Chassis & Steering

Intuitive motion control company, Nexteer Automotive, has announced the expansion of its advanced steering technology suite at the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Nexteer’s suite serves as the technology base from which the company offers a combination of steering innovations addressing the evolving role of technology in a semi- and fully automated world.

  Allied Motion Technologies has introduced the WheelMax Steering Series wheel drive assemblies. The steering Drives are fully-integrated, electrically powered traction wheels with on-board steering systems for electric vehicles.

  In addition to components for complete 19” packaging systems, HEITEC has introudced chassis technology that includes instrument cases and system enclosures as well as other accessories. The 19” subracks in the HeiPac Vario series permit a wide range of application options with a minimum of components.

  A modular approach to developing bespoke steering systems specifically aimed at the heavy off-highway vehicle market has been announced at DSEI by Timoney. Designed to be utilised on 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 vehicles, Timoney plans to offer solutions that can be integrated with any independent wheel movement axle system.

South Australian company Supashock has used its expertise in active damping control to design high-quality shock absorbers for the defence industry. Supashock is a well-known name in motor sport and launched its first product in Germany at the 2013 ADAC GT Masters, taking on racing royalty including BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz.

  The A1367 is a field programmable linear Hall-effect current sensor IC, from Allegro MicroSystems Europe, featuring a 240kHz bandwidth, integrated voltage regulator, reverse battery protection, user-selectable ratiometry and uni- or bi-directional output options.

Pixus Technologies has announced a modular 4U chassis platform that is geared for various OpenVPX applications. The Pixus VPX4V180 chassis family features a modular design and various options for adapting for multiple applications. The base chassis is well suited for 3-18 medium powered OpenVPX boards. The unit is very cost-effective and efficient for cooling up to 85W/slot average.

Toshiba has released a BLDC motor pre-driver IC for use in Electric Power Steering (EPS) systems. The TB9081FG features enhanced fail safe and failure detection circuits to achieve a high level of functional safety. With safety-critical automotive systems such as EPS now needing to meet the requirements of ASIL-D, it is vital for these devices to offer comprehensive redundancy and protection systems.

NSK’s latest EPS (Electrical Power Steering) system for the automotive industry differs from previous versions in that it has been developed specifically to conform with the ISO 26262 functional safety standard for road vehicles. Within ISO 26262, safety measures are defined for completed electrical and electronic systems, and the development process.

JSP has announced twin successes arising from its lightweight construction material, ARPRO. The material has been selected by BMW for use in the upward-swinging butterfly door panels of the company's latest menacing supercar, the i8 - a Plug-in Hybrid EV (PHEV). ARPRO has also been chosen for use by Peugeot, in the chassis and frame of its 5-door hatchback, the 308.