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European Automotive Design's Technology provides an archive of editorial features classified into key industry sector topics. These feature stories are uploaded onto the website three months after publication within the magazine. The latest 25 articles are displayed below.
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The XF factor
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14/04/2008
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| Ian Adcock reports on how the close partnership between design and engineering led to the production version of the XF – a car of crucial importance to Jaguar’s future and one which remains largely faithful to the original concept |
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In-the-loop hybrid testing advances
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01/04/2008
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| Hardware-in-the-loop testing of hybrid vehicles on dynamic motor and drivetrain test benches is now possible following intensive cooperation in Germany between simulation specialist IPG and AVL. |
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Anti-collision tailgate
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01/01/2008
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| The latest tailgate and trunk lid opening/closing system from Hoerbiger Automotive Komfortsysteme includes a programmable stop function which prevents interference or collisions with roof-mounted ski boxes or garage doors. The hydraulic systems have a high force density and are low weight. |
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Cat ceramic has ultra-thin walls
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01/01/2008
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| Corning has developed a ceramic substrate for catalytic converters with ultra thin walls that it says will increase engine power and reduce fuel consumption by lowering exhaust system back pressure. |
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Compaction stations!
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01/01/2008
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| The strength, stiffness and fatigue resistance of compacted graphite iron are well known, but now process improvements are driving the material's adoption. Jeff Daniels reports |
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Electric seat drives reduce in size
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01/01/2008
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| Modular electric drives that are 20% lighter and smaller than previous models are just going into production at Bosch. They are also much quieter.
Known as the NSA (New Seat Actuator) series, they are suited to applications beyond seat adjustment.
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Go with the flow
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01/01/2008
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| A few years ago there was a view that aerodynamics had achieved most of what is possible in car design. Now, with engineers seeing cooling and aerodynamics as a single discipline, it is back at the ‘top table’. Ian Adcock reports |
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Multi-bus interface speeds tests
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01/01/2008
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| Goepel electronic says its smartCAR hardware interface is a completely new solution for vehicle electronics test and diagnostic applications. |
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Piezo buzzer surface-mounts
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01/01/2008
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| Self-driving piezo buzzers are mainly available only as leadwire or pin termination types. Bujeon Europe has made an SMT version. |
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Showing off
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01/01/2008
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| Recent vehicle shows have featured concepts with innovative front-end designs. All very eye catching, but will they make it to the street, asks Steve Snook? |
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DC-DC converter reclaims wasted hybrid energy
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01/11/2007
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| A consortium led by motorsport specialist Prodrive is developing a DC-DC converter for hybrid and electric vehicles. It is being designed to be more efficient, smaller and lower cost than those currently available. |
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Designers unlock the secrets of brake squeal
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01/11/2007
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| Most people, even experienced chassis engineers, believe brake squeal emanates from the contact of friction material on the disc. In reality it is more complex than that and often involves amplified vibrations from the calliper and other system components, writes Roger Bishop. |
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Ejector boosts air-conditioning
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01/11/2007
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| Replacing the expansion valve with an ‘ejector’ (a small refrigerant injector) has enabled Denso to increase the efficiency of the air-conditioning cooling cycle in the Toyota Land Cruiser launched in Japan during September. |
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Exterior airbags prevent T-bone intrusion too
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01/11/2007
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| The concept of exterior airbags still appears to have some support, at least among developers of SUVs, writes Roger Bishop. The latest developments are aimed not only at reducing injuries to pedestrians but also at limiting side impact intrusion when an SUV is involved in accidents with passenger cars and other low-profile vehicles.
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MMI speeds part design and cuts prototyping
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01/11/2007
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| Rhodia has integrated multi-scale modelling, mechanical calculation and injection moulding simulation (MMI) and is now offering a CAE service based on this approach for parts moulded in polyamide. |
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