DETROIT – Vibracoustic is known in the automotive industry for its innovative vibration-control solutions, products not visible to drivers or passengers.
Our products are, however, essential when it comes to vehicle comfort, safety and durability. They are products that affect noise, vibration and harshness, (NVH), and can be found virtually everywhere on a car – from the engine to the exhaust system, throughout the entire chassis and in the steering system. Vibracoustic products absorb vibration and reduce noise, even while improving handling.
Current industry trends favor improved driving dynamics, lower emissions, increased performance, lighter weight and more comfort – all at reduced costs. This places higher demands on car manufacturers – and in turn on engineers at Vibracoustic. With our intelligent solutions, we help to maintain a balance in car manufacturing. Whether it is noise due to engine downsizing, start-stop function, cylinder deactivation, or electric vehicles with silent operation and new types of high-frequency noise, we understand our customers’ needs and respond to them by offering a wide range of automotive anti-vibration solutions.
At this year’s North American International Auto Show, we showed three key products to customers: 1). a tube-in-tube prop-shaft decoupling system, which makes hybridization of existing architectures easier; 2). an overrunning damper-isolator pulley, which helps to reduce emissions, and 3). air spring suspension systems with benefits for fully electric vehicles, as well as high-performance and family vehicles.
Tube-in-Tube Prop-Shaft Decoupling
With the innovative Tube-in-Tube system, Vibracoustic has succeeded in incorporating the functionality of a flexible coupling into a prop shaft with virtually no additional packaging requirements. This offers unprecedented levels of freedom with regard to packaging in vehicles with limited installation space. With specific design customizations, the Tube-in-Tube unit also can be used as a crash element, absorbing energy in a well-defined manner in the event of an accident.
Overrunning Damper-Isolator Pulley
Low auxiliary-belt tension can lead to significant improvements in CO2 efficiency in today’s start-stop engines. However, this also involves the risk of belt sagging, which needs to be prevented at all costs. Vibracoustic’s overrunning damper isolator pulley prevents sagging and flapping of the belt and thus ensures consistent belt tension in every driving situation.
Air-Spring Suspension Systems
Air-spring suspensions are becoming more and more popular in premium vehicle segments to fulfill demands for improved comfort, as well as optimized driving dynamics. New and established electric vehicle manufacturers also are adopting air-spring suspensions for fully electric vehicles.
Frank Mueller is the chief executive officer of the Freudenberg Group’s Vibracoustic business unit. He previously had served as vice president and general manager of TRW Automotive Global Occupant Safety Systems. He has a master’s degree in economics from ESB Business School in Reutlingen, Germany, working in partnership with Middlesex University in London, England.
