Delivering engineering excellence to the

global transmission industry

O ur innovation today; worldsmainstream tomorrow
Dr S. Y. Poon, CEO and Founder
With over 19 yearsexperience at the forefront of driveline and gearbox design, we offer our clientsexpert
engineering consultancy and conceptually advanced software. Asmarket leaders, we have the depth, scope
and experience to ensure your company excelsin these areas.
We work alongside the most prominent engineering companiesin automotive, aerospace, wind, off-highway and
rail industries. In addition we work with cutting edge start-upswho are looking to gain market share. O ur expert
team hasa tailored and flexible approach, working closely with our clientsto meet their individual needs.
Industry Applications
Automotive
Road load data acquisition and dutycycle condensation/definition
Design more reliable and quiet transmissions, drivelinesand axles
Technologytransfer for transmission design and development
Design and optimisation of hybrid drivelines
Testingrigdesign and supply
Identifyroot causesof transmission and driveline noise byanalysisand testing
Solve synchroniser performance and durabilityproblems
Supplyend-of-line NVH qualitytestingsystems
Manufacturingprocessaudit and improvement
Aerospace
Predict bearingbehaviour under extreme load and climate conditions
Analyse high speed dynamiceffectsfor gearsand bearings
Reduce transmission vibration levelsthrough full system dynamicanalyses
O ptimise gearbox weight without compromisingdurability
Wind turbines
Design reliable gearboxesto meet life-time targets
Understand and benchmark operatingload and extreme load conditions
Improve bearingchoice byunique prediction of system and component behaviour
Wind turbine large bearingdesign, analysisand troubleshooting
Detailed investigation of wind turbine drivetrain failures, especiallyon gearboxesand bearings
Off-highway
Bearingselection for heavydutyhydrostaticand powershift transmissions
Predict system and bearingbehaviour under mis-use conditions
Improve bearingchoice byunique prediction of bearingbehaviour
Analyse engine geartrain dynamicsto improve durabilityand reduce engine noise
Accuratelypredict gear misalignment conditionsin-service
Industrial equipment
Design for improved reliabilityin processmachinery, material handling, power take offs, speed
reducersand production line equipment
Improve accuracyof high precision machinerybyunderstandingand predictingsystem and
component deflections
Reduce fatigue failuresin gears, bearingsand shaftscaused byvibration
Reduce failuresin gearsand bearingsdue to precise prediction of in-service misalignments
Meet strict environmental noise targets
Consumer and office appliances
Improve product qualitybyreducingunwanted deflections
Predict changesof workingaccuracyover a productslifespan
Increase product qualitybyreducinggear noise and vibration
Simulation of complex arrangementsof shafts, gearsand bearingsto assesscomplete system durability
Advanced non-linear analysis of wind
turbine pitch bearings
Full dynamic model of an automatic
transmission
Example of an aerospace auxiliary
drive gearbox
Gear rattle simulation
Drivetrain Eigen frequencies
Vehicle drivetrain analysis
Romax Consultancy Expertise
Expert team
O ur strength liesin the abilityto leverage the exceptional talentsof our senior
technical specialistsfor the benefit of our clients. O ur outstandingEngineering
Team isour greatest asset, comprised of an unrivalled combination of advanced
academicexpertise and real-world engineeringexperience. Thishighlyresourceful
team drivesinnovative solutionsfor your products.
Complete service
We consistentlyapplyan integrated approach acrossall that we do it drivesour
design and analysisof drivelinesand transmissionsand isthe foundation of our
approach to consultancy. We offer our clientsa trulycomplete consultancyservice
from product design, through product development to manufacturingmethods.
Successfullycompleted projectsinclude:
turnkeydesign and development
design auditing
virtual prototypingand refinement
technical support
onsite implementation of development processes
Technology transfer
Workingalongside our EngineeringTeam will provide you with much more than
just short term gainsfor the project. We cascade our knowledge and experience
to you to empower your engineerswith cuttingedge proficiencyin design and
development. The longterm benefit hasbeen confirmed byexistingclients, who
have realised sustainable growth achieved through thistransfer of advanced,
practical technology.
Market leading software
RomaxDesigner isthe worldsmost complete virtual product development
environment for the design and optimisation of transmissionsand drivelines. Its
integrated approach speedsup the design evolution process reducingcostsand
time to market and therefore increasingyour competitive advantagesin the
market place. O ur engineeringexpertsuse thisadvanced software to meet clients
needsaspart of our consultancyservice.
Worldwide
An expandingglobal presence enablesusto co-ordinate engineeringprogrammes
locallythrough our officesin UK, China, Germany, India, Japan, Korea and USA.
Provision can be made for our engineersto work onsite or, alternatively, for
groupsof client engineersto work alongside usat the Head O ffice in the UK.
Software
Engineering
Services
Experts
Solving tough
problems can
be difficult
without industry
experts who have
been there
Pure consulting
mode, no software
to allow customers
to develop
internal skills
Superior software technology
lacks technology transfer mechanism
to customer
Epicentre
ideal operating
mode for Romax
cutting edge
tools, services
and expertise
Some of our expert consultants
Example transaxle in deflected shape
Cuttingedge tools, services and expertise
Delivering Engineering Excellence
Benchmarking
All companiesrecognise the need for benchmarkingcompetitors products, but often thisisdone in a way
that risksblind duplication without trulyunderstandingthe product beingbenchmarked. We have developed
innovative techniquesthat give you a true understandingof the product and itsmerits:
Dimensional measurement of componentsand modellingin RomaxDesigner
Extraction of keyperformance and non-dimensional parametersrelatingto deflection, durability, NVH
and efficiency
Extraction of parametersfor each stage of the product life cycle (concept design, detailed design and so on)
Processfor comparison against other transmissionsto identifythe sourcesof differences
Efficiency, NVH and shift qualitytesting
Experience-based critique of design features
Technical support
We offer a technical support package tailored to your needswhich allowsdirect accessto technical experts
in a number of transmission related fields. Thisenablesyou to realise the maximum benefitsof our products
such as:
technical support
technical seminars
onsite troubleshooting
assistance at third partymeetings
staff training
Dynamics
Bycombiningour world-leadinganalytical capabilitieswith a team of consultantswho have yearsof
experience carryingout dynamictestsof transmission systemsand problem solving, we offer:
measurement equipment for loaded transmission error and end-of-line NVH performance
gear rattle testingand problem solving
understandingdriveline transient behaviour through correlatingtest and analysisdata
problem diagnosisthrough processingof test signalsand noise source elimination
condition monitoringand problem detection through vibration measurement and analysis
Example of data extracted byanalytical
benchmarking
Example of vibration measured fromtransmission
duringRomax testing
Concept
design
Wind turbine
Marine, rail,
aerospace
Other
Automotive
Strategic
consulting
Component
supplier
assessment
Market surveys
Assistance in
certification
Detailed
design
Test and
development
Manufacturing
In-service
Hybrid
driveline
optimisation
Failure analysis
and problem
solving
Condition
monitoring
Analysis
against
in-service loads
Gear shift
quality test
equipment
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Throughout the Product Lifecycle
CAE analysis
We use state of the art analysistoolsto assist in the design and development processfor transmission
systems. CAE analysisprovidesa robust, accurate and low cost method of assessingproduct design asan
integrated part of the product development cycle. O ur CAE toolkit includesthe full suite of RomaxDesigner
software and Finite Element (FE) packages.
Transmission system analysisto nominal or measured in-service loads
Non-linear system response to staticloadsand dynamic/shock loads
O ptimisation of component detailed design for durability, noise and manufacturing
Sensitivityof product performance (durability, NVH and so on) to variationsin manufacturingtolerances
Component FE analysisfor stiffness, structural integrity, durabilityand dynamics
Turnkey design projects
Asthe worldwide demand for geared mechanical systemsincreases, transmission manufacturersare facing
the dual challenge of reducingtime-to-market, while simultaneouslydeliveringdurable, quiet, efficient, and
affordable productsto their customers. We use an adaptable, risk-based processto create technically
proficient and practical designswithin the accelerated timeframes. The keystrengthsof our engineersare
the abilityto use:
risk assessment techniquesto define robust development processes
highlyadvanced analytical toolsto reduce risk in the initial design stage
experience-based project management processesand procedures
Development, manufacturing and in-service support
O ur engineershave a vast wealth of experience in developingand manufacturingtransmissionsand
supportingthem in-service. Thisreal-life experience providesan essential contribution to our design projects
and also allowsusto provide servicesthat extend to cover the whole product life cycle, including:
supplyof test rigdesigns, test procedures, test programmesand problem solvingmethodologies
transmission development programmesand problem solving
settingcomponent tolerancesthat are suitable both for manufacturingand product performance
production line qualityassessment and troubleshooting
Experience based design assessment
Durabilityanalysis to full in -service
dutycycle
Understandingthe effect of manufacturing
tolerances on the variation of housing
vibration
Case Study: Feasibility Study and Upgrade Design
Project for Global Passenger Car Manufacturer
The issue
A global car manufacturer approached Romax astheywanted to upgrade their current 104Nm transmission
for a passenger car to be used with a higher torque engine. The client wanted to determine whether it was
feasible to upgrade the design for use with a 120Nm engine.
The approach
We initiallycarried out a feasibilitystudyinto the transmission upgrade which involved RomaxDesigner being
used for gear and bearingdurabilityanalysisto ascertain whether thiswasfeasible. We used their advanced
software to optimise the gear macro-geometryto balance the gear bendingand contact lives. We also
optimised the casingdesign for stiffnessand ease of manufacture. We then optimised the gear micro-
geometryto minimise transmission error and maximise durabilityin the new design.
The results
Romaxsfeasibilitystudymodelled the design of the current transmission and highlighted areaswhere
improvementsand optimisation were possible. Based on the resultsand confidence gained from the
feasibilitystudyRomax then carried out the upgrade design project for the transmission.
Conclusion
After the revised heavydutydesign, the prototype of the 120Nm transmission wastested successfullyand
released in itscountryof manufacture. The new transmission isbeingadopted bythe worldwide
corporation and isnow beingmanufactured in several global sitesin unitsin excessof 1 million per year.
FE differential cage within RomaxDesigner
Tooth contact plot
Deflected transaxle with housing
Dual Clutch Transmissions(DCTs) are currentlyseen asthe crossover technologythat will convert a large
proportion of car ownersfrom manual transmissionsto an automatictransmission, especiallyin Europe &
China. The technologyallowsthe driver to use the transmission asa clutchlessmanual or a full automatic.
There are onlya select few volume producersthat have introduced thistechnologybut manymore
companiesare lookingto develop DCT technology.
Capabilities
With our experience and knowledge of the current range of DCTsunder development and in production,
we are able to investigate possible solutionsquicklyand accurately. O ur software suite RomaxDesigner
generatestransmission modelsto allow the durability, ease of assembly, massand cost to be compared
while our engineeringteam offersthe knowledge and experience to ensure accurate analysisand design
success.
We provide detailed analysisof each option, includinggear misalignment usingour predicted shaft and
bearingdeflections. Thisisfundamental when developingand assessingthe complex bearingarrangement
on the concentricinput shafts.
Basicbearingselection and investigation cannot be carried out byconventional hand calculationsand
RomaxDesigner providesthe capabilities, speed and accuracythat major bearingmanufacturersrelyon.
It isour knowledge and specialist toolsthat provide the insight that allowsour clientsto excel.
Romax offers:
specialist engineeringteam experienced in DCTs
large range of design optionsproduced at speed
accurate benchmarkingagainst other DCT systems
in-house libraryof material fatigue propertiesto provide reliable analysis
proven methodologyfor dutycycle assessment
technical advice on all issuesthat affect transmission systems
expert analysisof data which providesa reliable basisfor design selection
investigation of transient and dynamiceffects
transmission expertise
Dual Clutch Transmissions
Complex loaded deflection of DCT
input shafts
DCT model created byRomax as part of a
customers design project
Comparison of misalignment
against benchmark transmission for
concept selection
Case Study: Training on Bearing Analysisand
Theory for Global Bearing Manufacturer
The issue
A global bearingmanufacturer waslookingto introduce new bearingproductsto the market for varied
applications. However, the engineersusingtheir software simulation and analysistoolsto judge bearing
durabilityand performance lacked the fundamental understandingof the theorybehind the analysis. Without
thistheycould not make experienced judgementson the resultsor assumptionsmade duringcalculation in
order to optimise the new product designsfor advanced performance and durability.
The approach
The bearingmanufacturersengineerswere alreadyusingRomaxDesignersadvanced bearingcapabilities
and could see the benefitsto be gained byworkingcloselywith Romax. There wasa need to develop the
theoretical knowledge within the bearingcompanyto ensure theyhad the necessaryunderstandingto
develop new productsand compete with other major bearingsuppliers. We provided trainingon the
fundamental theoryof bearingsstartingwith deflection, loading, stressand fatigue life methods. More
advanced subjectsfollowed such asfriction, roller skew and misalignment. O ur team of manufacturing
specialists, each with over thirtyyearsexperience in production and metallurgyfor bearings, provided
seminar sessionson more practical aspectsinvolved with bearingtechnologysuch asheat treatment,
manufacturingprocessesand inspection. O verviewsof bearingfailure modesand testingpracticeswere
also covered.
The results
The trainingalso focused on application case studiesso the engineerscould relate the theorytheyhad learnt
to bearinganalysisin practice. RomaxDesigner software wasused bythe traineesto create system models
from different applications, such asmanual and automatictransmissionsand wheel bearings. The trainees
were given the opportunityto develop confidence and experience to discussknowledgeablywith their
engineeringcustomersanybearingperformance issuesrelated to these applications.
Conclusion
The engineersthat have undergone the traininghave integrated back into their design and research teams
and are makinga significant contribution to the development of new productsand enhancingthe companys
analytical skills. The benefit of the traininghasbeen quicklyseen bythe management and regular groupsof
new engineershave been comingto the UK to benefit from the knowledge transfer servicesand advanced
expertise that Romax offers.
Bearinganalysis and theorytraining
at Romax
In the last few years, asawarenessof environmental issueshasgrown,
consumers interest in buyingand drivinggreener carssuch ashybridshas
also grown. Thisethical enthusiasm hasbeen in addition to the increasing
requirementsof CO _ emissionslegislation, however, it maystill not be
sufficient to increase the hybrid vehicle share high enough to reduce the
impact of the overall car fleet on the environment.
To also be attractive to wider consumer groupssuch asAmerican SUV drivers
and Indian economycar owners, hybrid vehiclesmust not onlybe the ethical
choice, but must also become the most economical choice.
While hybrid enginesoffer significant reductionsin fuel consumption and
emissionswhich makesthem more economical to run, and manufacturerscan
enjoya smooth transition from a conventional driveline, the comparison and
ratingof hybrid drivelinescurrentlypresentsmanychallengeswhich keep the
price of hybrid vehicleshigher than conventional vehicles.
The results
Hybrid drivelinesmust be fullyoptimised to achieve their potential and
provide full benefits
Thisoptimisation must take place at both the driveline level and at the
subcomponent level
Varietyof operation modes(includingreversed energyflow in recuperation)
make hybrid systemscomplex
The huge number of possible driveline structuresmakesfindingthe right
solution time consuming
Todays solutions
The conventional approach to hybrid vehicle development involvesrunning
manyvariation simulationsto see the fuel consumption in all relevant
scenarios. Thistime-consumingand costlyapproach can be avoided through
understandingthe affect of internal mechanismson fuel consumption.
Our approach
The RomaxHybrid approach involvesrunninga minimal set of simulation runs
for representative scenarios. The subsequent analysisenablesthe
understandingand prediction of system behaviour in a wide range of different
scenarios. We can support the ratingand selection processof hybrid
configurationsthrough the followingservices:
Comparison of energyflow diagrams
Component or function-wise comparison of efficiencieswith their
sensitivities
Information about the optimisation level
Fuel impact table for different componentsor functions, explainingthe
different fuel consumption
Driveline simulation and energyflow analysis
Hybrid configuration ratingusingenergyflow analysis
Earlygearbox feasibilitystudiesof durabilityand NVH
Gearbox efficiencyoptimisation
Investigation of transient and dynamiceffects
Benefits of using RomaxHybrid
Support for the selection of best hybrid driveline layout
Hybrid concept evaluation and sensitivitystudies
O ptimised system efficiency
O ptimised gearbox in hybrid drivelines
Support for innovation in hybrid concepts
Hybrid Drivelines
A newapproach or analysingenergyflowand efficiencyin hybrid concepts
Driveline configuration ratingusingenergyflowanalysis
About Romax Technology
Romax Technology offersintegrated solutionsfor noise, vibration, harshness[NVH] and bearingsanalysisthrough
software tools, process, training and engineering servicesto major O EM and Tier 1 suppliersin the automotive,
aerospace, wind energy, industrial equipment, rail and marine industriesaround the world.
The companyspioneering full-system flexibility and integrated software package encompasses20 yearsof development
and benchmarking in partnership with major O EMsand extensive research in conjunction with top academic
establishments. Romaxscustomised and off-the-shelf software providescustomerswith the toolsfor right-first-time
transmissionsand driveline design and analysis.
Romax Technologysengineering teamsare integrated with itsadvanced transmission software development and service
offeringsinclude benchmarking, conceptsgeneration, issue investigation and resolution, analysisand detail design
through to production. Romax offersagile issue resolution with a flexible team approach dedicated to individual projects
with execution available remotely in the UK or locally with the customer.
UK Head Office
Rutherford House
Nottingham Science & TechnologyPark
Nottingham
NG7 2PZ
+ 44 (0) 115 951 8800
sales@ romaxtech.com
China - Hangzhou
Romax Technology(Hangzhou) Ltd
10-05 Building1 Huarui Centre
66 Jianshe Yi Road
Xiaoshan
Hangzhou 311215
+ 86 (0) 571 8378 6230
romaxchina@ romaxtech.com
China - Beijing
806
Air China Plaza
No. 36 Xiao Yun Road
Chao YangDistrict
Beijing
100027
+ 86 (0) 10 8447 5055
romaxchina@ romaxtech.com
China - Chongqing
17-4 Room
Future International Mansion
Guanyin Q iao Plaza
JiangBei District
Chongqing
400013
+ 86 (0) 23 6773 4181
romaxchina@ romaxtech.com
India
302, Third Floor
Sai Capital
Senapati Bapat Road
Pune
411016
+ 91 (0) 20 6720 1800
sales_in@ romaxtech.com
France
13 rue LouisGibert
13004
Marseille
+ 33 (0) 6 80 91 82 80
sales_eu@ romaxtech.com
Japan
Romax TechnologyTokyo BusinessCenter
2F Taikai Building
3-23-13 Minami-O oi
Shinagawa-ku
Tokyo
140-0013
+ 81 (0) 3 5767 9400
South Korea
2F Jae-yoon Building
75-3 Yangjae-dong
Seocho-gu
Seoul
137-889
+ 82 (0) 70 7580 6210
sales_kr@ romaxtech.com
North America
Romax TechnologyInc
Suite 380 Columbia Center I
201 West BigBeaver Road
Troy
Michigan 48084
+ 1 (0) 248 250 7691
sales_us@ romaxtech.com
Apr 11