Achieving Cost-Effective Fuel Efficiency

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Fleet Management Systems (FMS)

Applicable Industries

Automotive

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development
Discrete Manufacturing

Use Cases

Vehicle Performance Monitoring
Vehicle Telematics

Services

Hardware Design & Engineering Services
System Integration

The Challenge

The pressure to create more fuel-efficient vehicles is mounting due to a mixture of government regulations and environmentally conscious consumers. One automaker wanted to improve its fuel efficiency by exploring an emerging trend in vehicle design—active grille shutters. These are shutters that are integrated into the vehicle’s front intake grille to alter the flow of air to the engine, promoting cooling when open and fuel-sparing aerodynamics when closed. Active grille shutters are a relatively new technique in automotive design, and they carry some challenges, particularly in safety and durability. For example, the vendor must be confident that a grille won’t get stuck in ways that would affect vehicle performance or overheat the engine.

About The Customer

The customer in this case study is an automaker who is under pressure to create more fuel-efficient vehicles due to a combination of government regulations and a growing demand from environmentally conscious consumers. The automaker is exploring the use of active grille shutters, a relatively new technique in vehicle design, to improve fuel efficiency. These shutters are integrated into the vehicle's front intake grille and can alter the flow of air to the engine, promoting cooling when open and fuel-sparing aerodynamics when closed. However, the implementation of this technology presents challenges in terms of safety and durability, as the shutters must not get stuck in a way that could affect vehicle performance or cause the engine to overheat.

The Solution

The automaker turned to the Flex Sketch-to-ScaleTM ecosystem to help it introduce the active grille shutter design in a safe, reliable and affordable format. Flex used its Mirror Controls International (Flex MCi) subsidiary, which specializes in advanced actuation technology for the active grille shutters to work. The company’s strong focus on research and development has created a unique array of actuators that can be used in various active aerodynamic applications. By working with Flex and Flex MCi from the beginning of the project, the customer created a simple, highly integrated solution with fewer complex parts, beginning with a shutter system that was combined directly into the vehicle’s grille. Flex MCi also made fail-safe operation a fundamental part of the actuator’s design. This defaults the shutter to ‘off’ mode, meaning that if the system loses power or its control signal, the grille air intake would open, eliminating the risk of an overheated engine.

Operational Impact

The client was able to achieve its primary fuel efficiency goals cost-effectively by reducing the drag effect from unnecessary air intake.
The client hit safety targets that are critical in a highly regulated manufacturing sector where the cost of product recalls can run into the millions of dollars.
A more controlled intake of air led to lower noise from the motor, and it also reduced the level of wind noise in the cabin, creating a more pleasant driving experience.