EVs and the need for precision

Issue #186, Jan 30, 2023

A recent visit to Carl Zeiss' local industrial metrology division was an eye opener for the precision needs of the electric vehicle (EV) industry. It is used for extensive micron, nano level non-contact, non-destructive testing. Precision measurement will be required not just for failure analysis, but proactively at all stages starting from manufacture. Sale of industrial robots hit a record in 2022 in Japan, driven by labor shortage and the EV shift. A cutting tool maker in Japan is looking at getting into precision tools to cater to the EV market. The shift to EVs is placing new specification challenges for bearings and component makers. Auto makers are gearing up to prepare their dealers for the EV wave. Software and not power trains will be the differentiating factor for EVs. IIT Madras in India is building a hyperloop test track for cargo. It will be the world's largest hyperloop test facility when completed. Below are some recent EV updates.

EV push and automation

Orders for industrial robots from Japanese manufacturers hit a record 955.8 billion yen ($7.35 billion) in 2022, up 1.6% from the previous year, the Japan Robot Association said recently, citing data from association member companies. Strong demand for production line automation due to the global labor shortage and the shift to EVs underpinned the growth in orders, capping three consecutive years of increases. - Nikkei Asia

Precision tools for EVs

Japanese industrial tool maker OSG aims to increase production of micro-precision machine tools for EVs and chipmaking equipment as it looks for new areas of growth. The company's core business is making "tap" cutting tools. Its high-precision capability has made OSG an important player in the automotive and aircraft industries. It controls 60% of the Japanese market and over 30% worldwide in its core business. - Nikkei Asia

EVs and bearings

The automotive industry is undergoing a technology transformation from ICE to EV. This transformation is placing new specification challenges on the use of bearings, and impacting the tier-1 and 2 automotive component manufacturers and suppliers. It is essential, therefore, that the bearing manufacturers understand the technical challenges being faced by OEMs and tier-1 suppliers to develop application-specific solutions that meet the demanding vehicle and aggregate technological requirements - ET Auto

Preparing dealers for EVs

Auto makers face an existential question: how best to bring franchised auto dealers along with them as they transition to EVs. Some, such as General Motors are asking luxury dealers to go all-in on EVs or get out of the business. Others like Ford are offering dealers different “EV-certification” levels, while most other carmakers, or OEMs, know they need to change the sales process to fit the evolving industry, but are still trying to figure out how to do it. - CNBC

Software - the secret to EV success

There’s a common misconception about what makes EVs so disruptive. Automakers have long considered their core technology to be the powertrain—essentially the engine and transmission. For all of the components they bought from suppliers, it was a pretty safe bet that premium carmakers in particular would assemble the powertrain themselves. That, they thought, is what set them apart. EVs are changing that, not because electric powertrains are better. In fact, they are no longer the differentiator. It is the experience of driving and the software behind it. - Bloomberg

Hyperloop for Cargo

A team of engineers at IIT Madras and a startup have come together to build India's first cargo hyperloop system. A 400-metre track, in a tube of 2-metre diameter, will be constructed in IIT Madras' new 'Discovery Campus' near Chennai. According to Prof. Satya R Chakravarthy, Faculty Advisor, once ready, the 400-metre test track will be the world's largest hyperloop test facility. - ET Auto