Auto Monitor - 8 October 2012

Bosch has plans to further develop its fuel pump, meant for one-litre single cylinder diesel

engines, to be suited for two-wheeler applications. Currently, the engine is being used in small utility vehicles. The company is looking to leverage its learnings in diesel fuel injection systems segment to offer solutions for two wheeler manufacturers.

“We have seen a sustained growth in the two-wheeler mar-ket in India, so we are trying to take this opportunity to fur-ther strengthen our presence in the two wheeler segment,” Head of Diesel & Gasoline sys-tem for two-wheeler business, Bosch, Prabhu Panduranga told Auto Monitor. The company hopes to see the diesel powered bikes on road within a year or two. In a bid to upgrade its

two-wheeler technology, the company is aggressively pitching for its Electric Fuel Injection sys-tem (EFI). It will take some time, but hopes that in the coming year, EFI will take over carbure-tor systems in India.

Bosch claims that better per-formance, cold-start and lower emissions will compensate for the higher cost of the EFI tech-nology. It has supplied this EFI system to Bajaj and the KTM Duke in India. The company is also developing a smaller ECU for the bike looking at the future requirements of the rider.

“Today in the age of com-munication, riders want to be connected with smart phones and other personal gadgets and the ECU will help in realisa-tion of this changing trend,” Panduranga said. The size of the ECU has been reduced by more than one third and the com-pany is continuing to refine it. Once ECU is installed in the two-

wheeler it will have better safety and can have gadget like naviga-tion device attached to the bike. The company will manufacture ECUs and ABS at its Chakan plant for passenger vehicles as well as two-wheelers. The ECUs for passenger vehicles are slated

to begin by next year.“The company will start man-

ufacturing Gen-9 products in India which will make safety products like ABS and Airbags even cheaper. They will be light-est, smallest and most cost effective,” a company official told

Auto Monitor.The ABS which weighed

around six kilo in late 1970 now weighs around 1.1kg (for cars). While the latest ABS for two-wheelers weigh around 700 grams. Bosch is also looking at manufacturing ESP locally by next year. Currently the ESP market in India is very small. These investments are part of the Rs 2,200 crore plan unveiled during the Auto Expo held early this year.

Auto MonitorI N D I A ’ S N O . 1 M A G A Z I N E F O R A U T O M O T I V E N E W S , V I E W S & A N A LY S I S

Bosch evaluating diesel systems for two wheelers Nabeel A Khan

New Delhi

Bajaj is developing a new 100cc commuter bike that is likely to be launched by December

and will possibly carry the Discover moniker. President – Motorcycle Business, Bajaj

Auto, K Srinivas stopped short of announcing the Discover name for the new motorcycle at a recent press conference but said, “Around December, we will launch the world’s most advanced 100cc bike and it will also be the most expensive 100cc motorcycle.” Considering that Bajaj is taking Hero MotoCorp’s Splendor range head-on with the Discover line-up, a 100cc commuter bike sharing commo-nalities with the Discover will be the ideal product to launch an offensive.

Bajaj claims that the Discover’s sales have overtak-

en the Splendor in September 2012 clocking 122,968 units to the Splendor’s 121,018 units of cumulative domestic and exports numbers. This, according to the company, was possible due to the excellent response received to the recently launched Discover 125ST, that sold 35,000 units last month. “When we launched the Discover in 2004, the brand that we wanted to attack with it was the Splendor and I think that after eight years, we have got very close. So we have got the charge and we still haven’t tapped the full potential of the Discover yet,” said Srinivas.

Bajaj is expecting 1.4-1.5 lakh unit sales of the Discover next month. That’s around 20 percent over the month of September. The company says that the response during Ganesh Chaturthi has been positive with a six to seven percent growth over the same period last year. Over the years, the motorcycle manufacturer said that the response during Diwali around India is directly proportional to the figures dur-ing Ganesh Chaturthi in the relevant states.

By the end of this financial year,

the company will expand capacity to 5.7 million units. Srinivas said, “The expan-sion isn’t very big investment for us since 80 percent of the capacity ramp up happens at the vendor’s side.” The com-pany will begin a small batch of exports of the Discover 125 ST and the Pulsar 200NS next month.

Boxer DiscontinuedWeak sales of the Boxer have

forced the company to pull the plug on the commuter bike just a year after its launch. Vice President, Marketing, Bajaj Auto, Sanjay Saraswat said, “The dated styling wasn’t well received and mileage was also a concern for prospective buyers.”

The Boxer was positioned as a more powerful commuter bike

targeted at the rural market. The old-school styling let it down and the 150cc engine consumed more fuel than rivals in the commuter segment. Customers in this seg-ment want efficient motorcycles, a need that the model could not cater to, according to company officials. The African continent has a demand for this segment so Bajaj will continue to export the Boxer.

New Bajaj 100cc commuter bike coming by December Anand Mohan

Mumbai

MACHININGFOCUS

Pg 10-14

Top 5 CV Makers

Company Aug-11 Aug-12 Change

TML 38,122 38,330 0.55%

M&M 10,139 11,769 16.08%

ALL 6,168 8,728 41.50%

VECV EICHER 3,407 3,712 8.95%

FML 2,025 1,840 -9.14%

Top 5 CV Exporters

Company Aug-11 Aug-12 Change

TML 3,908 3,571 -8.62%

M&M 1,412 2,141 51.63%

ALL 1,050 704 -32.95%

VECV Eicher 235 197 -16.17%

FML 44 25 -43.18%

* Source: SIAM/ ** Excluding exports/ *** all sub segments considered/ ^ excluding MRPL

DATA MONITOR

Scan this code onyour smart phoneto visit www.amonline.inPg 9

‘Changing dynamics of Indian steel prices’

AUTONOMICS

“Around December, we will launch

the world’s most advanced 100cc

bike and it will also be the most

expensive 100cc motorcycle” -

President – Motorcycle Business, Bajaj Auto, K Srinivas

The company will manufacture ECUs

and ABS at its Chakan plant for the passenger

vehicles as well as two-wheeler. The ECUs for passenger vehicle

is slated to start by next year

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The crowded compact segment is likely to get even more so, in the coming months, as car makers firm up their plans for newer offerings in the segment. Customers are already bracing up for new offer-

ings in the compact segment from Maruti Suzuki, Nissan and Fiat. Nissan, for one is looking to offer a slew of options in the compact segment under the Datsun and the Nissan badge to revive its fortunes in India.

Few other manufacturers too are in the process of chalk-ing out strategies for additional variants or newer offerings in the segment. But the moot point is that is it sufficient to focus on compact segment in order to gain marketshare in ‘emerging’ automobile market like India.

Indians tend to equate a car with prestige and social standing. A cars’ utility and affordability may not be suffi-cient to entice buyers as seems to be the common perception among most car manufacturers. One of the more challeng-ing aspects of developing a car for India is assessing the need of significantly large or sizeable segment of the popu-lation and offering a product at a competitive cost. The task becomes more challenging with rising aspirations.

Car manufacturers are still grappling with issues like pro-

viding vehicles to suit different needs for diverse population segment in the country. Meeting such diverse needs, like offering a diesel powered car under five lakh with spacious seating position for tall individuals, catering to the specific safety and comfort requirements of senior citizens, families with pets, continues to be a major challenge.

It may be a while before car makers begin to segregate and target customer with well defined offerings. It would be the next interesting phase of growth and maturity of car market in India.

Comments can be sent to [email protected]

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QUOTESAndy Palmer, Nissan’s Executive Vice President of Product Planning on the Leaf sales

Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chairman, Volkswagen AG

“We’re a little disappointed. … The uptake isn’t as strong as we first hoped” “We have the right vehicles at the right spot”

Auto Monitor

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Turning light on heat transfer 10An experimental/numerical comparison has been successfully achieved for a simple prototype of a lamp, showing good agreement and perfect energy balances

Using less gas and oil to get where you’re going 12New technology is set to lower the high cost of filling up your car, by enabling combustion engines to consume two to three percent less gas and significantly less oil

Cost vs lean: Auto Supply Chain Forum 08Supply Chain Forum brought together SCMs from the automotive industry to discuss ways to improve logistics and increase information exchange between suppliers & OEMs

ZF looking to cut sourcing cost, reduce number of suppliers 08ZF Friedrichshafen AG is reorganizing its production materials purchasing to save half a billion euros together with its suppliers

CONTENT

Upgraded MPS model heads new Mazda3 line-up 15Mazda3 MPS will be injected with heightened visual appeal as it arrives at the top of the revised Mazda3 line-up

Hyundai’s unveils hydrogen-powered ix35 fuel cell 18Hyundai will begin commercial rollout of zero-emission vehicles, with 1,000 units delivery to public and private fleets taking place between 2013 and 2015

City Safety lowers insurance rating for all-new Volvo V40 20Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre concluded that Volvo’s AEB’s effectiveness at preventing low speed accidents should taken into insurance pricing consideration

CORPORATE

GLOBAL WATCH

MACHINING

08

10

Auto Monitor

C O R P O R A T E88 OCTOBER 2012

ZF Friedrichshafen AG is reorganizing its pro-duct ion mater ia ls purchasing. In the next

two years, the Group wants to save half a billion euros together with its suppliers. It is looking to cut down the number of suppliers and bundle purchasing volumes.

The company is aiming at sales growth of over Euro 20 billion by 2015 from Euro 15.5 billion cur-rently. “In order to be able to meet the strong customer demand, we have to make substantial investments into new plants and production facilities,” explains ZF’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Stefan Sommer, who is also in charge of Corporate Materials Management. “These consider-able advance payments put our results under more pressure – and this pressure has to be passed on moderately to our suppliers.”

Owing to the healthy growth at ZF, the volume of manufac-tured products is rising – and, for the suppliers, this also increases the purchasing volumes. “Here, economies of scale take their effects, and they must be reflect-ed in our purchasing prices as well,” according to Sommer.

Lower prices for production materials are just one lever ZF wants to use. Standardised sup-plier and cash management is another one. To this end, the previously decentralised nego-tiation of purchasing conditions will be standardised throughout ZF. As a result, purchasing at the ZF Group follows the company’s realignment.

Early in 2011, five divisions

and several independent busi-ness units were merged into four ZF Divisions, and the number of contacts for the customers was significantly reduced. Instead of having several decentralised purchasing contacts, the sup-pliers now have standardised purchasing conditions and one central negotiation partner each. This also includes consistent payment terms that have varied considerably in the past.

The company is looking to enrol suppliers are capable of delivering worldwide, i.e. production materials can be supplied in the same quality not only within Europe but also in Asia or North and South America. “When selecting our suppliers in future, we will pay more atten-tion to their global approach,” says Sommer. “In the context of reorganising our supplier rela-tions, we will also clearly reduce the number of our suppliers.”

ZF is a leading worldwide automotive supplier for Driveline and Chassis Technology with 121 production companies in 27 countries. In 2011, the Group achieved a sales figure of about EUR 15.5 billion with more than 72 000 employees.

The second annual Auto Supply Chain Forum recently conducted in Mumbai brought

together Supply Chain Managers (SCMs) from the automotive industry to discuss ways to improve logistics and increase information exchange between suppliers and OEMs for better performance.

In tough market conditions, when the auto industry is trying to be as prudent as possible, the supply chain too has to respond to the situation by keeping logis-tics costs to a minimum. Aware of this fact, the main theme of this year’s forum was finding a middle ground in the cost vs lean chal-lenge. Top SCMs at auto majors and leading logistics solution providers stressed on the fact that being frugal did not just mean staying lean by reducing costs. Director-Purchasing and Demand Chain, SKF Asia said, “When we look at lean vs cost, we focus on lean as a way to reduce cost. Our thinking model should be - lean as a way to reduce waste. Costs will automatically stay in check.”

SCMs were of the opinion that information exchange between suppliers and OEMs need to improve too. Chief Executive Officer, TCI Supply Chain Solutions Ltd, Jasjit Sethi said, “Information flow between OEMs and suppliers has been growing.”

General Manager, Supply Chain, Maruti Suzuki India, R Hari Kumar commented, “Information flow is very impor-tant in the automobile industry. We are working with 6,000 parts at a time at Maruti and all parts need to be ready when required

and all these parts need to be moved in sequence.” This infor-mation has to go automatically to suppliers and as a result of this, Kumar added, “Information Technology is emerging as a very important factor in the automo-bile industry. IT will decide the flow of materials in the future and how lean the process works.”

TCI’s Sethi was of the opinion that a lot of unnecessary processes can be avoided. Computerisation will save costs on manpower and simplify the planning process. “We are a paper heavy country. We need to change the mindset by trading a piece of paper for a com-puterized process,” he said.

Successful new model launches and growing sales numbers have posed chal-lenges for Mahindra SCMs. Vice President, Demand Chain Management, Mahindra and Mahindra (Automotive Division), SK Krishnan said, “We cannot keep our customers waiting for too long so when there is higher demand for a particular prod-

uct than expected, we relax our inventory norms to address the situation.” Krishnan won the Supply Chain Visionary of the year award for 2012.

While for the most part, the forum dealt with logistics from the OEM’s and tier I and tier II supplier’s points of view, the event also covered the supply chain from an aftermarket sup-plier’s standpoint. Senior General Manager, Demand Planning and Logistics, Automotive Aftermarket, Bosch, Vijay Kumar V said, “the focus for Bosch is the Independent Aftermarket share since 92 percent is sup-plied to this segment.” From six plant locations across the coun-try, Bosch has to plan logistics to 5,000 outlets. This involves pro-curing 55 percent material from their own plants and 40 per-cent traded parts from vendors. A small share of two percent is imported but since over half of the materials are supplied from the company itself, the process works smoothly for Bosch.

ZF looking to cut sourcing cost, consolidate supplier base

Cost vs lean: Auto Supply Chain Forum

Our Bureau Mumbai

Anand Mohan Mumbai

Dr Stefan Sommer, CEO, ZF

Auto Monitor

A U T O N O M I C S 98 OCTOBER 2012

The amount of steel con-sumed by a country has a strong correlation with its GDP growth

and is a sound indicator of its stage of economic development. Numerous studies that reveal far greater per capita consumption of steel in developed countries compared with developing coun-tries corroborate this.

India is no exception to this phenomenon. In the past decade, the rapid growth in GDP has been reflected in an equally vigorous increase in steel consumption.

There were some exceptions, however, to this generally buoy-ant trend: demand slumps were seen in 2008-09, due to the global financial crisis, and more recently in 2011-12, again due to the global economic slowdown, which, in turn, had an adverse bearing on domestic GDP growth.

Consequently, in 2011-12, domestic steel demand grew at 5.5 percent, a far cry from the strong double-digit growth expe-rienced in the five years prior to that. Due to lingering uncer-tainty over the pace of economic recovery in the short-to-medium term, Crisil Research reckons that domestic steel demand will grow by 3-5 percent in 2012-13 compared with 2011-12. This means that demand for flat and long steel products is likely to rise only marginally during the year. Long steel is a critical input in construction, both industrial and residential, whereas flat steel is used, for example, in cars and other consumer durables.

So, what does this projec-tion of demand portend for steel prices? Something interesting — hitherto unseen, at least over the past few years — is on the anvil in

domestic steel prices in 2012-13, due to a combination of disparate patterns in raw material prices and pick-up in demand.

Long and flat steel productsIn the past few years, up to

2010-11, prices of long steel and flat steel products have always moved in tandem. But, the trend reversed in 2011-12 and we expect this trend to continue in 2012-13.

During 2012-13, although international HRC prices are expected decline sharply, domestic HRC prices are likely to remain relatively flat. A weak rupee is expected to keep the landed cost of imports high. Consequently, domestic prices of flat steel products are likely to remain unchanged during 2012-13, in line with the landed price of imported flat steel products. By contrast, prices of long products are poised to rise by 3-4 percent. The key contributing factor to this is the dichotomy in prices of coking coal and non-coking coal.

The price of coking coal, which is used as an input in the manu-facture of steel by large producers, shot up to historical high of $330/tonne in the early part of 2011-12 due to the floods in Queensland, Australia (which is the world’s dominant exporter of coking coal) in January 2011. But with the grad-ual recovery in production, Crisil Research expects average coking coal prices in 2012-13 to be $190-210/tonne, about 30 percent lower year-on-year.

Hence, for large producers, the cost of production of steel will decline in 2012-13 compared with the previous year. On the other hand, the cost of production will go up for small and mid-size steel producers, who use non-coking coal as an input.

In India, non-coking coal has, historically, been cheaper than cok-ing coal because Coal India Ltd (CIL), the only domes-tic supplier of coal, kept domestic prices of non-coking coal lower than interna-tional prices. Because of this, small and mid-size steel producers were able to produce steel at lower cost compared with large producers.

In 2011-12, however, prices of non-coking coal spurted by 30 percent as CIL hiked prices to narrow the difference between domestic and global prices. This increased the cost of production in 2011-12 for small and mid-size producers by about 22 percent, although they still enjoyed a cost advantage because of high cok-ing coal prices due to the floods in Australia.

In 2012-13, non-coking coal prices are expected to remain firm due to healthy demand and domestic coal shortage, which will necessitate contin-ued imports. Hence, for small and mid-size producers, the cost of production will continue to either remain firm or even rise further in 2012-13.

The higher cost of production will force small and mid-size pro-ducers to increase the prices of long products, to provide a cush-ion to their operating margins.

Their dominant presence in the long products market and negligible imports will ena-ble them to pass-through the entire increase in the cost. Small and mid-size producers account for about 60 percent

of the domestic production of long products, catering largely to a fragmented base of small, regional construction and infra-structure companies. Large producers, too, will follow suit with price increases in long prod-ucts. By contrast, prices of flat steel, made in India by large pro-ducers, will remain unchanged in 2012-13.

The price of the other critical input, iron ore, too, is expected to be firm in the domestic market in 2012-13 as supply constraints continue to plague the market.

Also, the ban on mining in Karnataka, coupled with the gov-ernment’s drive to close illegal mines, will continue to support high domestic iron ore prices.

The net effect of all this is that constructing homes, dams and power plants will become costlier, while car and consum-er durables manufacturers will benefit from a decline in the price of flat steel.

(Please note that the views expressed here are those of CRISIL Research and not of CRISIL’s Ratings division. CRISIL Research operates independently of and does not have access to informa-tion obtained by CRISIL’s Ratings Division.)

With the gradual recovery

in production, Crisil Research

expects average coking coal prices in 2012-13 to be $190-

210/tonne, about 30 percent lower

year-on-year

Changing dynamics of Indian steel prices

Swati RajdeAssociate Director, CRISIL Research

Ajay D’SouzaDirector, CRISIL Research

Auto Monitor

M A C H I N I N G108 OCTOBER 2012

Turning light on heat transfer

The design of rear lamps for the automotive industry is turning extremely challenging:

the best compromise between lightness and resistance to heat loads needs to be achieved, in order to let it become an actual style component of the vehicle. A complete CFD methodology for the thermo-mechanical sim-ulation of a lamp is presented, which involves a comprehensive modelization of both convec-tion and radiation heat transfer, with source of power from the fi lament and transparency effects on the bulb and even-tually other objects inside the lamp. An experimental/numer-ical comparison has been successfully achieved for a sim-ple prototype of a lamp, showing good agreement and perfect energy balances. The case of a lamp inside a ventilated oven has been analyzed too, in order

to fully reproduce the setup for the testing conditions.

The problemWhen designing an auto-

motive lamp one of the major issues to take care of is its ther-mal behaviour: strong heat loads could be responsible of severe plastic deformations of both the body and the external lens,

resulting in a global damage for the whole optical compo-nent. While the use of thinner and lighter materials allows the designers to reach really innova-tive configurations in terms of elegance and style, on the other hand the problem of highlighting the thermally most critical zones becomes everyday tougher.

Prior to accept a newly devel-oped rear lamp, it must come through a series of tests rep-resenting its behaviour in the worst thermal conditions (heat, rain, wind or moisture loads). As

an example, consider the case of switching on and off the light at cycles of 5 minutes, leaving the lamp inside a ventilated oven set at a working temperature of 55 °C for 90 minutes.

A robust and complete meth-odology for simulating the thermo-mechanical behaviour of rear lamps has been established by means of Star-CCM+, taking into account all of the heat trans-fer mechanisms, i.e. conduction, convection and radiation.

Setting up the modelAn automotive rear lamp can

be seen as a thermo-mechanical system in which the stresses act-ing on the components hinge on the heat transfers between the same. The source of power is the filament, which can reach tem-peratures of about 3500 °C and emits energy in form of radiation. Part of this radiation is absorbed by the transparent bulb, which warms up till 400-600°C thereby starting to radiate by itself, while the other portion directly heats the body or the other objects inside the lamp. The “Surface To Surface” radiation model

together with the introduc-tion of transparency effects in agreement with Kirchhoff’s law of thermal radiation allow us to fully reproduce this fundamental phenomenon.

Although radiation is the dom-inant heat transfer mechanism, the high temperature differ-ences between the bulb and the body of the lamp are responsible of a recirculation of the air inside the lamp. This phenomenon is called “natural convection” and is another really important issue to be taken into account, since it is responsible for the high-est temperatures of the lamp, which are usually located in the zone directly above the bulb. The inclusion of natural convection can be achieved by activating the gravity forces on a laminar flow modeled by means of a tem-perature-dependent equation of state (e.g. ideal gas law) or with the Boussinesq approximation. In case of considering the flow external to the lamp too, a turbu-lence model like the Realizable k- should be included for a prop-

While the use of thinner and lighter

materials allows the designers to

reach really innovative configurations in

terms of elegance and style, on the other hand the problem

of highlighting the thermally most

critical zones becomes everyday

tougher

Flavio Cimolina Andrea Menottib Lucia Sclafanic

You Are Invited toIndia’s Largest SME Gathering

2 - 5 November 2012PUNE

Auto Cluster Exhibition Centre,Opp Premier Ltd., Chinchwad

10 am - 7 pm

Contd. on page 14

Experimental Prototype

Cross SectionMesh

Thermography

Auto Monitor


Using less gas and oil to get where you’re going

A quick pit-stop at the gas station is enough to put a good dent in your wal-let. New technology is

set to lower the high cost of filling up your car, by enabling combus-tion engines to consume two to three percent less gas and signifi-cantly less oil, while eliminating a step in engine production.

An engine without oil will not survive for very long. Pistons need plenty of lubricant in order to be able to move within the cylindri-cal sleeves in the engine block. Two things are known to raise the resultant level of friction. The first is attributed to distortion of the cylindrical bore hole when the cylinder head is attached, which is known as static distortion. The second occurs when the engine is running and temperatures warp the bore hole. The extent of this thermal distortion depends on prevailing engine temperatures and the specific engine model. In reality, the piston does not fol-low a perfectly smooth up and down motion, but instead touch-es at points within the bore hole. This results in the engine requir-ing a great deal more oil as well

as more gas. Automakers are already able to compensate stat-ic distortion. During the final machining stage, honing, tech-nicians mount a honing liner to the engine which simulates the cylinder head that will later be mounted. Only then the work on the bore hole is completed. Thermal distortion, on the other hand, presents difficulties since it has not been possible to com-pensate for this effect until now.

This problem has now been solved by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU in collaboration with a car manufacturer and a machine tool producer. “Our technology

makes it possible to compensate for both static and thermal dis-tortion. This can lead to a fuel saving of two to three percent in combustion engines, and remove one step in their production,” says IWU head of department André Bucht. This clever technology is based on a tool that can adapt its own shape. Researchers start by working out how an engine block is likely to become distort-ed: they determine the level of static distortion by unscrewing the cylinder head and measur-ing the extent to which the bore hole has been warped. They then simulate thermal distortion that occurs in each engine series, using an operating temperature of 90 degrees Celsius as their ref-erence. The honing tool adjusts its shape based on these calcula-tions, thereby altering the profile of the bore hole so that motions of the piston are perfectly smooth later on when the engine is run-ning, preventing excessive friction. Researchers have inte-grated small Piezo actuators into the tool which alter its shape and expand the diameter as required. “This is how we can incorporate

any ‘imperfections’ in the other-wise perfectly round shape of the finished bore hole,” says Bucht.

A prototype of the tool already exists. The research-ers have put it to use to prove that they can achieve the sur-face accuracy required without slowing down production – there being no more than 20 to 30 sec-onds for the assembly of each engine. Research is current-ly being performed on the test rig in collaboration with auto manufacturers. This is where an engine produced using the

tool is put through its paces. Researchers are examining to what extent piston friction and fuel consumption are reduced, and how the lifespan of the engine might be affected in comparison with engines man-ufactured using conventional tools . The tests are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. Researchers then plan to design the tool and the produc-tion process so that they can be adopted by manufacturers.

(Courtesy: Fraunhofer Institute)

Researchers have integrated

small Piezo actuators into the tool which alter its shape and expand

the diameter as required

Tape Laying gets closer to series production

Increasingly, metals in cars and airplanes are being replaced by fiber-reinforced plas-tics. Producing these materials using tape laying offers several advantages. Scientists

are now working on readying this technology for use in series production.

New approaches are needed for vehicle con-struction. While vehicles to date have mostly been built using metals such as aluminum and steel, the approaching era of electromobil-ity will require light-weight construction. That means that new materials must be found. Fiber-reinforced plastics offer significant potential. These are fibers that are impregnated with a plastic matrix and are utilized as composite materials. These materials offer a rigidity simi-lar to that of metals.

In conventional processes, the patterns that are necessary for the component are cut from textile semi-finished goods – predominant-ly from woven materials. This process is often wasteful, generating clippings of the valuable reinforcement material. One alternative is tape laying. This process is still too slow, however, for high-volume component series such as those needed by automobile manufacturers for com-pact-class models.

Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT in Pfinztal, togeth-er with their colleagues from the Augsburg ICT Project Group, plan to bring tape laying a lot closer to series production. The two sys-tems used by the scientists are products made by the Coriolis and Fiberforge companies. “We are developing further process-control tech-nology around these systems,” says Benjamin Hangs, a scientist at the ICT. “This includes, on the one hand, optimizing the systems in coop-eration with the companies, and on the other hand, continuing to develop the process chain. It comprises fiber placement, reforming, func-tionalization and post-processing. For example, we are developing new material formulae, opti-mizing production parameters and developing prototypes.”

Automotive manufacturers and the aerospace industry are very willing to take the next step here because, in addition to lower wastage, tape laying offers added benefits over semi-finished textile products. The fibers can be oriented so that they can absorb a maximum of the stress-es to which they are subjected. By contrast, in the case of semi-finished textiles combinations of angles of 0 and 90 degrees are predominantly used instead. The process enables the material to be used more efficiently. Since it is even sturdier as a composite, thinner material layers outper-form semi-finished textiles.

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Turning light on heat transfer....... Contd. from page 10

er modelization.An average complex rear lamp,

eventually with more than one bulb inside the body as well as other optical or screening-relat-ed components, together with internal air, can be discretized into a mesh of 300.000-500.000 cells. When external air is con-sidered too, the number of cells can reach 2-3 millions, leading to several hours of multi-proces-sor computation already for the steady state simulation.

Numerical-experimental comparison

The verification and valida-tion of the approach have been assessed by means of both the-oretical considerations and experimental investigations. When considering really sim-ple geometries, the radiation heat transfer between the fila-ment, the bulb and the body of the lamp can be directly computed by means of Stephan-

Boltzmann law together with energy conservation, with per-fect agreement between the numerical and the theorethical results. Even when considering a very complex lamp configura-tion in external air, the energy balance between the power dis-sipated on the filament(s) and that exiting the system is well satisfied.

In order to perform a vali-dation of the methodology, a cubic prototype of a lamp was

considered and experimentally investigated by means of infra-red thermal camera images and thermocouples. The numerical simulations of the cubic box in external air showed fairly good agreement with the experimental measures, with an overall error less than 5% on the body of the box (see Figure 3-4). Numerical-experimental comparisons are fundamental in order to correctly calibrate most important physi-cal parameters of the model, such as the emissivity, reflectivity and trasmissivity coefficients on dif-ferent surfaces, or to exactly calculate the heat transfer coef-ficient on the external boundary of the lamp.

Advanced issuesThe above investigations

lead to a confident applicability of the CFD methodology to real industrial cases, with more and more complex geometries. The modelization of the ventilated oven test is important to high-light the variations on the heat transfer coefficient associated to the air fluxes inside the oven, as shown in Figure 12. Another important issue to deal with is the case of open lamps, in which the heat transfer associated to natural convection gains a real-ly high influence on the overall thermal field.

The case of unsteady simu-lations is important in complex

multi-bulb lamps in which the tests are per-formed by turning on and off different lights at different scheduled times. The application of a standard unsteady simulation would require an extremely high amount of CPU resourc-es, often resulting in unfeasibility. However, a smart alternation of the solvers associated to energy and flow (by means of the “Freeze Flow” and “Freeze Energy” options) can result in a dramatic CPU time reduction, turning the sim-ulation from unfeasible to feasible.

ConclusionsThe developed CFD methodology for the

thermo-mechanical simulation of optical devices has been shown robust and capable of assisting the design of rear lamps, thus improv-ing their overall quality.

The application of a standard unsteady

simulation would require an extremely high amount of CPU resources, often resulting in unfeasibility

Numerical Results

Heat Extraction by the Oven

Internal Temperatures

Streamlines Oven

Bulb Temperature

Auto Monitor

V I E W P O I N T 158 OCTOBER 2012

The Paris show may be the biggest on the plan-et in terms of visitors but the number of vehi-

cles they’re buying might well be a record low. The chaos in the Euro Zone means that Europe is the dustbowl of the global reces-sion. Even healthy carmakers are operating unprofitably against a backdrop of sales down 25 percent since 2007 and chron-ic overcapacity, and France’s domestic brands are facing the worst of it. If tumbleweed had blown across any of their lavish Paris show stands no-one would have batted an eyelid.

Paris alternates with the Frankfurt show, and is similarly dominated by domestic brands, so the pain being experienced by Renault and PSA Peugeot-Citroen was front of mind at the show. Not that a newcomer would notice. Peugeot has been pilloried by the French govern-ment for mismanagement and planned job cuts, and at the show PSA CEO Philippe Varin gave the press a blunt assessment that 2015 will not look very different from 2012, but its Paris presence was fizzing. Its current range has dramatically better styling and quality, and the new 208 super-

mini, displayed in Paris in iconic GTi and new Super-Lux guises, is the right model at the right time. Among 40 cars on a vast 3900 sq ft stand was the 2008, a concept for a supermini-SUV crossover, an emerging trend, and Peugeot’s offering will go into production next year.

Peugeot’s other concept car was a traditional showstop-per. The Onyx, a supercar study, comes out of the company’s Design Laboratory in the mould of Porsche Design, which is clearly having a great time – this rakish, Lamborghini-like crea-tion is a study in use of materials like copper-tint alloy, and it was joined by a futuristic bicycle and motorbike in the same finishes. Peugeot even found space for an ultra-modern take on a grand piano.

Sister brand Citroen’s Numero 9 concept was a great show car, like a latter-day SM, but the brand’s future lies in persuading people into everyday vehicles which have added panache. It has been busy launching premi-um variants of humdrum models under the DS tag in the last few years, but it was still remarkable to see an atelier on its stand, with leather being worked using tradi-tional tools. You could have been at the Bentley factory.

Renault showed its new Clio, which is vital to the company because it’s the biggest-seller in the range. It’s smart, and sports the new corporate nose, but it is neither original nor oozes the confidence compared to the understated new VW Golf rival also revealed in Paris, with its evolutionary styling featuring large, signature Golf B pillars. It can’t be mistaken for any-

thing else; put a SEAT badge on the Clio and it would sit happily in another brand’s line-up. For Renault, it was significant that it had no concepts to unveil, and the stand was a Clio car park: the company needs to sell cars, and it starts here. Tellingly, Renault’s budget brand Dacia unveiled a new version of its Sandero small hatchback including an SUV variant called Stepway, which together received almost as much attention as the Clio. At least the Renault group can meet the increasing demand for ‘auster-ity’ cars.

Like Renault, VW focused almost exclusively one model, the Golf, and Opel did the same with its new Adam. The Adam isn’t just any new small car – it needs to single-handedly turn around Opel’s brand image in Europe by taking on the Mini, Fiat 500 and Citroen DS3 in the growing mar-ket for premium mini vehicles offering personalised specifi-cations including wacky colour schemes. In the Adam’s case Opel is claiming that one million colour, trim and engine combi-nations are possible. The other big player, Ford, had a more pro-saic new car in the form of the new Mondeo upper-medium car. With its Aston Martin-style grille

it’s a good-looking beast but this is a dying segment of the market in Europe.

Despite apparently having a different car for every day of the year, Audi’s astonishing diversi-fication continues and in Paris it showed the Crosslane Coupe concept, a roofless two-door crossover. Officially a show-case for an aluminium and carbon-fibre spaceframe, don’t be surprised if a coupe crossover finds a place in the Audi range. BMW also had a significant con-cept. The Active Tourer looks like a production vehicle, a compact mono-space form which could become the third vehicle in the company’s electric range or sim-ply a smart way of providing a front-wheel drive offering that doesn’t jar with the rear-drive brand ethos running through the three-box designs.

However, the star brands at the show were neither the French nor the other major mainstream brands but the British - or should that be Indians? The most eagerly anticipated and talked-about car was Jaguar’s new F-Type, tout-ed as the spiritual successor the iconic E-Type. It will sit between the Porsche Boxster and 911 in size and price. Supercharged V6 and V8 engines will provide up to 186mph and acceleration from 0-60mph in less than 4.5 secs. This is an enthusiast’s car but one which fulfils a real business case for Jaguar. Volumes will be small but it will bring many new customers to the brand and offers emotional appeal which Jaguar’s premium German rivals would love to have. It’s an extremely important model - Jaguar with-out a sports car would not be Jaguar.

Jaguar’s sister brand Land Rover debuted the new Range Rover, which will simply contin-ue the phenomenal success of the current model - the order bank is already full going well into 2013. All-round improvements, unmis-takably Range Rover styling and contemporary interior, and the growing demand for SUVs - espe-cially in the emerging markets and the US - mean that makers of conventional luxury sedans are under increasing pressure. Tata Motors has an extraordinary brand in its portfolio.

Jaguar and Land Rover were in the same hall as McLaren in a sort of British engineering collec-tive. This being Paris, McLaren’s unveiling of its P1 supercar, the much anticipated spiritu-al successor to the landmark F1 supercar of 20 years ago, was given the death slot at the end of the day.

The French manufacturers were rather more sniffy about Kia and Hyundai however. The country’s trade minister marked the opening of the show by say-ing that the Koreans are dumping product in Europe and urging French consumers to boycott them. That’s not the answer of course; the answer is good prod-uct to get them through the protracted recession. For all their Paris glitz, the French are deeply worried, but so are all European carmakers – even the premium makes. The 2012 Paris show had the distinct feeling of autumn, with a hard winter to follow. Things may not be better next Spring, but they had better be by the time Paris comes around again in 2014.

(Author is a freelanc journalist)

The 2012 show had the distinct feeling of autumn, with a hard winter to follow. Things may not be better next Spring, but they had better be by the next

show in 2014

Paris show belies gloom in Europe

Mark Carbery

Auto Monitor

G L O B A L W A T C H168 OCTOBER 2012

black door handles and wing mirrors, front elec-tric windows, MP3 CD player with AUX-in, four speakers, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), driver and front passenger airbag, passenger airbag disconnect, front side and curtain air-bags, front seatbelt reminders, ISOFIX points with top tether.

SEAT is the only company in its sector with the full-range capacity to design, develop, man-ufacture and market cars in Spain. A member of the Volkswagen Group, the multinational has its headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), export-ing 80 percent of its vehicles to 75 countries. In 2011 SEAT had a total number of more than Euro five billion, with overall deliveries amounting to 350,000 units.

SEAT Group employs more than 14,000 pro-fessionals at its three production centers in Barcelona- Zona Franca, El Prat de Llobregat and Martorell, where it manufactures the high-ly successful Ibiza and Leon, amongst other models. Additionally, the company produces the Alhambra in Palmela (Portugal), the Mii in Bratislava (Slovakia) and the new Toledo in Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic) at Volkswagen Group plants.

The Spanish multinational also has a Technical Center, a “knowledge hub”, bringing together more than 900 engineers whose goal is to be the driving force behind innovation for the number one industrial investor in R&D in Spain. In line with its declared commitment to environment protection, SEAT undertakes and bases its core activity on sustainability, namely reduction of CO2 emissions, energy efficiency, as well as recycling and re-use of resources.

Seat is looking to offer the new Toledo at the entry price of £12,495. With a cabin capable of seat-

ing four tall adults in comfort, a huge 5 50-litre boot, and styl-ish looks in line with the rest of the SEAT range, the Toledo is yet another extremely compel-ling reason to head to a SEAT dealership.

Despite its compact exte-rior dimensions and low price, both comparable to the super-mini segment, the Toledo boasts a luggage capacity that even the majority of large fam-ily cars cannot match. And for added practicality, it’s accessed via a large hatchback opening. This five-door layout takes the fourth generation Toledo back to the extremely successful for-mula of the original car. More than 22,000 of 1990’s Toledo Mk I were sold in the UK before the car ceased production in 1998; total Toledo sales in the UK across three generations have eclipsed 33,000 units.

“The combination of price and packaging that the Toledo offers is second to none,” said SEAT UK Product Manager Simon Bradley. “Very few cars, if any, offer the same combination of space, flex-ibility, affordability, value and style as the new Toledo.

“We’ve positioned the range so that it offers something for everyone, with the entry-level E model providing exceptional value in terms of the space on offer for the price, while the SE

specification car is loaded with useful equipment.

“Whatever version is chosen, every Toledo customer will enjoy outstandingly low running costs because of the car’s excellent fuel economy and low CO2 emissions across the range, as well as very reasonable insurance groupings, and BIK ratings as low as 14%. All-in-all, the Toledo is a car that

makes sense whichever way you look at it,” he added.

Both the 1.6 TDI 105 PS die-sel and the 1.2 TSI 105 PS petrol versions feature Ecomotive Technology. This includes a Start/Stop engine system, which preserves fuel by cutting power when the car is at a standstill and in neutral, and an Energy Recovery system to capture

brake energy otherwise lost as heat, storing it to help power the car’s electrical systems.

Together, these give quantifi-able fuel savings: in the case of the Toledo with the 1.6 TDI 105 engine, they reduce Co2 emis-sions by 8g/km, while average economy improves by 6.4mpg. It comes with standard fitments including 15-17 inch steel wheels,

Ecomotive Tech includes a Start/Stop engine system, which

preserves fuel by cutting power when the car is at a standstill and in

neutral, and an Energy Recovery system to

capture brake energy otherwise lost as heat,

storing it

Seat Toledo range to start at £12,495

The quantifiable fuel savings: in the case of the Toledo with the 1.6 TDI 105 engine, reduce

Co2 emissions by 8g/km, while average economy

improves by 6.4mpg

Auto Monitor

G L O B A L W A T C H 178 OCTOBER 2012

From this month, the 155mph high-perform-ance Mazda3 MPS will be injected with height-

ened visual appeal as it arrives at the top of the revised Mazda3 line-up. It retains the previous model’s exceptionally responsive handling and performance, and highlights the stunning exterior design by sporting new gunmet-al finish for the 18-inch alloy wheels, whilst the inner roof spoiler (beneath the unique MPS wing), door mirror housings and lower rear bumper trim are fin-ished in a sleek Black Mica finish.

Each Mazda3 MPS is fitted with the immensely powerful and responsive 2.3-litre MZR DISI Turbo petrol engine. It gen-erates maximum power of 260ps and 380Nm of torque (at just 3,000rpm) and drives the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission with wider spaced gear ratios and a Limited Slip Differential. The dual exhaust pipes deliver a suitably sporty rasp at low revs, but give a 10dB noise reduction at engine speeds over 5,000rpm for improved lev-els of comfort when driving on open roads.

For enhanced ‘active’ safety appropriate for a high-perform-ance model, the Mazda3 MPS comes with Bi-Xenon headlights with swivel-type Adaptive Front Light System (AFS), front fog lamps, a radar-based rear vehi-cle monitoring (RVM) system and larger, 320mm diameter ventilat-ed front disc brakes. The upgraded Mazda3 MPS will be available in a choice of four metallic/mica/pearlescent colours - aluminium silver, black mica, crystal white pearlescent and velocity red.

“Visual upgrades to the Mazda3 MPS compliment its strikingly bold design, which boasts a dynamic, aggressive and assertive look, that sets it apart from the rest of the Mazda3 line-up and encapsulate the ‘defy convention’ philosophy of our brand,” comments Peter Allibon, Sales Director, Mazda UK.

“Mazda3 MPS delivers a com-bination of exhilarating driving fun and everyday compact car practicality. Its distinctive bon-net air-intake, gunmetal 18-inch alloy wheels and large rear wing with the new inner spoiler create a muscular, athletic appearance. Delivering sensationally spir-ited performance, the Mazda3 MPS boasts ‘stand out’ looks which give it a great road pres-ence, plus exquisite handling and incredible dynamics. It is the ultimate expression of driv-ing excitement and Mazda’s defy convention attitude, in a sophis-ticated super-hatch. Alongside sensational performance it provides all the accessibility, practicality, reliability and build quality of its Mazda3 sister models,” adds Allibon.

As well as upgrading the Mazda3 MPS, Mazda is ration-alising and re-naming its new line-up of seven Mazda3 models on sale from this month.

Two special edition models (Tamura and Venture) now join the permanent range, offering extremely generous specifica-tion and equipment at great value prices.

The 1.6-litre MZR petrol Tamura and Venture models benefit from fine-tuning which improves fuel economy by 1.4 percent and cuts emissions by 2 percent resulting in reduced BIK for company car drivers.

The revised range now starts with three generously equipped ‘Tamura’ models priced from £15,995-to-£17,495 (OTR). Two ‘Venture’ models with 1.6-litre MZR petrol or diesel engines cost from £17,495 and £18,995, feature additional kit such as light gun-metal alloys wheels, a unique rear spoiler, privacy glass, 5.8-inch Sanyo TomTom navi-gation, Bluetooth® hands-free, automatic lights and wipers, cruise control and heated front sports seats.

Kia has continued its best-ever year by posting a fifth consec-utive record month’s

performance in the UK new car sales market by delivering 11,608 new vehicles to custom-ers in September - a 19.3 per cent increase on 2011.

September’s record figures took Kia Motors (UK) Limited’s total sales for 2012 to date to 52,899 vehicles - representing an increase of 22.3 per cent over 2011. This represented a total market share for September of 3.23 per cent - up from 2.93 per cent in 2011 - with significant gains in both retail and fleet mar-ket shares to 3.32 per cent and 3.14 per cent respectively.

The year-to-date market share saw even stronger growth rising to 3.26 per cent in total - up from 2.78 per cent in 2011. During the same period the retail market share rose to 3.44 per cent, up from 3.31 per cent, and the fleet

market share increased to 3.11 per cent, up from 2.39 per cent.

Commenting on the perform-ance Michael Cole, Managing Director, Kia Motors (UK) Limited said: “2012 continues to be a very strong year for us - September was our fifth record-breaking month in a row and our second best ever - and is testament to the appeal to UK motorists of all the new models that we’ve launched in recent months.

“With a quarter of the year to go we have already surpassed the total sales volume we achieved in 2009 and are on track for our best ever year in the UK, as well as in other markets across the globe. Our success has been spread across the range, with New cee’d, Picanto, Rio and Sportage all per-forming strongly, which, with the introduction of further excit-ing new products this year and in 2013, bodes well for both the brand, and our dealers, in the future,” he added.

Upgraded MPS model heads new Mazda3 line-up

Fifth consecutive record month for Kia

Auto Monitor


Hyundai UK offered the chance to drive its ix35 Fuel Cell, as the European Hydrogen

Road Tour passes through the UK. Supported by a host of organisa-tions and other car makers, the European HydrogenRoad Tour has visited several European cities, including Hamburg and Hannover in Germany, Bolzano in Italy, and Paris. In addition to Cardiff and London, the Tour is visiting Bristol and Swindon, where hydrogen refuelling infra-structure is already in place. The ultimate aim of the road tour is to reach politicians, industry lead-ers, media and the public to help promote investment in hydrogen infrastructure across Europe.

Hyundai’s updated ix35 Fuel Cell was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show at the end of September and is the halo vehi-cle in Hyundai’s ‘Blue Drive’ sub-brand which comprises low-emissions versions of the

company’s models. Hyundai will produce 1,000 examples of the car, making it the first global car maker to begin commercial rollout of zero-emission vehicles, with delivery to public and pri-vate fleets taking place between 2013 and 2015. Hyundai is com-mitted to bringing the car to full production from 2015, with a goal of producing 10,000 units.

Hyundai has been develop-

ing fuel cell vehicles since 1998 and the latest refinements give the ix35 Fuel Cell cars attending the Tour true real-world viabil-ity. The ix35 Fuel Cell can reach 62 mph in 12.5 seconds, attain a top speed of 100 mph and travel up to 365 miles on a single tank of hydrogen. The only tail-pipe emission from the car is water vapour. Furthermore, exter-nally and internally, the ix35

Fuel Cell is almost identical to its conventionally-powered sibling.

Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor UK commented, “Hyundai is com-mitted to being the industry leader in eco-friendly mobil-ity. We have previously given ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles to the European Parliament to use for test-drives, and we have also

taken part in numerous zero-emission events and tests across the continent, proving their practicality, safety and usabil-ity. The European Hydrogen Road Tour now enables us to give the public a great opportu-nity to test these incredible cars, which we believe can help create a society with sustainable ener-gy supply and zero-emission mobility.”

The ix35 Fuel Cell can reach 62 mph in 12.5

seconds, attain a top speed of 100 mph and travel up to 365 miles

on a single tank of hydrogen. The

only tail-pipe emission from the car is water vapour

Hyundai’s unveils hydrogen-powered ix35 fuel cell

Wider Lexus CT 200h range starts with new 87g/km S grade

Lexus widens the appeal of full hybrid CT 200h luxury compact hatchback with an increased model range and new equipment features

Lexus has introduced a new entry-point S grade to the range, making the CT 200h acces-sible to even more customers, but with no compromise in the luxury, sophistication and advanced technologies that distinguish all Lexus models. And thanks to being fitted with new 15-inch five-spoke alloy wheels and a larg-er rear spoiler, the new CT 200h achieves even lower CO2 emissions - 87g/km.

The entire Lexus CT 200h model range has been significantly revised for 2013, with an increase to five model grades, extending the appeal of the market’s only fully hybrid luxury compact hatchback to an even greater number of customers.Some small, but attractive equipment changes have been made with the realignment of the grade structure: Premier (replacing SE-L Premier) gains a DAB digital tuner and electric front passenger seat adjustment. F Sport like-wise adds an electric passenger seat control plus Smart Entry and Start. Luxury (replacing SE-L) adds power-folding door mirrors and Smart Entry and Start. And SE (replacing SE-I) benefits from power-folding door mirrors. All these models come with a revised front armrest with addition-al soft padding. The satellite navigation system that is available as an option for SE, Luxury and F Sport models and is standard on the Premier grade, now comes with a DAB digital tuner and single-disc DVD player.

The entire Lexus CT 200h model range has been significantly revised for

2013, with an increase to five model grades

Auto Monitor


Thatcha m’s Motor Insu ra nce Repa i r Research Centre, put Volvo’s own version of

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), known as City Safety, fit-ted as standard on the V40, through its testing procedure. It concluded the technology was so effective at preventing low speed accidents that it should therefore be taken into consideration when deciding the insurance group. Depending on model, the V40 range will now be given an insur-ance rating two to three groups lower under the new criteria.

Following the extensive test-ing, the Association of British Insurers, which has authorised Thatcham to undertake all AEB testing to validate the effective-ness of individual systems, has now introduced AEB into its group rating calculations. It is the first time this has happened so soon after a technology’s emergence on the market and is

a testament to the industry’s con-fidence in the system’s potential to significantly reduce accident damage and personal injury.

Volvo’s City Safety low-speed collision avoidance system oper-ates at speeds up to 31 mph on the V40 (currently 19mph on other Volvo models), keeps an eye on traffic in front and automatically brakes if the driver fails to react in time when the vehicle in front slows down or stops - or if the car is approaching a stationary vehi-cle too fast. The award-winning* technology was first fitted as standard to all Volvo XC60 mod-els, when the model launched in 2008, in a world first. Following its success in reducing accidents and injury, Volvo took the deci-sion to fit City Safety as standard to all subsequent new models reflecting the brand’s commit-ment to developing the safest vehicles across its range.

Thatcham has highlight-ed AEB technology as the most

significant new active safety innovation in the automotive industry today with the potential to dramatically cut the number and severity of accidents. Studies from the USA have already shown an overall crash frequency reduc-tion of 27% in vehicles equipped with the system.

At a press briefing held in con-junction with Volvo Car UK at the Madejski Stadium in Reading, Volvo Car Corporation’s director of governmental affairs Anders Eugensson commented: “Safety remains very much at the heart of Volvo’s design and technology ethos and we are delighted that Thatcham has selected our V40 model equipped with City Safety which is our AEB feature. Unlike our rivals, whose AEB technology is either an option or featured on models higher in the range, City Safety is standard on the V40 and, indeed, across most of the range and will be standard on all new and enhanced models.”

The test procedures have been proposed for use by Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Program), and RCAR (Research Council for Automobile Repairs). Euro NCAP will include AEB in their assessments from 2014, which will help encourage vehi-cle manufacturers to fit AEB systems.

The procedures have also been adopted by the UK Group Rating Panel for vehicles with AEB fitted as standard from trim

level, as long as the system is pas-sive (ie. is on with ignition cycle and can only be deactivated with three discrete actions of system control).

Such vehicles will qualify for testing and subsequent reduc-tion in their insurance group rating from October 2012.

Currently, only the V40 has been tested although the major-ity of Volvo models, with the exception of XC90, C30 and C70, fit AEB as standard.

City Safety lowers insurance rating for all-new Volvo V40

Hyundai welcomes new Aftersales Director

Hyundai announced the appointment of Nick Tunnell as the manufactur-er’s new Aftersales Director. Nick, who currently holds the position of

Aftersales Commercial Manager at Hyundai, replaces Graham Lightfoot who has taken up a new role at Porsche Cars GB. Starting on October, Nick will oversee all of Hyundai Motor UK’s operations in Aftersales, Commercial, Technical, Customer Services, Warranty and the Aftersales Field Team. Nick said, “Hyundai has grown rapidly into a genuine mainstream automotive manufacturer and I am looking for-ward to developing and enhancing the quality of Hyundai’s aftersales operations, particular-ly around the customer experience.”Nick will

be based at Hyundai Motor UK’s head office in High Wycombe, Bucks. and will report direct-ly to Tony Whitehorn. Established in 1967, Hyundai is ranked as the world’s fifth-largest automaker since 2007 and includes over two dozen auto-related subsidiaries and affili-ates. Employing over 75,000 people worldwide, Hyundai Motor sold approximately 4.1 million vehicles globally in 2011. Hyundai Motor UK Ltd has been named Best Car Manufacturer 2011 by Which? magazine and Car Franchise of the Year by Motor Trader in 2010 and 2011.

Nick will be based at Hyundai Motor UK’s

head office in High Wycombe, Bucks.

and will report directly to Tony Whitehorn

Auto Monitor

C L A S S I F I E D S228 OCTOBER 2012

A D V E R T I S E R S ’ L I S TAdvertiser’s Name & Contact Details Pg No Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Pg No Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Pg No

Our consistent advertisersFIC : Front Inside Cover BIC : Back Inside Cover BC: Back cover

Ace Micromatic Group 1,BC

T: +91-80-40200555

E: [email protected]

W: www.acemicromatic.net

Agie Charmilles 19

T: +91-80-40798019


W: www.gfac.com/sg

Baker Gauges India Ltd 18

T: +91-20-66093800


W: www.bakergauges.com

Dhoot Transmission Pvt Ltd 13


W: www.dhoottransmission.com

Ecocat India Pvt Ltd 21

T: +91-129-4266500


W: www.ecocat.com

Engineering Expo 10

T: +91-09819552270


W: www.engg-expo.com

Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt Ltd 17

T: +91-79-25890081


W: www.milacronindia.com

Fox Solutions 5

T: +91-253-6618100


W: www.foxindia.net

G W Precision Tools India Pvt Ltd 12

T: +91-80-40431252


W: www.gwindia.in

Green Manufacturing Excellence Award 2013 14

T: +91-33-61606666


W: www.frost.com/gmea

Guhring India Private Limited BIC

T: +91-80-40322500


W: www.guhring.in

Jyoti Cnc Automation Pvt. Ltd. 11

T: +91-2827-287081


W: www.jyoti.co.in

Larsen & Toubro Limited FIC

T: +91-09967800456


W: www.larsentoubro.com

Meiban Engineering Technologies Pvt 9

T: +91-80-26860600


W: www.meibanengg.com

Network 18 20

W: www.network18online.com

Productivity Buzz 16

T: +91-80-66246600


W: www.imtma.in

Rohan Standox Autolack 15

T: +91-22-65803331


W: www.spraytec.net

Safexpress Private Limited 6

T: +1800-113-113


W: www.safexpress.com

Sandvik Coromant India 3

T: +91-20-27104725


W: www.sandvik.coromant.com/in

Tata Motors Ltd. 7

T: +91-22-66586195


W: www.tatamotors.com

World Courier India Pvt Ltd 8

T: +91-80-43438607


W: www.worldcourier.com

Tej Control Systems Pvt LtdPlot No.329/331, Road No.25,

Wagle Industrial Estate, Thane(W) - 400 604. Tel. +91 22 2583 8191 to 98, Fax: +91 22 25838199Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.tejivs.com

24

Regn. No. MH/MR/WEST/20/2012-2014. RNI No. MAHENG/2000/11414 Licenced to post at Mumbai patrika channel sorting office G.P.O. Mumbai 400 001.Date Of Mailing: 1st & 2nd Fortnightly Issue. Date Of Publication: 28th of Every Month

Auto Monitor - 8 October 2012

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