The concept car EVbeat is based on a Porsche Taycan and is inspired, as benchmark, by the leader standard technology by ZF and by other market players. With the prototype of the new 800-volt electric motor by ZF it has a torque density of 70 Nm/kg with a power pack weight decreased by 30%.
The constant and peak power of the electric motor is respectively 206 and 275 kilowatts and the constant power is about 75% of the peak power. In terms of sizes, the transmission saves 50 millimetres of width due to the compact reducer and to the “Braided Winding” technology patented by Z: a further development of the so-called corrugated winding that allows 10% less of installation space in all.
The winding head alone is up to 50% smaller in comparison with conventional approaches, with the consequent copper saving by about 10%.
Concerning the cooling, ZF allows the oil to flow directly around copper bars, precisely in the point when most of the heating during the operation is generated. Such highly efficient cooling significantly enhances the performances with the same weight and the same installation space. Moreover, it is possible to give up the use of heavy rare earths and the electric motor can be manufactured in more sustainable manner.
In addition, a new coaxial gearbox transmits the driving forces of the electric motor via two planetary gears. Compared to conventional offset concepts, where input and output shafts are not on the same axis, the coaxial solution reduces weight and installation space without affecting efficiency, noise and vibrations.
ZF presents the compact concept car EVbeat
Bosch joins the Motorvehicle University of Emilia-Romagna
Joining Muner (the Motorvehicle University of Emilia-Romagna), Bosch consolidates its historical collaboration in the Motor Valley (Italy). The German multinational is present on Emilia territory with seven sites in the ambit of activities of development, production, application and sale of products and systems for automotive and industrial automation, working in strict cooperation with the customers in the Motor Valley, such as Dallara, Ducati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Pagani.
This move is framed in the ambit of “Training for the Future”, the project of youth orientation devised by Bosch Italia in collaboration with Randstad.
«The Motor Valley represents a strategic area for the Mobility Solutions sector of Bosch, where identifying and training young talents, enhancing the territory on a national scale», stated Camillo Mazza, General Manager of Robert Bosch GmbH Branch in Italy (in the picture). «The technological innovation shared by Bosch and Motor Valley has allowed writing the history of two-and four-wheeled cars: for this reason, we have chosen to further sanction our collaboration, providing future professionals with all competences by our experts».
Andrea Pontremoli, President of Muner, commented: «We are satisfied with welcoming this new partnership, widening the net of companies that support and feed our reality in this year fitted with novelties. Few years after its birth, Muner innovates its study course with the new Master in Electronic Engineering for Intelligent Vehicles, assigns the scholarships allocated by the prestigious agreement with F1 and welcomes some new partners in its inside: a constant boost for a forefront university, rooted into the territory but paying constant attention to all innovation processes that surround it. Together with Bosch, its professionals and the precious know-how that characterizes this reality, the course will be certainly better».
Italian excellences: the president of Euro Group appointed Knight of Merit of the Republic
Sergio Iori, the president of Euro Group Laminations has been recently appointed Knight of Merit of the Republic.
President of EuroGroup Laminations
His professional commitment has given an outstanding level contribution to the field of stators and rotors for electric motors and generators.
Not fortuitously, Euro Group Laminations currently represents one of the most dynamic and smartest realities in the world panorama of specific hi-tech.
These are good news for Italy and the Made in Italy pride, for a company with almost 2,000 workers, 7 manufacturing plants in Italy and 5 abroad, with a consolidated turnover of over 400 million Euros, which exports worldwide and highlights our Country’s excellence everywhere.
Comau, advanced automation solutions to produce NIO’s e-drive systems
Comau has implemented a high-performance turnkey solution to automate the production of NIO‘s next-generation electric drive systems.
The highly complex project ensures fast and reliable in-line co-production for the electric vehicle manufacturer’s third-generation induction and permanent magnet motors, both of which are an integral part of its proprietary electric drive systems (EDS).
The complete solution includes main lines, such as electric motor assembly lines, gearbox production lines and inverter assembly lines, as well as end-of-line (EOL) testing processes.
It is designed to support a large-scale annual production capacity of 1 million units for use in NIO’s electric sedans, coupes and SUVs, as well as selected models in its ALPS sub-brand.
Comau’s advanced automation solution offers optimal flexibility and scalability, allowing customers to adapt their production environment to the different process parameters required for new products.
To further increase the flexibility of the production line and enable in-line co-production of the two electric drive systems, Comau developed in collaboration with NIO’s e-drive team a new zero-point positioner adapter.
This innovative accessory effectively unifies design, process and control standards, allowing different assembly requirements to be met while maintaining maximum flexibility.
MECSPE Bari: the new edition of Focus Mediterraneo
The new edition of MECSPE Focus Mediterraneo reconfirms Bari’s role as a driver of innovation for Southern and Central Italy.
One of the most important meetings for the manufacturing industry in Southern and Central Italy is back: starting Nov. 23 and running through Nov. 25, Bari’s Nuova Fiera del Levante will host MECSPE, the leading trade fair on the manufacturing industry, to take stock of an increasingly strategic sector for the country’s economic fabric.
All this thanks to the 20,000 sq m of exhibition space, 13 thematic salons, 350 companies present, more than 100 conferences and workshops, special initiatives, exhibition areas, and the support of institutions and associations including the Apulia Region, Bari Municipality, Confindustria Bari BAT, Confimi Meccanica, CNA Produzione, Distretto La Nuova Energia, Distretto Produttivo Informatica, AIDAM, ASCOMUT, and Sprintx
The new edition of MECSPE Focus Mediterraneo thus reconfirms Bari‘s role as a driver of innovation for Southern and Central Italy; three days in which ample space will be given to innovation processes and virtuous practices implemented in the sector, with entrepreneurs having the opportunity to participate in networking and training events and activities, discover the excellence of the entire supply chain for a 5.0 and innovative digital factory, focusing on the key themes of innovation, sustainability, and training.
Where do Italian companies stand on these processes? The path to digital transformation has undoubtedly begun, and entrepreneurs have realized the importance of not only adopting new technologies in the company but also creating the conditions for a deep internal cultural transformation geared toward innovation.
A culture that is also reflected on the sustainability front, and to which entrepreneurs are beginning to devote more and more energy and investment—but we are in our infancy.
Exhibition Core
The central area of the fair, the Exhibition Core “Energy Transition and Industry 4.0: Sustainability in Manufacturing“, will take stock of issues of close relevance and interest to innovative entrepreneurs, and all three days will see market and technology experts discuss the challenges of the future and the industry’s impact on the environment and its communities.
The event will provide an opportunity to anticipate market trends and share innovative content through meetings and practical cases involving partners, event exhibitors, and technical sponsors.
These themes will also expand to the Innovation Plaza for Energy Transition, where topics such as research and development of innovative materials and technologies for high-tech industries will be explored.
Bari is an ideal setting to make a significant contribution to these issues given the presence in the region of a cluster dedicated to aeronautics, high-tech industries, and research centers such as Bari Polytechnic and CETMA.
New features of this edition include the StartUp Factory, which will land in Bari for the first time, following the success of the Bologna edition, offering high-tech B2B startups networking and presentation opportunities to a wide audience from the manufacturing industry. There is no shortage of attention to sustainability issues, which are increasingly integrated into corporate strategies, evidence of a rapidly growing awareness in the area. From this awareness was born the Sustainability Goal Path, an evolution of the EcoFriendly Path, an initiative that aims to give visibility and recognize exhibitors who have already embarked on a path of sustainability, in its three declinations, environmental, social, and governance.
A direction, the sustainable one, in line with the values of Senaf, the company that organizes MECSPE and has been promoting specialized trade fairs, thematic trade shows, and congresses for more than 30 years.
In 2023, Senaf obtained the ISO 20121 certification to create and provide a sustainability management system for live events, evaluating and monitoring all the processes that are required for the holding of an event in compliance with social and economic sustainability parameters.
Training 4.0
Rounding out the schedule of appointments will be the third soul of MECSPE Focus Mediterraneo, training, which will play a central role in the context of Training Square 4.0, thanks to the collaboration between MECSPE and Fondazione ITS A. Cuccovillo, a meeting space that offers new opportunities to young people and promotes the development of the territory.
Now more than ever, schools and companies must work closely together to engage new talent and put them in direct relation with the world of the manufacturing industry, providing an opportunity to understand the importance of training designed to acquire innovative technical skills.
A Speech Area and a Demonstration Area will host the different partners to better engage students.
The MECSPE Young & Career area is also being developed to facilitate contact between students who are close to entering the world of work and companies that are present and always looking for trained young people to join their workforce.
Students will be involved through playful, hands-on activities that will challenge them by bringing them closer to manufacturing realities.
To consolidate the relationship between production realities in the plastics sector, TMP will be present with some of its associates in TMP Square.
As was the case at the Bologna edition of the fair last March, some members of the association will also be present at MECSPE Focus Mediterraneo to promote an increasingly close and broader collaboration among companies from Northern, Central and Southern Italy to protect the competitiveness of our country.
Space is also given to internationality, a crucial element for growth and at the same time a strength of Italian industry.
The new edition of MECSPE Focus Mediterraneo aims to act as a driving force to foster the internationalization of the area’s industries: exhibitors at the fair will have the opportunity to meet with buyer delegations from European and non-European countries during the days of the event through a program of matching and one-to-one business meetings.
MECSPE thus reconfirms its role as a showcase for major industrial districts and Made in Italy manufacturing excellence.
Within the event, there will also be no shortage of historical events such as the AIDAM Village, the Italian Association of Mechanical Automation, and the ASCOMUT Village, the Italian Association of Machine Technology and Tools, which represents import and distribution companies and branches of foreign houses.
«We are thrilled to return to Bari with the new edition of MECSPE bringing a program so rich in content and so relevant to our industry» says Maruska Sabato, MECSPE project manager. «The manufacturing industry is fundamental to the Italian economy, and we must continue to work to foster its development through innovation and new enabling technologies. It is necessary to ensure the appropriate training of resources to respond to this evolution, while always giving a central role to sustainability, which guarantees the health of the companies in the sector and all those involved in it. All this will find ample space for discussion and debate at MECSPE, which stands as a reference point and promoter of excellence in the manufacturing sector.»
The figures of MECSPE BARI 2023
20,000 sq m of exhibition area, 350 companies attending, more than 100 conferences and workshops, 8 special initiatives, 3 pavilions, and the Core Exhibition “Energy Transition and Industry 4.0: Sustainability in the Manufacturing Industry.” 16,243 professional visitors participated in the last edition (2019).
McLaren Applied and Electric Aviation Group for high-performance inverters and motors
Electric Aviation Group Ltd (EAG) and its Electric Propulsion Subsidiary, Hydrogen Hybrid Electric Propulsion Systems Ltd (H2EPS) are driving forward these technological advancements collaborating with industry leaders such as McLaren Applied to deliver application specific powertrains consisting of e-motors, power inverters and control systems resulting in a unique, optimised system for each application. The resulting Ultra-lightweight, Advanced, Electric Propulsion Systems herald a new generation of electric vehicle propulsion delivering a superior user experience. McLaren Applied will be supporting an EAG led consortium that has been awarded an APC (Advanced Propulsion Centre) ARMD2 UK government grant for Project LEAP (Lightweight Electric Automotive Propulsion). The aim of the project is to develop an ultra-lightweight advanced electric motor, optimised for McLaren Applied’s technologically advanced IPG5 800V silicon carbide inverter. The project focuses on pushing the boundaries of what is possible with Hardware, Software and System optimisation.
The venture will involve collaboration between Electric Aviation Group Ltd (EAG), its subsidiary Hydrogen Hybrid Electric Propulsion Systems Ltd (H2EPS) and University of Nottingham (UoN), working with McLaren Applied to develop a new generation electric propulsion system for high performance and luxury electric vehicles, reducing weight, extending range and delivering a new and better driver experience to rival that of the internal combustion engine. A prototype is due to be unveiled in September 2024, with the intention to commercialise the technology beyond that date.
Paolo Bargiacchi, Head of Product, Electrification, at McLaren Applied said «In order to maximise the potential benefits from our 800V SiC IPG5 hardware, we have been focused on developing our motorsport-honed motor control software to deliver advancements in fine motor control. This provides OEMs with the ability to differentiate the driver experience by tailoring the powertrain attributes to their brand – whether that be greater driving engagement, or unrivalled levels of refinement. We are excited that this funding will make the most of these capabilities, delivering an optimised high-performance inverter and motor system».
Clepa’s vision about the EU taxonomy regulation
Clepa, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, commented The EU taxonomy regulation – the classification on EU scale for sustainable activities – declaring that this regulation aims at directing investments towards sustainable commercial activities. This means that, over the incoming years, the sustainability level of each business activity will influence its access to funding.
The European Commission has presented new proposals for delegated acts that amend and complement the classification scheme for sustainable business activities. «CLEPA welcomes this initiative and sees the delegated acts as a step forward in the acknowledgment of automotive suppliers’ contribution to a sustainable economy and their role in the advancement of green mobility in the EU. Originally, the taxonomy regulation did not recognise the economic activities related to the production of e-mobility components as “sustainable”, while the assembly of electric vehicles was considered as such. The proposed amendment to the Climate Delegated Act incorporates the production of powertrain components including e-motors, power electronics, thermal management and braking systems in its definition of sustainable economic activities. The circularity chapter of the Delegated Act on non-climate environmental objectives gives much-needed recognition to the sustainability contribution of some aftermarket-related activities, but so far excludes the design for circularity and remains ambiguous on remanufacturing actions by automotive suppliers. As a result, critical activities by automotive suppliers remain at risk of being overlooked by capital markets and could suffer from underinvestment. The use of low carbon/recovered materials, lightweighting, and product robustness should be considered in future revisions of the taxonomy».
Hence, the reflection that many automotive supply companies continue to face competition with OEMs, who can claim eligibility for the revenue generated by a sold vehicle whose value is generated by all components, while the manufacturing activities of a large share of these components remains non-eligible.
Nidec has set up a new factory in Serbia
As response to the tightening of environmental regulations in Europe and to the more severe directives about CO2 emissions for cars in the main Countries, the demand for vehicles’ motors and inverters and for control units is steeply rising. This has communicated Nidec on the occasion of the inauguration of the new factory at Novi Sad, in Serbia, built to assure an efficient supply system in Europe.
The project complies with the “Western Balkans Cooperation Initiative” the Japanese Government is accomplishing in Serbia and in other regions.
Nidec Electric Motor Serbia plans to mass-produce automotive motors, and Nidec Elesys Europe plans to mass-produce automotive inverters and ECUs.
In order to this aim, the company will strengthen recruitment activities, mainly for technical personnel, and contribute to the revitalization of the regional economy the Novi Sad surrounding area in Serbia.
With the future view of mass production of the “E-Axle” traction motor system for electric vehicles in Europe, it is also promoting activities to attract suppliers and we will build an industrial cluster of automotive motors for the European market.
A partnership for a complete traction inverter solution
onsemi, top player in intelligent power and sensing technologies, has announced the signature of a strategic agreement with Volkswagen AG (VW) to provide modules and semiconductors that enable a complete electric vehicle (EV) traction inverter solution for VW’s next-generation platform family. Semiconductors are part of a general optimization of the system that supports front and rear traction inverters of VW models.
In the ambit of this agreement, in a first time onsemi will supply its modules for 1200 V traction inverters of the EliteSiC line; they are pin to pin compatible so that it is possible to adapt problem-free the solution for different power levels and various motor types. The two companies’ teams have collaborated for over one year at the optimization of power modules for next-generation platforms and samples for the pre-production are in development and assessment phase.
Karsten Schnake, head of the operative and strategic semiconductor taskforce Compass at Volkswagen AG, said: «The superior performance and quality of onsemi’s traction inverter modules together with our joint efforts to create the best system solution enable us to deliver the outstanding driving experience and quality customers expect from a VW group vehicle. onsemi’s broad portfolio of intelligent power and sensing solutions further allows us to offer cutting-edge technologies and features in our EVs, from the traction inverter and beyond. Besides this milestone, onsemi with its balanced production facility layout in the U.S., Asia and Europe, including the plant in the Czech Republic, is the perfect match to support our strategic markets with all high-voltage solutions and more».
Test completed for the eJet by Duxion Motors
Duxion Motors has successfully accomplished the ground test of its patented eJet motor: the motor prototype has had a positive outcome at both low and high speed. Rick Pilgrim, President and CEO of Duxion Motors declared: “The eJet motor is the first rim-driven jet propulsion motor in the world, able to match the existing jet motor thrust but without emissions. The eJet motor is new, scalable and can be configured to power a large base of airframes. We never doubted this day would come. Our confidence is rooted in the years of research, the innovation and quality of the design, and the depth of expertise and relentless passion within the Duxion team,” adds Mr. Pilgrim. “This is only the beginning.”
The world’s fleet of over 30,000 jet-powered aircraft account for 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions. The eJet motor replaces traditional, fossil fuel burning engines, enabling the transition to zero-emissions flight for jet aircraft. The eJet is also quieter than combustion jet engines, which will enhance passenger comfort and impactfully reduce noise pollution for the global community.