AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – BorgWarner United Transmission Systems Co. Ltd., a BorgWarner majority-held joint venture with 12 leading Chinese automakers in Dalian, China, recently started delivery of its DualTronic control modules and clutch modules with integral torsional dampers for SAIC Motor Corp.’s new six-speed wet dual-clutch transmission (DCT). This is the first developed completely in-house by a domestic Chinese automaker.
Introduced at the 15th annual Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (Auto Shanghai) in April, the transmission improves shift quality, durability and reliability, according to BorgWarner, and debuts in the Roewe 550 midsize sedan in 2013. SAIC Motor plans to equip additional models, including the Roewe 350 and 750, with BorgWarner’s wet dual-clutch technology in the future.
"After several years of development efforts, we have taken an important step to establish our DualTronic wet-clutch technology in the fast-growing dual-clutch transmission market in China," said Robin Kendrick, president and general manager, BorgWarner Transmission Systems. "BorgWarner is pleased to support our Chinese joint venture partners with our high-performance DCT technology, which provides improved fuel economy and a dynamic driving experience."
BorgWarner’s DualTronic clutch module uses two wet clutches to engage the odd and even gears respectively, allowing shifts within fractions of a second with no perceived interruption of powerflow. BorgWarner’s DualTronic control module employs low-leakage electro-hydraulic solenoids to precisely control the clutch and the transmission’s gearshift actuation system for responsive shifting and dynamic performance. Featuring tunable launch characteristics, high thermal robustness, scalable torque capacity and a compact package, BorgWarner’s dual-clutch technology delivers fuel economy that rivals single-clutch automated gearboxes and shift quality that rivals the best conventional automatic transmissions, according to the company.
Both DualTronic modules are being built at the BorgWarner United Transmission Systems plant in Dalian, China, and include components from BorgWarner plants and joint ventures in Beijing and Shanghai.
