FIAT GRANDE PUNTO

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THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTION OF THE FIAT GROUP'S COMPANIES
 

To achieve its goal, the company deployed its best resources and ensured that maximum quality and reliability standards were applied throughout the product development and construction process. It also developed a profitable co-operative relationship with its outside suppliers and some Group Companies including Fiat Powertrain Technologies, Teksid, Magneti Marelli, Elasis, Comau and Centro Ricerche Fiat. The work done produced the many innovative solutions that make the Grande Punto the new benchmark for its category.

Fiat Powertrain Technologies

Fiat Powertrain Technologies developed the complete engine control system for the 1.2 8v and 1.4 8v Fire petrol engines for the Grande Punto (ECU, intake manifold with throttle valves, injectors, petrol pipes and sensors). The electronic control unit, mounted on the engine, is of a new generation. For the diesel engines, it supplied the "heart" of the system governing the new 75 bhp and 90 bhp 1.3 Multijet engines (software and hardware for the electronic control unit). The company's contribution where engine control is concerned also included the development of the power assisted gearbox for the petrol and diesel versions.

Founded early in 2005, Fiat Powertrain Technologies is a new industrial company located in Turin that draws together the Group's capacity for innovation and its experience in the field of engines and gearboxes. A new business that is open to the outside world. Present in 12 countries with 26 plants and 16 research and development centres, the company has absorbed the resources, employees and activities of Fiat Auto Powertrain, Iveco Powertrain, Magneti Marelli Powertrain, Iveco Motoren Forschung and the Powertrain activities of Centro Ricerche Fiat and Elasis.

Fiat Powertrain Technologies began operations with sales of over Euro 6 billion, over 20% of which to external customers, and is expected to develop considerably in the future. It can count on over 23,000 employees, 11,000 of whom from Fiat Auto, 7,200 from Iveco, 3,800 from Magneti Marelli Powertrain, and over 1,000 from Centro Ricerche Fiat, Iveco Motoren Forschung and Elasis.

With an annual output of over 2,200,000 engines and about 2,000,000 gearboxes, and a very broad range in terms of power outputs and applications, Fiat Powertrain Technologies plays an important role in the automotive world. And we cannot ignore the fact that being able to rely on such a large number of state-of-the-art research and engineering centres will bring considerable advantages to the development of innovative products that are highly competitive in terms of performance and cost. The activities are managed in the following strategic areas:

- development of markets outside the Fiat Group;
- enhancement of the centres of technological excellence and systematic transfer of the results to the product range;
- integration of engineering capabilities from the product development stage to experimentation, and management of operating products;
- synergies in the industrialisation and manufacturing processes;
- synergies in purchasing, thanks to innovation, technological rationalisation and higher volumes;
- focus investment on the research and development of environment-friendly engines: methane, hybrid, fuel-cell.

Teksid

The crankcase and crankshaft for the 1.2 8-valve and 1.4 8-valve Fire engines, and the crankcases for the 1.3 and 1.9 Multijet engines, are produced in the Crescentino (Vercelli) foundry.

Magneti Marelli

Magneti Marelli has made an important technological contribution to the development of the Grande Punto, developing innovative systems and components as it has for other recent Fiat Auto models. All the business lines were involved in the project, starting from the exterior, for which Automotive Lighting designed the red rear lights (brake lights, side lights and direction indicators) which are positioned at the top of the car at the sides, linking the roof, the sides and the tailgate, and providing a strong stylistic imprint. The foglights were designed using the latest technologies and they blend perfectly with the styling of the Grande Punto, becoming a distinctive stylistic feature of the front.

Comfort in the passenger compartment is enhanced by the two control panels that Magneti Marelli developed for different outfits. The basic panel features a segment/alphanumerical monochrome LCD display which shows the main data regarding the trip, the set-up and the operation of the car. It also includes a speedometer and electronic rev counter, fuel level gauge, engine coolant temperature, and a B-Can connection to exchange data with the rest of the vehicle and the diagnostic system. The 'high line' version has a monochrome dot matrix display, which shows the pictograms of the navigation system when this is present. The Grande Punto also adopts a hands-free telephone kit which can interface with mobile phones and other devices with Bluetooth technology, by connecting the mobile phone to the car's wireless system and exploiting the onboard audio system.

Fiat entrusted the development of the suspension system to Magneti Marelli; it is based on the classic layout of MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion axle at the rear. The technological commitment was distributed in various parts of the world, involving research and manufacturing centres in Italy, Brazil and Poland. A crossbeam and a wishbone that guarantee performance worthy of segment C at extremely competitive costs were developed in Turin. Machining operations will take place in the Italian plants of Rivalta and Sulmona, and panelling in Melfi, where the suspension is assembled using new manufacturing concepts that adapt to customers' daily requirements.

Magneti Marelli has developed the complete exhaust system for all the Grande Punto engines ('hot end' system linked to the engine, and 'cold end' system linked to the floorpan). The most significant novelty regards the system created for the 1.2 and 1.4 8-valve engines, which comprises a semi-shell steel manifold and a compact catalytic converter; it respects Euro 4 standards and adopts particular engine control and calibration strategies to reduce consumption.

Elasis

Elasis' contribution to the development of the Grande Punto regarded three main areas:

  • fine-tuning and use of the 'Hardware In the Loop Virtual Car' simulator to test the software of the braking system control units (ABS and ESP versions) and the petrol engine controls (1.2 and 1.4 FIRE);
  • support to manufacturing start-up in the Melfi plant;
  • co-design with suppliers, approval and certification of all the petrol engine control units and the control units of the robotised gearboxes (not available at the launch).

    Where the first area is concerned, we should underline that the Grande Punto is Fiat Auto's first car to benefit from a new test methodology based on an HIL simulator and known as 'Virtual Car'. It is a highly complex system which has taken three years to develop, and is the state of the art for tests to verify the integration of the electronic control unit, checking that the various electronic systems on the vehicle interact correctly.

    This verification is not only performed in nominal test conditions, but also in extreme conditions that cannot be created on the car (for example, breakage of a sensor while the car is taking a corner at 100 km/h).  The test sequence can be carried out automatically, so it is possible to perform several test cycles gradually modifying certain parameters (such as the vehicle speed), and verifying the robustness of the software in greater detail. Automation makes it possible to reduce verification times or to perform more test cycles in the same amount of time. All of which has obvious advantages for product quality. In just a few months, 40 software bugs were filtered out, which it would have been difficult to intercept with standard test instruments.

    The second area involved technicians and experts in electrical and electronic problems; they worked alongside their colleagues at Fiat Auto to diagnose the anomalies found on the cars that underwent the TOC test (from the customer's viewpoint) and the RG (Reliability Growth) tests.
     
    In the third area, Elasis worked in co-design with suppliers, developing, approving and certifying the software of several control units: petrol engine controls of the Fire 1.4 (with variable valve timing) and Fire 1.2 engines, and of the Selespeed M20 and C514 robotised gearboxes (not available at the launch).

    The innovative features, which are the result of both the vehicle's unusual architectures (the first and only time it has been used by the Fiat Group) and the presence of continuous variable valve timing (the only case in Europe on an 8v engine), entailed the constant commitment of highly qualified personnel. This made it possible to reach ambitious objectives in terms of functionality, sturdiness, performance and consumption. And finally, part of the approval tests were performed using Hardware in the Loop simulators for individual sub-systems; the main advantages of using these tools are the same as those of the Virtual Car.

    Comau

    Comau has always been Fiat Auto's partner for the development of car production systems, and it was involved in all stages of the Grande Punto project.
     

  • Fiat Grande Punto
    Fiat Grande Punto
    Fiat Grande Punto

    Fiat Grande Punto

    Fiat Grande Punto

    Fiat Grande Punto


    To start with, the Product and Process Engineering Business Unit collaborated with the Engineering department to define the vehicle's layout and architecture, to develop the chassis and bodywork and all the mechanical systems for the chassis (car suspension, engine suspension, drive shafts, brakes, exhaust, fuel system, controls, steering, pedals, cooling and air conditioning). Subsequently, it adopted its own calculation methods to carry out virtual validation of the facia and the related assembly methodologies. After sophisticated technical analysis, virtual simulation and calculation to optimise the product, Comau built the dies used to manufacture the facia.

    Comau's Sheet Metal Dies and Plastic Moulds Business Units developed the manufacturing dies for the front bumper and central pillar, and the prototype tools to fit the front bumper and bonnet. The Welding Systems Business Unit built the assembly lines for the entire bodyshell and related subassemblies. We should underline the use of three remote laser welding systems (Agilasertm) to weld the internal skeleton of the mobile parts.

    A total of 310 new generation SMARTm robots were used on the assembly lines. Robotised solutions were developed using different models of Comau's robot range: the SMART NH4, the top of the Comau Robotics spot welding range, featuring "hollow wrist" technology (containing all the wires, extremely efficient performance, outstanding flexibility and 100% off-line programming), the SMART NH1 for manipulation and aesthetic spread applications, and the SMART NS for arc welding. And finally, it prepared assembly lines for the automatic coupling of the mechanical organs with the painted bodyshell.

    Centro Ricerche Fiat

    The Multijet engine

    The new 1.3 Multijet diesel engine and the relative control system were created by CRF in the late 90s, together with the engine control strategies which make this engine unique in performance, consumption and emissions. The Multijet system is protected by over 30 international patents.

    The excellent performance and the simultaneous, substantial reduction in emissions of CO2 and other harmful gases are the result of a combination of factors: - the adoption of a second generation Common Rail technology (Multijet); - the design of a cylinder head with 4 valves per cylinder and high swirl values; - the optimisation of the combustion chamber. During the design stage, advanced calculation techniques and three-dimensional simulation were used extensively for the fluid dynamics, injection and combustion processes, which are the cornerstones of the engine's operating system.

    Painstaking design of the structural part of the engine and carefully targeted experimentation, combined with the potential of the Multijet technology made it possible to guarantee not only complete reliability of the engine over a long period, but also excellent acoustic comfort which is indispensable to achieve a high level of comfort in the car.

    An innovative telematic system

    The Grande Punto will be one of the first cars from Fiat Auto to offer an innovative telematic system developed by Fiat and Centro Ricerche Fiat. The basic version of the system (which will be available at the launch of the car), incorporates the functions of a Bluetooth hands-free device with an evolved, comprehensive voice interface.

    The high quality of the voice interface has been achieved using innovative methodologies developed by CRF to experiment and verify Voice Control Systems. These methodologies make it possible to optimise the performance and usability of synthesis and voice recognition systems necessary to interact with the car's info-telematic systems.

    CRF methodologies

    To build a revolutionary engine, innovative systems and, more generally, successful cars, a company needs innovative methodologies that make it possible to interpret the customer's wish for distinctive comfort and performance that differ from those of the competition, low consumption and emissions in all conditions, and the highest levels of safety, quality and reliability. To do this, CRF has developed new methodologies and has transferred them to the Fiat Teams who designed and developed the Grande Punto.

    CAE methodologies for multi-objective analysis of the chassis

    CRF provided CAE support for the development of the entire chassis, particularly to meet the performance targets in the fields of fatigue resistance and NVH quality. The chassis' resistance to fatigue was developed and calculated, virtually simulating the typical missions that cause fatigue using FEM models that are already employed for experimental bench testing; subsequent experimental verification confirmed the results of the calculations.

    The close consistency between the calculations and the experimental results, was achieved by combining multi-body calculation methodologies (dynamic simulation of the car in its mission) and FEM calculation methodologies (structural calculation of stress and fatigue damage).

    Where NVH is concerned, CRF's contribution regarded the elements perceived by the customer in particular. This covers the virtual test activities related to steering wheel vibration (crossbeam and steering column), engine noise (structural changes to the anchorage area) and advancement noise (suspension blocks and bushes). The approach was based on the use of FEM calculation models, and the related optimisation processes, and was supported during validation by dedicated experimental protocols, making it possible to control the development of the most critical subassemblies and to follow their evolution right down to the final tests on prototypes. The reliability of the numerical methodologies used made it possible to identify improvements and to then engineer them, within a panorama of extremely stringent constraints (weight, technological feasibility and more), related to the many performance values demanded of the component under examination.
     

    • The Quality Indices (IQ), which make it possible to link the vehicle's technical characteristics with the customer's perception, and therefore to design a car with the user in mind, consistent with the company's brand values.

    • Target setting-deployment-achieving targets, which start from the set customer objectives and translates them into technical design objectives for the various systems on the vehicle: engine, suspension, bodyshell, interior, etc..

    • Multidiscipline structural optimisation, which makes it possible to optimise the project with efficient structures, maximising performance and minimising weight.

    • Crash and biomechanical methodologies ensure that the passenger cells effectively protect the occupants and that the front of the car is compatible with vulnerable subjects (pedestrians, cyclists, etc.), respecting the demands of current and future legislation.

    • Computational fluid dynamics make it possible to optimise the exterior aerodynamics of the vehicle to benefit fuel consumption and aerodynamic noise, but also to define interior comfort and well-being in terms of climate and air quality.

    • NVH methods (Noise-Vibration-Harshness) that minimise noise and vibration, making the passenger compartment comfortable and quiet in all conditions, reducing stress, to the benefit of the driver's health and attention.

    • Vehicle handling methodologies, a hallmark of Fiat, Lancia and Alfa cars, have made it possible to achieve an enjoyable, predictable drive in all speed, manoeuvring and grip conditions, through painstaking design of the suspension and controls (steering, brakes, etc.).

    • Physical and cognitive ergonomics, supported by the Virtual Reality laboratory, are employed in the correct design of the interior space and systems (seat, facia, etc.), the primary and secondary controls, the mobile parts and the communication interfaces, which establish the interaction between the driver and the vehicle from the design stage.

    In addition to the methodologies: an innovative manufacturing process

    In Melfi, three Comau AGILASER systems weld the skeleton of the front and rear doors of the Grande Punto. In the late 1990s, research into new applications for laser technologies, conducted by CRF specialists, led to a joint project between Fiat Auto and Iveco, to evaluate the technical and economic aspects of the potential applications of remote laser welding. CRF and Comau then promoted a project to develop the technology, involving other leading companies in the laser systems field. The skills and activities developed by Comau specialists were decisive to achieve the flexibility, productivity and reliability in the manufacturing field that basically represent the competitive advantage of the AGILASER system.

    The evolution of laser technology made it possible to develop high productivity and high efficiency welding systems that use the properties of the laser to weld bodywork sub-assemblies. These systems do not need optic fibres or robots to transport the laser beam, which is directed at the spot being treated by means of mirrors. Because there is no significant inertia, it is possible to reduce the time necessary to move the laser beam from one weld spot to another to a bare minimum.

    This means a significant reduction in the time for each cycle and in the areas occupied compared to resistance spot welding; a further benefit is obtained in terms of the product; because there is no welding calliper, the shape of the join can be optimised on the basis of the stress (in addition to circular welds, it is possible to make linear welds of different lengths), which improves resistance and lightens components. As a whole, the innovations that CRF has transferred to Fiat Auto, and which are contained in the new model, are protected by over 50 patents (including the Multijet patents).