Flexplate

General Motors

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Details

Category: General Motors

Published: Wednesday, 25 July 2012

Flexplate Project

Transense continues to make progress with the development of the torque drive-line ‘flexplate’ sensor in cooperation with General Motors (“GM”). The flexplate project for evaluation of Transense’s patented Surface Acoustic Wave (“SAW”) torque sensor technology began in 2004. Originally developed for use in eight-cylinder engines, General Motors has expanded the project to also include its four and six-cylinder family of engines. As part of this process Transense has successfully negotiated a variation of the otherwise exclusive licence to Honeywell, permitting Transense to deal directly with various named companies including General Motors’ preferred Tier 1 suppliers.

The flexplate is an integral part of the vehicle powertrain control system and has the potential to improve vehicle driveability, reduce fuel consumption and improve transmission shift quality. As far as the Company is aware, this will be the first time a propulsion system has been able to measure engine torque ‘live’, enabling optimal control to be maintained throughout a vehicle’s life. Current torque management systems rely on simulated models derived from production engine testing which can differ from the actual engine torque output over time. The new flexplate technology provides continuous real-time torque measurement allowing actual torque measurement on a per-vehicle basis for maximisation of engine efficiency.

General Motors is currently evaluating further applications of the technology for real-time vehicle control.

General Motors Company (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM), one of the world's largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908.  With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 209,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands:  Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Russia. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services