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The Advanced Automotive Suspension Systems Report

2014 edition supplierbusiness.com

Topical Report

IHS Automotive

2014 edition 2 © 2014 IHS

IHS Automotive SupplierBusiness | The Advanced Automotive Suspension Systems Report

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ContentsIntroduction ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5Key market drivers .......................................................................................................................................................... 8

Increasing degrees of electrification ........................................................................................................................ 8Efficient handling of multiple voltage architectures ...................................................................................................... 13

Greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency ..................................................................................................... 14The European Union .................................................................................................................................................. 15The United States ....................................................................................................................................................... 16Japan ..........................................................................................................................................................................17China ..........................................................................................................................................................................17Other countries ...........................................................................................................................................................17

Weight reduction and materials ............................................................................................................................... 18Competition and cost ................................................................................................................................................ 21

Suspension technology development ........................................................................................................................ 24 Moving from passive to active suspension ............................................................................................................ 24 Suspension systems ................................................................................................................................................. 29

Rigid axle suspension ................................................................................................................................................ 29Semi-rigid axle suspension ........................................................................................................................................ 30Independent suspension systems .............................................................................................................................. 31Strut-type suspension systems .................................................................................................................................. 32Front suspension market development ....................................................................................................................... 32Rear suspension market development ....................................................................................................................... 33

Spring systems .......................................................................................................................................................... 34Leaf springs ............................................................................................................................................................... 34Torsion bar springs ..................................................................................................................................................... 34Composite springs ..................................................................................................................................................... 36Titanium springs ......................................................................................................................................................... 36Hydropneumatic spring systems ................................................................................................................................ 37Pneumatic springs ..................................................................................................................................................... 37Electronic spring systems ........................................................................................................................................... 41Electrical active body control (eABC) .......................................................................................................................... 42Wheel, body, and roll damping (ASCA) ....................................................................................................................... 42

Dampers/shock absorbers ....................................................................................................................................... 42Vibration dampers or shock absorbers ...................................................................................................................... 43Amplitude Selective Damping ..................................................................................................................................... 44Gas charged shock absorbers ................................................................................................................................... 44Position Sensitive Damping ........................................................................................................................................ 45Dynamic Ride Control ................................................................................................................................................ 45BWI’s manual selectable ride ..................................................................................................................................... 46BWI’s Bi-State real time damping system ................................................................................................................... 46Adaptive damping ..................................................................................................................................................... 47Frequency Dependent Damping (FDD) ....................................................................................................................... 47Tenneco’s Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CES) and Kinetic H2 CES system ................................... 47ZF preloaded valve and vario damper technology ...................................................................................................... 50

2014 edition 3 © 2014 IHS

IHS Automotive SupplierBusiness | The Advanced Automotive Suspension Systems Report

ZF Sachs Continuous Damping Control ..................................................................................................................... 51Magneto-rheological damping .................................................................................................................................... 51

Stabilisers or anti-roll systems ................................................................................................................................ 53Other components ..................................................................................................................................................... 57

Knuckles/Uprights ...................................................................................................................................................... 57 Ball joints .................................................................................................................................................................... 57 Bushings .................................................................................................................................................................... 58

Suspension control systems .................................................................................................................................... 58Kinematics and elastokinematics ............................................................................................................................... 58Vertical dynamic control systems ............................................................................................................................... 59Variable dampers ....................................................................................................................................................... 59Ride comfort .............................................................................................................................................................. 59The threshold value strategy ....................................................................................................................................... 59The skyhook strategy ................................................................................................................................................. 60

Supplier Profiles ............................................................................................................................................................ 62Benteler ....................................................................................................................................................................... 62BWI Group ................................................................................................................................................................... 73KYB .............................................................................................................................................................................. 75Magneti Marelli .......................................................................................................................................................... 78Mando ......................................................................................................................................................................... 90Metaldyne ................................................................................................................................................................. 100NHK Spring ............................................................................................................................................................... 106SANLUIS Passani ......................................................................................................................................................114ThyssenKrupp ...........................................................................................................................................................119Tower International .................................................................................................................................................. 124TRW Automotive ...................................................................................................................................................... 133WABCO ...................................................................................................................................................................... 141ZF ............................................................................................................................................................................... 150

FiguresFigure 1: Conventional suspension compromises (Body acceleration vs. Wheel load variation) ........................ 5Figure 2: The extended performance envelope for fully active suspension compared to conventional passive and semi-active systems .............................................................................................................................................. 6Figure 3: Average power consumption 1990–2010 for mid size and luxury cars .................................................... 8Figure 4: Electrical power requirements for NEDC and actual customer requirements for various vehicle classes ............................................................................................................................................................................. 9Figure 5: Additional functionality requires higher voltages – 48 volts .................................................................. 10Figure 6: Conventional suspension compromises ................................................................................................... 11Figure 7: The growth of integrated functions ............................................................................................................ 11Figure 8: BWI’s active stabiliser bar system .............................................................................................................. 12Figure 9: BMW’s Dynamic Drive system .................................................................................................................... 13Figure 10: Additional costs entailed by tougher European CO2 legislation for a vehicle with emissions of 161g per km ........................................................................................................................................................................... 14Figure 11: CO2 (g/km) performance and standards in the EU new cars 1994–2011.............................................. 14Figure 12: The effect of alternative German proposals for CO2 reduction regulation for Europe ...................... 15Figure 13: US targets for future GHG reductions (% reduction from 2005 levels) ................................................ 16Figure 14: Global mandatory automobile efficiency and GHG standards ............................................................. 17Figure 15: Global passenger car and light vehicles emission legislation progress 2005–2025 .......................... 18Figure 16: Different weight and cost impact of increasingly lightweight material mixes.................................... 19Figure 17: Areas for chassis weight reduction .......................................................................................................... 20Figure 18: Aluminium potential and market penetration in Europe ....................................................................... 20Figure 19: Ford Focus control blade rear suspension ............................................................................................. 22

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IHS Automotive SupplierBusiness | The Advanced Automotive Suspension Systems Report

Figure 20: AAM’s I-Ride suspension module ............................................................................................................ 23Figure 21: A schematic of active and semi-active suspension ............................................................................... 25Figure 22: A schematic showing the Mercedes-Benz Pre-Scan technology ........................................................ 27Figure 23: Mercedes Benz’s Pre-Scan technology .................................................................................................. 27Figure 24: ZF/ Levant Power’s GenShock technology ............................................................................................. 28Figure 25: Rigid axle suspension configurations...................................................................................................... 29Figure 26: A Ford Mustang driven rigid rear axle...................................................................................................... 29Figure 27: Semi-rigid axle suspension configurations ............................................................................................. 30Figure 28: Independent wheel suspension kinematic linkages ............................................................................. 31Figure 29: Independent suspension systems with 5, 4, 3, and 3 links .................................................................. 31Figure 30: Worldwide market share of front axle types in 2005 and 2010 ............................................................. 32Figure 31: Worldwide market share of rear axle types in 2005 and 2010 ............................................................... 33Figure 32: A Mercedes-Benz M-Class front axle ...................................................................................................... 34Figure 33: Coil over spring configurations ................................................................................................................ 35Figure 34: Spring supported by a lateral suspension arm ....................................................................................... 35Figure 35: Sogefi’s composite springs ....................................................................................................................... 36Figure 36: A Nivomat unit ............................................................................................................................................. 37Figure 37: Continental’s 4-Corner air suspension system ...................................................................................... 38Figure 38: Continental’s air suspension system ....................................................................................................... 38Figure 39: CO2 reduction through the use of pneumatic suspension systems..................................................... 40Figure 40: Bose’s fully electromechanical front suspension model ..................................................................... 41Figure 41: eABC schematic diagram ......................................................................................................................... 42Figure 42: Damping sprung and unsprung mass ...................................................................................................... 43Figure 43: Acceleration sensitive damping ............................................................................................................... 44Figure 44: Audi RS5 chassis featuring dynamic ride control .................................................................................. 45Figure 45: Suspension motion sensors ...................................................................................................................... 46Figure 46: A schematic of Tenneco’s Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension ...................................... 48Figure 47: A schematic of Tenneco’s integrated Kinetic H2 CES system .............................................................. 48Figure 48: Comparison between standard and pre-loaded valve performance ................................................... 49Figure 49: CDC dampers with internal and external valves .................................................................................... 49Figure 50: Graph showing the range in which CDC can continuously vary damping forces in compression and rebound ................................................................................................................................................................. 50Figure 51: Cross section of a MagneRide actuator ................................................................................................. 51Figure 52: The principal behind magneto-rheological fluid dampers .................................................................... 52Figure 53: Comparison of force-velocity characteristics of a MagneRide damper, typical variable valve dampers and a passive damper .................................................................................................................................. 53Figure 54: ZF Sach’s Active Roll Stabilisation system ............................................................................................. 55Figure 55: Active stabiliser bar system schematic ................................................................................................... 56Figure 56: Axle and multi-axle computer simulation ............................................................................................... 58Figure 57: System configuration and sensor positions required for the skyhook strategy. ............................... 60Figure 58: Skyhook strategy for variable dampers .................................................................................................. 61

TablesTable 1: Weight reduction in lightweight shock absorber assemblies ................................................................... 20Table 2: Advantages and disadvantages of electromechanical springs ............................................................... 43