Since Henry Ford officially defined the mass production of automobile products with the assembly line production method more than a hundred years ago, the segmentation and global layout of the automobile industry have also taken shape. With the continuous advancement of automobile technology and the continuous expansion of the scale of the entire automobile industry, the current automobile industry has become another very representative global industrial system. The only thing that can define the country of an automobile product is the brand.
In such a global industrial system, the relationship between parts suppliers and auto companies has also undergone tremendous changes—parts suppliers have mastered most of the core technologies of cars, and what they provide to auto companies is also More tend to be a turnkey service. Under the layout of globalization, auto parts and components enterprises have also realized the optimal utilization of resources, thereby realizing the improvement of market competitiveness.
For example, the electrification road of Dana, a veteran transmission parts company, is a good example.
The history of Dana originated from the production of the cross-axis universal joint in the early 20th century, and became famous in the birth of the classic drive axle in the 1940s. When the era of new energy comes, Dana, which has existed in the automobile market for more than 100 years, also quickly utilizes global resources to realize the transformation of electrification. And this kind of efficient use of global resources is the global electrification industrial system laid out by Dana.
As the cornerstone of Dana’s electrification transformation, Dana first launched a set of electric drive axles based on its own advantageous industries. Then, with a series of acquisitions, the world’s advanced electrification technology was brought into the bag, and a series layout from electric motors, inverters to drive axles was realized.
In the second half of 2018, Dana established a joint venture partnership with Hydro-Québec. According to the agreement, Dana became the largest shareholder of TM4 under Hydro-Québec. As a company with considerable achievements in the field of electric motors, TM4’s core technologies in permanent magnet motors, thermal management systems, coil windings, motors and inverter control algorithms have been incorporated by Dana and integrated with electric drive axles. It has formed a complete set of solutions for motor drive systems, engineering and manufacturing solutions. This also makes Dana the only supplier that can provide motor drive solutions in the end market.
At the Shanghai International Auto Show in April this year, the TM4 MOTIVETM motor and inverter released by Dana are the products after this acquisition. This system has high space compatibility. The weight of the whole combination is 50 kg, and it can be expanded to a rated power output of 150 kW and a level of 11,000 rpm. It can provide new energy solutions for small passenger cars with transverse engine front-wheel drive platforms alone, and new energy electric drive solutions for mid-to-high-end passenger cars with longitudinal engine rear-wheel drive platforms.
In January 2019, Dana announced the completion of the acquisition of the Italian SME Group. The core strength of SME Group lies in the design, development and production of low-voltage AC induction motors and reluctance synchronous motors, inverters and controllers widely used in off-highway electric vehicles. The addition of low-voltage motor and inverter technology has enabled Dana Group to further expand from traditional road vehicles to the demand for electrification development of off-road equipment in the field of electrification.
After the integration of TM4 and SME Group, Dana’s flagship Spicer series of electric drive products has also formed a product line consisting of TM4 electric motors and inverters and SME low-voltage motors and inverters. The application of products The range has also been extended to 250 kW.
After completing the industrial layout of electric motors, Dana completed the acquisition of the Oerlikon Group’s Transmission System Division, including its Graziano and Fairfield brands. Dana then offers high-precision gears, planetary drives for wheeled and tracked vehicles, and automotive electrification solutions. In particular, the acquisition of planetary drive technology has enabled Dana to further tap the potential in the field of hybrid power.
Thanks to this series of acquisitions, Dana’s production system around the world has also been greatly improved. For example, the acquisition of SME Group and Oerlikon Group’s Transmission System Division allowed Dana to add five new factories in China. It has an electrified production system including SEM AC motors, inverters, controllers, electric drive planetary gear reducers, and electric axles. With a complete set of production capacity covering the new energy power industry, localized and efficient production has been realized.
In this way, Dana’s electrification industry layout has formed a complete R&D system covering North America and Europe based on global superior resources at the technical level, as well as a localized production system corresponding to various markets. With a global layout, the most advantageous resources have been integrated most efficiently. The TM4 MOTIVETM motor and inverter released at this year’s Shanghai International Auto Show have been delivered to customers for testing and are expected to be officially put into production in China in 2020.
The future Chinese market will be Dana’s key target market. The layout in the field of electric drive axles enables Dana to have the ability to solve technical solutions for pure electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid at the same time. According to Dana executives, “From the perspective of the development of new energy vehicles in the world, there is still a lot of room for development of hybrid technology.” This also shows that Dana is analyzing calmly with a global perspective. The development route of the global new energy industry.
