Dana Opens 16th Global Technology Center near Austin, Texas
Facility to Focus on VariGlide® Continuously Variable Planetary Technology for Light-Vehicle and Off-Highway Transmissions
CEDAR PARK, Texas, June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Holding Corporation (NYSE: DAN) today officially inaugurated its 16th global technology center in Cedar Park, Texas. Currently employing 35 engineers and support staff with capacity for more than 80, the 40,000 square-foot facility is devoted to the engineering and production of the company's VariGlide® technology, a revolutionary new transmission design that incorporates continuously variable planetary (CVP) technology for use in light-vehicle and many off-highway transmissions.
Developed through a strategic licensing relationship between Dana and Fallbrook Technologies Inc., VariGlide technology enables designers to reduce the complexity of transmissions while enabling the engine to operate at more efficient speeds – ultimately increasing fuel efficiency, reducing emissions, and improving overall vehicle performance.
In order to ensure that VariGlide technology meets Dana's high standards for performance and durability, the state-of-the-art facility includes engineering stations, a testing lab with a vehicle dynamometer, prototype assembly, a metallurgical and metrology lab, and a machine shop.
Two new U.S. patents associated with the VariGlide technology already have been awarded to Dana as a result of the collaborative work between engineers at Cedar Park. Applications for more than 50 additional patents are currently pending. Dana also licenses more than 700 patents from Fallbrook to aid in the further development of the technology.
"Dana's century-long commitment to making vehicles perform better, smarter, and more efficiently is the result of our tireless dedication to pushing the frontiers of drivetrain technologies," said Mark Wallace, Dana executive vice president and president of the On-Highway Driveline Technologies business. "Outfitted with the latest equipment and run by very talented engineers, this new facility in Cedar Park is the latest in a series of substantial investments that Dana is making to shape the future of the transportation industry."
The Cedar Park Technology Center is one of three new research and development centers that Dana has opened in the past 24 months. In 2013, the company launched a comprehensive technical center in Wuxi, China, and last year it inaugurated another in Pune, India. The company has also announced plans for a mechatronics technical center near the heart of its off-highway operations in northern Italy.
Dana is developing VariGlide concepts for the light-vehicle market by incorporating the technology into the existing packaging space of a standard automatic transmission. This configuration serves as an enhanced alternative to dual clutch and conventional CVTs, supplying fuel savings, improved NVH, smoother shifting, high performance, and responsive engine operation.
In the off-highway market, VariGlide technology can replace the torque converter in certain transmission configurations to decouple engine speed from the vehicle's travel or working speed. Ideal for the rapid acceleration, deceleration, and precise positioning required by material-handling applications, it also eliminates the need for forward and reverse clutches while decreasing overall engine speeds – allowing the engine to operate at its optimum efficiency level and reduce noise levels.
VariGlide technology will be offered as a pre-assembled module providing a standard infinitely variable transmission (IVT) configuration for forklift truck transmissions produced by original-equipment manufacturers. Dana will also implement VariGlide technology in a premium configuration optimized to supply further fuel efficiency and productivity gains in select Spicer® transmissions.
For more information about the VariGlide concept, visit www.variglide.com.
About Dana Holding Corporation
Dana is a global leader in the supply of highly engineered driveline, sealing, and thermal-management technologies that improve the efficiency and performance of vehicles with both conventional and alternative-energy powertrains. Serving three primary markets – passenger vehicle, commercial truck, and off-highway equipment – Dana provides the world's original-equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket with local product and service support through a network of nearly 100 engineering, manufacturing, and distribution facilities. Founded in 1904 and based in Maumee, Ohio, the company employs approximately 23,000 people in 25 countries on six continents. In 2014, Dana generated sales of $6.6 billion. For more information, please visit dana.com.
SOURCE Dana Holding Corporation
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