BorgWarner says it is ready for the future of mobility with the opening of its newest high-tech lab at its Noblesville Technical Center in Noblesville, Indiana. The technical center, a key facility in BorgWarner’s mission to develop clean, energy-efficient propulsion systems, enables the company to develop, build, test and validate prototypes of its electric product portfolio under one roof, creating cost synergies, increasing cross-functional collaboration, and improving efficiency throughout the product development and testing process.
BorgWarner’s Noblesville Technical Center lab will be focused on the development of motors and power electronics for the light vehicle and commercial vehicle markets. Engineers will have the ability to build, calibrate and test the heart of electric propulsion systems for quick feedback to design and analysis teams. Housing the entire range of engineering and development disciplines together in the same location creates advantages for BorgWarner, including the reduction of down time during the design process while fostering greater levels of collaboration.
“Having engineering, testing and prototype together under one roof is a competitive advantage as we move toward a highly technical and electrified future,” said Dr. Stefan Demmerle, president and general manager, BorgWarner PowerDrive Systems. “The ability to streamline processes and improve design collaboration and responsiveness amongst engineering and prototyping will be reflected in future technologies developed at Noblesville.”
The 40,000 square-foot lab will be home to many newly built electric components that will be used in both hybrid and electric vehicles. The company says the lab expands BorgWarner’s hybrid and electric capabilities by providing a space where real-world conditions can be generated, and updates can be made to progress the most advanced technologies in the industry in a much shorter timeframe.
The Noblesville lab is designed to maximize space utilization; it moved all non-critical equipment such as high voltage cabinets, isolation transformers, and battery simulators, to an equipment platform, reserving space on the main floor for additional test cells. The interior insulated walls are modular allowing for quick and easy layout changes creating an agile building infrastructure for the future.
BorgWarner equipped the facility with the entire scope of motor manufacturing equipment, which enables the prototype phase to emulate the production process and uncover lessons that can be transferred to the manufacturing plant responsible for mass production. This equipment includes wire formers, slot liner insertion, wire insertion, laser welding, varnishing and end of line testing.
The opening of this new High-Tech lab is consistent with BorgWarner’s aim to strengthen its power electronics products, capabilities and scale to be a leader in electrified propulsion systems.
Click here to view a video on the new lab.
