cater the logistics demand, but there is always a gap between customer’s actual and desired operational efficiency. This is because of lack of organized fleet and efficient fleet operation. The major requirement of fleet owners is timely delivery, high productivity, downtime reduction, real time tracking, etc., Automakers are now providing fleet management application in modern LCV & SCV to satisfy the fleet operator requirement. However, any feature malfunction, consignment mismatch, wrong notification, missed alerts, etc., can incur huge loss to fleet operator and disrupt the entire supply chain. Hence it is very critical to extensively validate the telematics features in fleet management application. This paper explains the approach for exhaustive validation strategy of fleet management applications (B2B) from end user perspective.

Abstract This study underscores the benefits of refining the intralogistics process for small- to medium-sized manufacturing businesses (SMEs) in the engineer-to-order (ETO) sector, which relies heavily on manual tasks. Based on industrial visits and primary data from six SMEs, a new intralogistics concept and process was formulated. This approach enhances the value-added time of manufacturing workers while also facilitating complete digital integration as well as improving transparency and traceability. A practical application of this method in a company lead to cutting its lead time by roughly 11.3%. Additionally, improved oversight pinpointed excess inventory, resulting in advantages such as reduced capital needs and storage requirements. Anticipated future enhancements include better efficiency from more experienced warehouse staff and streamlined picking methods. Further, digital advancements hold promise for cost reductions in administrative and supportive roles.

Abstract Being an engineer-to-order (ETO) operating industry, the control cabinet industry faces difficulties in process and workplace optimizations due to changing requirements and lot size one combined with volatile orders. To optimize workplaces for employees, current literature is focusing on ergonomic designs, providing frameworks to analyze workplaces, leaving out the optimal design for productivity. This work thus utilizes a Kano analysis, collecting empirical data to identify essential design requirements for assembly workplaces, incorporating input from switchgear manufacturing employees. The results emphasize the need for a balance between ergonomics and efficiency in workplace design. Surprisingly, few participants agree on the correlation between improved processes and workspaces having a positive impact on their well-being and product quality.

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Perkins bets big on smaller engine The new 2600 Series 13-liter engine for off-highway machines will do more with less thanks to variable geometry turbocharging. BorgWarner targets more- sustainable e-motors System optimization and lifecycle analysis are key to taking heavy rare earths out of next-gen motors for commercial EVs. Enhancing digital platforms with CT data analysis TE Connectivity gains critical insights using Volume Graphics software throughout design, simulation and manufacturing.

In the current scenario, manufacturing of heavier products generates colossal waste, generates more CO2 emission, and negatively affects the environment. Customers not only pay higher product costs but also higher operational costs. This in turn demands the need for more recycling. Advanced high strength materials are a key solution to applications demanding higher strength, stiffness, durability & wear requirement, whereas low density materials like aluminium and magnesium won’t be a sustainable choice. With more and more battery electric & fuel cell vehicles, “light weighting” is a key priority. Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) has a great advantage of superior mechanical properties compared to conventional ductile iron, aluminium alloys and even some steel forgings. Typically, ADI is used for high wear applications, whereas this paper will demonstrate the potential of using ADI for Structural applications.

The transportation industry has been scrutinized for its contribution towards the global greenhouse gas emissions over the years. While the automotive sector has been regulated by strict emission legislation globally, the emissions from marine transportation have been largely neglected. However, during the past decade, the international maritime organization focused on ways to lower the emission intensity of the marine sector by introducing several legislations. This sets limits on the emissions of different oxides of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur, which are emitted in large amounts from heavy fuel oil (HFO) combustion (the primary fuel for the marine sector). A 40% and 70% reduction per transport work compared to the levels of 2008 is set as target for CO2 emission for 2030 and 2050, respectively. To meet these targets, commonly, methanol, as a low-carbon fuel, and ammonia, as a zero-carbon fuel, are considered.

Enhancing truck-sensor modularity Kodiak Robotics' fifth-generation sensor stack and new SensorPods boost sensor and GPU performance and improve power efficiency. Bosch high on hydrogen The supplier is committed to all facets of the H2 economy as volume production of its power module kicks off for Nikola's Class 8 fuel-cell truck. Constructing bus structures with stainless steel Outokumpu and collaborators show a possible weight reduction of up to 35% by using high-strength stainless steel in place of carbon steel. Volta Zero is U.S. bound The startup plans to apply lessons learned in Europe to the U.S. market, bringing a "small fleet" of electric trucks for potential customers by the end of the year.

This SAE Recommended Practice pertains to blast cleaning and shot peening and provides for standard cast shot and grit size numbers. For shot, this number corresponds with the opening of the nominal test sieve, in ten thousandths of inches1, preceded by an S. For grit, this number corresponds with the sieve designation of the nominal test sieve with the prefix G added. These sieves are in accordance with ASTM E11. The accompanying shot and grit classifications and size designations were formulated by representatives of shot and grit suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and automotive users.