Knorr-Bremse and Dongfeng join forces to develop automated manual transmissions for trucks in China

This decision will see the two companies prepare the way for automated manual transmissions
to continue their triumphant advance in China, the world’s biggest commercial vehicle
market. “In Europe, automated manual transmissions have become widely established.
They boost active safety by easing the load on the driver, cut fuel consumption by applying
an optimized gear shift strategy and reduce clutch wear,” says Dr. Peter Laier, Member of
the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse responsible for the Commercial Vehicle Systems division.
“In our joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group we are optimizing our transmission
management system to meet the specific requirements of the Chinese market. This puts us
in an excellent position to help automated manual transmissions finally achieve a breakthrough
in China.”
The transmission management system developed by Knorr-Bremse consists of an electropneumatic
gear control unit and clutch actuator, a wide variety of sensors that gather the
necessary status data, and an electronic control unit that contributes the gear shift strategy.
The complete system is to be produced at the joint venture’s own facility in Shiyan, China.
“A vast amount of know-how and expertise goes into developing the transmission management
system for a certain type of vehicle,” explains Thorsten Seehars, Member of the
Management Board of Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems responsible for the
Powertrain unit.
Bao Ping Xu, Managing Director of Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicles Systems Shanghai
and Member of the Board of Directors of Knorr-Bremse Asia-Pacific Holding, adds: “Integrating
the system into the vehicle-specific environment and adapting it to the respective
transmission requires a high degree of coordination within the international development
team.” Along with developing the individual mechatronic modules, another key part of the
project is creating the software. The aim here is to always use the ideal gear to keep the
engine running in its most efficient operating range for as long as possible and to shift between
gears as fast as possible. The shorter the gear shift time, the shorter the interruption
of the tractive force and the resulting loss of momentum. Taken together, these two factors
make for extremely economical vehicle operation.
Knorr-Bremse DETC Commercial Vehicle Braking Technology, the joint venture between
Knorr-Bremse and Dongfeng Motor Group, was founded in 2015. Initially it focused on
manufacturing mechanical components such as brake valves and ABS systems, but the
range of products it manufactures in China is steadily being expanded to include components
for air management and brake control, as well as transmission systems.
At the end of fiscal 2016, the Dongfeng Group had 149,092 employees. In the same year it
produced more than three million vehicles, including 369,100 commercial vehicles.