Improving vehicle efficiency Hilite

IMPROVING VEHICLE EFFICIENCY

Germany-based Hilite is a global leader in the development of engine and transmission products designed to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. Industry Europe looks at the latest from the company.

Hilite International is a leading global supplier of automotive system solutions with a special focus on fuel efficient engine and transmission products for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Hilite products are installed in many of the world’s leading automotive OEM brands, including VW, Chrysler, Ford, GM and BMW. The company is owned by the international investment Group 3i along with its co-investor, the Chinese Investment Corporation (CIC) who are dedicated to growing and developing Hilite’s global engineering capabilities.

Hilite is headquartered in Marktheidenfeld, Germany, and today the company employs over 1400 people at eight locations across Europe, North America and Asia. In 2013 Hilite generated revenues of more than €391 million.

Investing in cutting-edge technology

Since its establishment in 1999, Hilite has grown to become a globally active supplier to the automotive passenger car and commercial vehicle industries. Today the company’s advanced, highly innovative products for engines and transmissions systems set the standards across the automotive industry sector. Modern transmissions make a significant contribution to meeting future demands for the reduction of emissions and fuel consumption. With the trend towards automatic transmissions that offer wide ratio ranges of seven, eight or more gears and the growing potential of hybrid vehicles designed to improve energy efficiency, Hilite’s innovative concepts and applications have kept it at the forefront of today’s drive-train technology.

The relentless increase in the demand for global energy and the subsequent rise in oil

prices, in addition to the challenge of global warming, have increased the demand for new concepts in drive-train technology to reduce fuel consumption.

Hilite products are setting the standards for modern solenoid valve technology and are designed for specific applications based upon clients’ individual requirements. Solenoid valve functions are therefore developed regarding system pressure, hysteresis, leakage and other dynamic specifications such as response time and control stability. Today Hilite is recognised worldwide for its commitment to achieving optimum functional performance, energy efficiency, dynamics, durability and cost-effectiveness.

A company spokesperson said, “At Hilite we operate two distinct product groups: engine applications and transmission products. We place a very high priority on our investments in R&D in order to maintain our position as the technology leader in our field.”

This year (2014) the company invested in the expansion of its Nürtingen site to become the technological centre for the entire Hilite Group. A space of 4000m2 has been used to create a modern development centre with around 200 employees, including 160 developers. The new centre has been equipped with a sample centre for assembling prototypes under clean room conditions; process engineering facilities; a test facility; application engineering and return part analysis for the diagnosis of customer returned samples.

Hilite is a first-tier supplier to the big global automotive manufacturers and works in close partnership with them to optimise their engine and transmission systems. Its latest double clutch transmission products have been developed in-house and are some of the most advanced products of their kind on the market.

This year saw the introduction of the Flowtronic valve, developed in cooperation with Melecs of Vienna. This is an entire family of valves for which the control electronics are integrated into a magnet. This means that the functionality of the valve control units is represented by a chip in the magnet. The valve can therefore be directly connected to the CAN bus in the vehicle. Because there is an entire family of valves, the different valve functions can be represented by adapting the corresponding hydraulic components on the magnet.

Hilite also invests in the development of systems, including solenoid valves for controlling regulated oil pumps, thermo management of oil and water systems and multi-channel valves with integrated functions like regulating oil pumps and switching piston cooling functions along with a range of innovative products for torque distribution in four-wheel-drive vehicles. “We are also increasing our investments in head-count, which will be rising to more than 1600 in the upcoming years. We will also continue to grow organically in all regions with our operations located in close proximity to our key automotive customers’ manufacturing bases.”

Continuous camphaser technology

Another technological development from Hilite is its continuous cam-phaser that undertakes a smooth relative adjustment of the camshaft dependent upon the load and speed of the engine. These phaser systems receive their oil supply directly from the oil pump of the engine and because of their low leakage they minimise the energy required to perform the adjustments during operation. Hilite camphasers are designed to be able to perform equally efficiently in ‘hot-idle’ mode, at low oil pressure and low oil viscosity, as well as under normal driving conditions. Through its extensive use of aluminium components, Hilite has reduced the total weight of its camphaser system with chain and belt drive. In particular, this lightweight phaser can also reduce the inertial masses involved. This is especially important for small engines where weight and performance are deciding factors in choosing such a system.

Hilite continues to push the technological boundaries when it comes to automotive valve technology with a focus on durability, low weight, variability, modularity, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. n