An Innovative Lightweight Differential for Small and Midsize Cars

In light of the global trend to reduce CO₂ emissions, the pressure on the automotive industry to further reduce vehicle weights is increasing. Moreover, there is also a need to make more efficient use of the space available, in order to take account of new requirements relating to crash safety and increasing function integration (including dual-clutch transmissions and hybrid applications). When it comes to gears, the differential still offers great potential as regards the reduction of weight and size. This paper will present a new, housing- or cage-less differential that achieves the above-mentioned development goals while keeping to the familiar and tested design principle of the bevel gear set. Simultaneous product and process development and the use of high-precision forging technologies facilitate cost-effective production of this new differential.