Brian
12-07-2005, 05:25 PM
Borg-Warner to open new dual-clutch transmission plant
<p><img alt="DCT schematic" src="http://common.weblogsinc.com/common/images/3060000000057122.JPG?0.38797028395957567" align="right" border="1" height="282" hspace="4" vspace="4" width="250"/> </p>
<p>Dual-clutch transmissions (DCT) are set to make the terms ?automatic? and ?manual? obsolete as they apply to<br />
conventional gearboxes - at least in Europe.</p>
<p>That?s why Borg-Warner has just broken ground in France for the company?s new DCT (?DualTronic?, in B-W lingo,<br />
although VWAG brands B-W?s transmission with the better-known term DSG) manufacturing plant.</p>
<p>For those not familiar with the technology, it uses a pair of clutch packs and input shafts that transfer torque<br />
from one to the other during shifts. In this manner, they hand off torque during a shift much like a modern automatic,<br />
and the occupants of the vehicle perceive very little interruption in power delivery. DCTs are lighter and more<br />
efficient than traditional automatics, and they also are said to cost perhaps 10% less. This makes them very attractive<br />
to manufacturers and users of small cars, especially those who are getting fed up with using manuals in European<br />
traffic.</p>
<p>We?ll see a few transmissions of this type in the US, as well (and quite possibly in a few unexpected applications),<br />
and consumer acceptance will determine whether they start taking a significant bite out of automatic transmission<br />
sales. Obviously, the clutch assemblies in these transmissions are far more complex than the standard single-plate dry<br />
clutch of a conventional manual, and that?s where Borg-Warner?s friction plate expertise is likely to give the company<br />
a competitive advantage in this new market segment.</p>
<p> [Source: Borg-Warner]
</p>
Read At Automotive Arena (http://www.automotivearena.com/2005/12/07/borg-warner-to-open-new-dual-clutch-transmission-plant/)
<p><img alt="DCT schematic" src="http://common.weblogsinc.com/common/images/3060000000057122.JPG?0.38797028395957567" align="right" border="1" height="282" hspace="4" vspace="4" width="250"/> </p>
<p>Dual-clutch transmissions (DCT) are set to make the terms ?automatic? and ?manual? obsolete as they apply to<br />
conventional gearboxes - at least in Europe.</p>
<p>That?s why Borg-Warner has just broken ground in France for the company?s new DCT (?DualTronic?, in B-W lingo,<br />
although VWAG brands B-W?s transmission with the better-known term DSG) manufacturing plant.</p>
<p>For those not familiar with the technology, it uses a pair of clutch packs and input shafts that transfer torque<br />
from one to the other during shifts. In this manner, they hand off torque during a shift much like a modern automatic,<br />
and the occupants of the vehicle perceive very little interruption in power delivery. DCTs are lighter and more<br />
efficient than traditional automatics, and they also are said to cost perhaps 10% less. This makes them very attractive<br />
to manufacturers and users of small cars, especially those who are getting fed up with using manuals in European<br />
traffic.</p>
<p>We?ll see a few transmissions of this type in the US, as well (and quite possibly in a few unexpected applications),<br />
and consumer acceptance will determine whether they start taking a significant bite out of automatic transmission<br />
sales. Obviously, the clutch assemblies in these transmissions are far more complex than the standard single-plate dry<br />
clutch of a conventional manual, and that?s where Borg-Warner?s friction plate expertise is likely to give the company<br />
a competitive advantage in this new market segment.</p>
<p> [Source: Borg-Warner]
</p>
Read At Automotive Arena (http://www.automotivearena.com/2005/12/07/borg-warner-to-open-new-dual-clutch-transmission-plant/)