GKN DRIVELINE INTRODUCES TWO NEW TORQUE MANAGEMENT DEVICES

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – GKN Driveline is launching two new torque management products in North America this year.

Available on three new 2007-model DaimlerChrysler vehicles, GKN Driveline’s new power transfer unit (PTU) for all-wheel-drive vehicles is both lighter and stronger than previous designs while reducing noise, harshness and vibration.

Also debuting this year as standard equipment on one manufacturer’s four-wheel-drive model, GKN Driveline’s electronic differential lock (EDL) gives off-road vehicle owners the ease of push-button activation.

“The start up of U.S. production lines for these two new products represents an important step forward for GKN Driveline Torque Technology Group in North America,” says Brad Murphy, business development director for GKN Driveline’s Torque Technology Group in the Americas. “We use state-of-the-art ‘face-hobbing’ technology to cut the PTU’s hypoid drive gears, which increases the unit’s power density and lowers our manufacturing costs.”

An integral part of all-wheel-drive vehicle systems, the PTU transfers engine torque (power) to the vehicle’s rear wheels to improve traction – a situation that might occur under snowy, icy or wet road conditions.

The result of a two-and-a-half-year development program with DaimlerChrysler and Mitsubishi, GKN Driveline is manufacturing DaimlerChrysler’s PTUs at its Bowling Green, Ohio plant. The company began production of the new PTU for Mitsubishi last September at a facility in Nagoya, Japan.

Made for two- and four-wheel-drive vehicles, GKN Driveline’s EDL eliminates the need for air pumps, mounting brackets and tubing that are subject to damage under severe off-road driving conditions. The system is activated by the driver at the push of a button but also automatically disengages when the vehicle is traveling at higher speeds.

Caught in ruts, mud or snow, vehicles equipped with the EDL can be rocked back and forth in a virtually seamless manner without disengaging the “locker” to shift from forward to reverse. More conventional systems have to unlock when moving between forward and reverse, an uncomfortable situation for the driver that also places added stress on a vehicle’s rear axle.

“Electronic systems clearly represent the future in automotive design; our new EDL is safer to operate, locks faster and responds better than pneumatic systems and other competitive designs for off-road vehicles,” Murphy notes. “With a rugged four-pinion-gear design, our electronic ‘locker’ is lighter and requires less package space than current products – features that appeal to development engineers.

“The EDL also is lockable up to more than a 200 rpm speed difference between two wheels on the same axle.”

The new EDL is stronger than most competitive products and operates more smoothly and quietly as well, Murphy adds.

GKN’s EDL first debuted on Nissan’s Titan, Frontier and Xterra light pickup trucks currently on sale in the United States. Not only will the EDL be available as standard equipment on one American manufacturer’s vehicles, but it will also be offered as an option on several other models.

A second U.S. auto manufacturer will introduce a version of the EDL on one of its 2008-model light trucks. Other leading automakers in Europe and North America are evaluating EDL systems for future product applications.

GKN Driveline recently completed a multi-million-dollar renovation of the Bowling Green plant to prepare for production of the PTU and EDL units and to optimize its lean manufacturing capabilities. There are plans to add a second shift to the plant’s PTU assembly line early next year.

GKN Driveline acquired the Bowling Green plant as part of its 2005 acquisition of Tochigi Fuji Sanyo, a Japanese-based automotive supplier.

GKN Driveline is a global enterprise with 21,000 people working at more than 40 locations in over 30 countries. The company recorded sales of $3.8 billion in 2005. Recognized as the auto industry’s leader in the design and production of driveline components, GKN Driveline provides driveline solutions for the smallest front-wheel-drive vehicles up to the most sophisticated four-wheel-drive models. The company has a commanding share of the global market for CVJ (constant velocity joint) sideshafts and also is a leading global producer of all-wheel-drive PTUs (power transfer units) and torque management devices.