Envalior and KOKI deliver a highly efficient lightweight automotive shift fork made with ForTii ® ACE

Envalior announces that it has partnered with KOKI TECHNIK Transmission Systems GmbH, a leading Transmission Shifting Systems manufacturer, to deliver a shift fork used within an E-Powertrains Decoupling Unit. KOKI chose ForTii® ACE PPA for its shift fork application because the material offers extreme high stiffness up to 160°C, design freedom and maximum wear resistance without the need for additional bushings.

KOKI’s main objective for its shift fork application was to make it lightweight with high stiffness and maximum wear resistance. KOKI also wanted to reduce cost of the application when compared to a heavily machined aluminium part.

ForTii® ACE is a competitive material—with its overall technical characteristics—when it comes to the substitution of aluminium components within decoupling units used in E-Powertrains as well as regular transmissions, according to Ron Krotwaar, Advanced Development Expert, Lightweight Solutions for Envalior.

“Nearly all functionalities—assembly interfaces, gearing and detection systems—can be integrated in a well designed component made from a thermoplastic GF-reinforced compound without additional processes. As a result, potential cost savings can be achieved,” said Martin Wollenberg, Head of Business Development at KOKI. “With its superior performance at competitive material costs, ForTii® ACE allows a successful substitution of aluminium components with well designed composite solutions.”

With KOKI’s advanced CAE simulations, plus Envalior’s CAE services and predictive technologies, the two companies worked as a team to further improve the accuracy of KOKI’s advanced simulations. Envalior provided technical support and services to optimize the geometry for mechanical performance and processing when designing the shift fork. The KOKI / Envalior team worked together on anisotropic material behavior and material models. Plus, they shared knowledge and experiences about simulating and interpreting results. In addition Envalior supported KOKI with viscosity measurements.

“The team captured the material’s behaviour and understood how to process the results specifically for Envalior’s ForTii® ACE MX53 material,” said Krotwaar. “The KOKI and Envalior team enabled a more robust part performance and design to the safe limits. With Envalior’s deep material knowlegde and experience with material behaviour, Envalior enabled KOKI to readjust product design, simulation and tooling where needed, to get the best out of the material’s performance.”