fev.com: Latest News

22nd Aachen Colloquium Automobile and Engine Technology

Mon, 07 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0200

The Aachen Colloquium "Automobile and Engine Technology" has become the largest automotive and engine technology congress in Europe and the high number of participants shows the existing interest of the automotive and supplier industry. In 2012, we welcomed 1800 participants from 31 countries.

bonding AutomotiveDay 2013

Wed, 03 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0200

FEV enjoys a strong reputation as an innovative development services provider. This strength is based on the application of a wide range of core competencies. As we extend our team, we are looking for:

Mechanical engineers
Electrical engineers
Software developers
Application engineers, and
Scientists.

Have we caught your attention yet? Then talk to us about your career possibilities at FEV.

career fair bonding Erlangen 2013

Wed, 26 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0200

Mechanical engineers
Electrical engineers
Software developers
Application engineers, and
Scientists.

Have we caught your attention yet? Then talk to us about your career possibilities at FEV.

career fair IKOM 2013

Mon, 24 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0200

Mechanical engineers
Electrical engineers
Software developers
Application engineers, and
Scientists.

Have we caught your attention yet? Then talk to us about your career possibilities at FEV.

career fair bonding Karlsruhe 2013

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0200

Mechanical engineers
Electrical engineers
Software developers
Application engineers, and
Scientists.

Have we caught your attention yet? Then talk to us about your career possibilities at FEV.

Automotive Testing Expo Europe 2013

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0200

Automotive Testing Expo Europe is the leading event, dedicated to the quality, safety, reliability and durability of vehicles throughout Europe. The show will continue to be THE launch pad in Europe for new technologies within the area of automotive test, evaluation and quality engineering. Reflecting the newly adapting world of automotive manufacturing, Automotive Testing Expo Europe 2013 will once again be the launch pad for new developments and technologies within the world of automotive testing, evaluation and quality engineering.

2013 SAE Noise and Vibration Conference and Exhibition

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200

The SAE Noise and Vibration Conference is the only dedicated noise, vibration and harshness event in North America. Held biennially, this conference serves as a forum for leading automotive, commercial vehicle and aerospace professionals to share the latest technologies surrounding NVH and sound quality issues related to vehicle design, engineering and testing. Visit FEV, Inc. in Booth #331.

FEV, Inc. Announces Winners of 2013 FEV Powertrain Development Award

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:20:00 +0200

Auburn Hills, Mich., May 15, 2013 – Advanced powertrain and vehicle systems engineering company FEV, Inc. announced the recipients of the FEV Powertrain Development Award, presented to three collegiate teams that designed, developed and demonstrated exemplary powertrain solutions in the 2013 Formula SAE competition held May 8 – 11 at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) near Brooklyn, MI. The Award was presented on Saturday, May 11 during the awards ceremony that was held at the conclusion of the competition. The Powertrain Development Award considers critical powertrain relevant aspects, including performance, fuel economy, durability and cost in determining a winner. The award uses a quantitative scoring system intended to be a metric, or equation, for the optimization process that the student teams go through as they develop their solutions, much like the work that a professional engineer might perform on a day-to-day basis in the industry. There are multiple solution paths that a team can employ to win. The 2013 FEV Powertrain Award winners were:

1st place: Kettering University, Flint, Mich. (668.7 of a possible 900 pts) 2nd place: Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria (482.8 pts) 3rd place: Ecole De Technologie Superieure, Montreal, Québec, Canada (437.0 pts)

Notably, The Ecole De Technologie Superieure (ETS) repeated its third place finish for the FEV Powertrain Development Award. Locally, Michigan State University broke into the top ten for the FEV Award with a 9th place finish, as well as finishing in 9th place overall in the competition. The University of Akron (5th), University of Toledo (15th), Saginaw Valley State University (14th), and the University of Michigan (16th) all finished in the top 20 for the FEV Award. “The technologies on display here in the FSAE competition at MIS parrot what is going on in the automotive industry at the moment,” said Robert J. Last, vice president of communications, purchasing, and human resources for FEV, and chairperson of the SAE Foundation’s PR and Outreach Committee, the body that oversees the FSAE. “Whether it’s a 4-cylinder, a two-cylinder v-twin, or a 1-cylinder engine, whether it’s naturally aspirated or turbocharged, there is a clear movement toward downsizing, boosting and lightweighting in the powertrain arena. Like the rest of the industry, these teams understand that, in today’s world, both high performance and optimal fuel economy are necessary. The FEV Powertrain Development Award seeks to reward this enviable achievement and it does so with an objective, equation-based approach that can be optimized by the FSAE team. FEV congratulates the winners and recognizes their efforts to meet this demand.” Student teams must adhere to the rules specified by the SAE, which can be found on its Web site, www.sae.org. In the process of developing engineering solutions for their vehicles, students will have also mastered critical elements of strategy planning, project management, contingency planning, and logistics management, according to Last. “The Collegiate Design Series provides students with an opportunity to experience the complete engineering and business project cycle, including fundraising and defending the project in a detailed presentation. These are essential skills that engineering students need to acquire to be successful in the industry,” said Last. The overall winner of this year’s FSAE-Michigan event was the University of Stuttgart, followed by Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia), and the University of Akron in 3rd place. Locally, Michigan State University finished in 9th position, Kettering University finished in 15th position overall, and Oakland University finished in 22nd position. About Formula SAE The Formula SAE® competition is for SAE student members to conceive, design, fabricate, and compete with small formula-style racing cars. The restrictions on the car frame and engine are limited so that the knowledge, creativity, and imagination of the students are challenged. The cars are built with a team effort over a period of about one year and are taken to the annual competition for judging and comparison with approximately 100 other vehicles from colleges and universities throughout the world. The end result is a great experience for young engineers in a meaningful engineering project as well as the opportunity of working in a dedicated team effort.

FEV acquires electronics engineering firm DGE Inc.

Thu, 02 May 2013 15:25:00 +0200

Auburn Hills, Mich., May 2, 2013 – FEV GmbH (Germany) and FEV, Inc. (FEV) of Auburn Hills, Mich. announced today that it has completed the acquisition of DGE Inc. (DGE), an electronics engineering firm located in Rochester Hills, Mich. FEV calls the acquisition a strategic move to enhance its current electrical / electronics and vehicle systems expertise, and to broaden its reach into the area of telematics and infotainment systems. Stefan Pischinger, President and CEO of the FEV Group and Gary Rogers, president and CEO of FEV Inc. made the announcement. “The mechanical and electronic functions of the automobile have become inseparable,” said Rogers. “There is virtually no vehicular system that is untouched by electronics and computer control. As a vehicle systems developer, FEV has been in the forefront of this technology, and with the acquisition of DGE Inc., we will extend that capability to software development, validation, as well as unique test systems. It allows the company to now influence systems that touch the end user.” DGE will become a subsidiary of FEV Inc., the U.S. operation of the FEV Group, headquartered in Aachen, Germany. As private companies, terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed. DGE will remain at its current location in Rochester Hills. Founded in 1984, DGE specializes in creating products that help vehicle electronic systems communicate. Its wide range of products includes gateways and associated hardware, and communications drivers including Bluetooth and other wireless protocols. Its capabilities also include the design of network architecture, including validation testing for components that must stand up to the rigors of daily use in vehicles. DGE develops applications for intelligent vehicles that can communicate beyond in-vehicle systems, including infotainment systems that connect with external devices such as iPods and smart phones. One application is under development for interface with smart traffic intersections as part of the Intelligent Transportation System. “I am excited to play a lead role as the DGE family transitions into this new chapter,” said Stephan Tarnutzer, COO of DGE. “We will be able to apply DGE’s complementary capabilities and technologies together with FEV’s worldwide presence to provide our customers with unprecedented end-to-end global engineering services and products.” Stefan Pischinger, president and CEO of the FEV Group, stated that the expertise of the two companies is extremely complimentary and provides a very strong capability set to the combined world-wide customer base. “The work of FEV has expanded globally over the past 35 years and, today encompasses not only powertrain and transmission design, but entire vehicle systems,” said Pischinger. “We have grown our electronics expertise accordingly, and have become recognized experts in control system, algorithm development, and integration. By merging the expertise of DGE with our own capabilities we can now develop complete systems from a clean sheet of paper to the final user interface.”

FEV GmbH displays downsizing capabilities at Vienna Motor Symposium

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:38:00 +0200

Aachen, Germany, April 25, 2013 – FEV GmbH, (FEV) a leading developer of advanced powertrain and vehicle technologies based in Aachen, Germany, revealed today the technologies that it will exhibit at the 34th International Vienna Motor Symposium, 25 - 26 April 2012 at the Congress Center Hofburg, Vienna. FEV also announced its participation as a presenter in the event. The announcement was made by FEV GmbH president and CEO Prof. Stefan Pischinger. "It is at events like the Vienna Symposium where we find the technologies of the future,” said Prof. Pischinger. “As a leader in the development of traditional and alternative propulsion powertrains, it is important that FEV exhibits its most recent vehicle technologies and view other technologies in order to determine, as an industry, the best solutions for future transportation.” These and other technologies will be exhibited at FEV’s exhibit: Downsizing
FEV will present on and show an animation of a downsized gasoline engine. The mock-up features a number of innovations that result in a small and fuel efficient, yet powerful engine. Some features include:

A roller bearing cranktrain that uses a hybrid bearing concept with a 3.3 percent fuel efficiency potential. The roller bearing supported crankshaft results in reduced friction losses, while plain bearings support the connecting rods.
A 2-stage variable compression ratio with a 6 percent fuel efficiency potential (relative to a 2.0L TC gasoline engine)
An integrated exhaust manifold that significantly reduces full load fuel consumption. With this manifold, the engine operates at lambda 1 across the entire speed range. It also provides improved engine warm-up due to heat rejection to coolant. Improved packaging results in weight and cost reduction.

In integrating a downsized engine into a demonstrator vehicle, FEV also developed active engine mounts that solve the conflict of high static stiffness for weight and torque support, and low dynamic stiffness for vibration isolation, also enhancing NVH.

Several development techniques were used that enable the engine, including the use of a triple-image endoscope to analyze pre-ignition location and soot formation, an optical spark plug for detection of cycles with pre-ignition and knock detection, telemetric piston temperature measurement using a proprietary FEV measurement technique, and turbocharger optimization.

Fuel Cell Range Extender
At the event, FEV will exhibit a Fuel Cell Range Extender Module Prototype, which includes a FEV-developed Controller Module consisting of a battery management system, a cell voltage measurement unit and a battery module. The technology was developed as part of the Breeze! project, a publically funded, collaborative effort between FEV, the Graebener Group, the Institute for Combustion Engines (VKA) at the RWTH Aachen, and ZBT GmbH. FEV was also responsible for vehicle integration into a Fiat 500 demonstrator vehicle, and the design of several components in conjunction with VKA.

E-Mobility
FEV will be showing a new liquid-cooled high-performance battery module. One typical configuration of this module is an arrangement of 8 sets, featuring a peak power of 200 kW (continuous power = 80 kW) and providing a capacity of 10.4 kWh. The module also includes an FEV-developed integrated BMS slave unit capable of cell voltage and temperature measurement, cell balancing functions, and cell monitoring functions.

Reduced Emissions
FEV’s Variable Valve Train (VVT) for diesel engines demonstrates a technology package aimed to provide solutions as stringent emission legislation approaches. The VVT features the integration of a 2-stage variable valve lift on intake valves. When valve lift is reduced, and in combination with seat swirl chamfer, variable swirl is enabled. The VVT also features the integration of a phaser on the exhaust camshaft and internal exhaust gas reduction through advanced exhaust valve timing.

Transmission Development
FEV has developed a dry, dual-clutch transmission that features a low complexity gearset with only 3 synchronizer units. The 7-speed DCT (patent pending) has an input torque of 280 Nm, and installation length is just 350 mm, which is a new benchmark. Also a new benchmark, the DCT weighs just 64 kg (dry). It features electro-mechanical acutation and a mechanical park-lock mechanism. FEV developed the concept and used 3D and 2D plus CAE in the design. Software design and bench testing are ongoing.

Also in the area of transmission development, FEV has developed the P-REX1 transmission for plug-in hybrids. The transmission provides two-speed pure electric driving, and can be integrated with a combustion engine range extender with parallel mode for efficient highway driving. The transmission has a highly flexible CVT mode during which a vehicle can launch and creep without the clutch slipping, and e-boost is provided during launch, even with an empty battery. The transmission has been successfully shown in a demonstrator vehicle.

FEV will also be presenting several technical papers at the Symposium; one concerning the development and matching of double entry turbines for next generation highly boosted gasoline engines, and the other on the effect of fuel and the combustion system of the pre-ignition of a boosted SI engine.