Benchmarking

Benchmarking is essential to understand the 'state of the art' and assess competitor attributes, technologies and design philosophies.


Our Approach

MAHLE Powertrain offers a complete service for the benchmarking of all powertrain aspects, from single component design assessments through to whole vehicle attribute testing.

• Innovative, cost effective solutions
• Tailored to customer objectives
• Extensive engine and vehicle benchmarking experience
• Comprehensive database for comparative assessment
• Access to MAHLE's detailed component knowledge

Our Tools, Facilities and Services

• Design support using the customers native Computer Aided Design (CAD) package for complex instrumentation installations or specialist modifications required for testing.
• Dedicated vehicle build workshop, and secure vehicle storage facilities for modification, preparation and instrumentation of vehicles, capable of vehicle modifications from body in white changes and electrical architecture modifications to simple instrumentation and test preparation activities.
• Dedicated engine build facility for strip, measurement, modification, instrumentation and build of engines.
• Fully equipped fabrication shop for production of one off parts such as manifolds, intake systems, cooling systems, as well as general components for special builds or complex instrumentation such as in-cylinder pressure measurements.
• Vehicle rolling road facilities for base engine and emissions measurement, including climatic capability for cold and hot tests.
• Latest in-vehicle measurement tools from Racelogic, Kistler and ETAS for the measurement and analysis of vehicle and powertrain performance under real world conditions.
• Latest engine dyno measurement tools from AVL, Kistler, Smetec and others for the measurement and analysis of engine performance.
• A range of steady state and transient engine dynamometers, including climatic capability for testing under a wide range of conditions.
• Rigs for friction testing, oil handling (tilt rig), airflow measurement.

Customer Benefits

Proven track record of delivering benchmarking projects for customers tailored to customer objectives.


Project Examples

• Direct comparison testing of a class leading diesel passenger vehicle against the customers own competitor vehicle. Assessment of novel technologies such as stop start and measurement of their effect on emissions performance and CO₂. Measurement of clyinder pressures and high resolution fuel flow in the vehicles over the whole New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) for continuous assessment of Indicated Specific Fuel Consumption (ISFC) under rear test conditions as installed.
• Engine friction teardown of class leading diesel passenger vehicle, with step by step analysis of component friction attributes, plus comparison with other engines.
• Class leading vehicle assessment of novel technologies such as stop-start and measurement of their effect on emissions performance and CO₂. Engine characterisation on engine dyno, using full 'vehicle system' installation, to identify conditions for stratified charge operation, over fuelling and NO_x trap regeneration.
• Integrated cooling strategy assessment of BMW 335d a upperclass diesel passenger vehicle to assess the benefit of electric waterpump and thermostat on fuel economy of the NEDC emissions cycle. Characterisation of operation parameters, measurement of energy flow and assess.