Under the international consensus on emission reduction, the wave of electric vehicles has swept the world and become the focus of attention from all walks of life. It is expected that by 2040, the global share of electric vehicles will increase significantly, reaching 55% of the global automotive market, surpassing the share of traditional fuel vehicles. It is worth noting that the future era of electric vehicles will indirectly lead the development of the machine tool industry new layout.
Emission reduction consensus drives the development of the electric vehicle market
Under the international consensus on emission reduction, the wave of electric vehicles has swept the world and become the focus of attention from all walks of life. Global electric vehicle sales in 2020 hit a new high of 3.24 million units, up 43% from 2019, with China (41.3%) being the largest single market, Germany (12.3%) and the United States (10.1%) being the second and third largest markets. Leading the rise of electric vehicle manufacturers – Tesla is currently the largest market share of electric vehicle manufacturers (24.5%), traditional car manufacturers have invested in the development of electric vehicles. Both Volkswagen and the RNM alliance have seen good sales of electric vehicles. Countries around the world have set clear carbon emission standards. The European Union’s carbon emissions standards, for example, set a 15 percent reduction in 2025 from 2021 and a 37.5 percent reduction by 2030, prompting countries to set a timetable for banning the sale of gas-powered cars. By 2050, all advanced countries will have fully switched to electric vehicles. Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and other countries have developed net-zero emissions commitments by 2050, establishing the electric vehicle industry as a top development goal for the future of each country.
The electric vehicle industry affects the development of machine tools
The application of the machine tool industry in the automotive field accounts for about 35 to 40%, and the development trend of electric vehicles will bring changes to the machine tool industry. Electric vehicles are the same as fuel cars in that the overall architecture is composed of power, body and chassis systems. The biggest difference between the two is the power system. Although the demand for engines and exhaust-related components in electric vehicles is gradually decreasing, the demand for replaced three-electric systems (motors, batteries, electronic control) has greatly increased, creating new development opportunities for machine tools. In the process of development from fuel vehicles, hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to electric vehicles, the processing demand for power components – motors will gradually increase, of which lathes, presses, milling machines are the most used. The winding process required for the motor will create opportunities for related mechanical equipment. Capital expenditures on winding process-related machinery and equipment are expected to grow from $200 million in 2020 to $600 million in 2030. The demand for batteries is increasing, and lathes and milling machines are mainly used for processing. The stacking (lamination) process required for battery cells is a new processing opportunity. It is estimated that capital expenditures for machinery and equipment related to laminating processes will grow from $500 million in 2020 to $1.4 billion per year by 2030. In the process of converting the transmission parts to electric vehicles, the transmission, gear and other related parts still exist, and the processing needs are mainly milling machines, lathes, grinders/boring machines.
Electric vehicle parts processing requirements
1. Motor and drive
Electric cars have simpler powertrains than petrol cars. Unlike the traditional model of engine combined with gearbox, electric vehicles even without gearbox, only single speed transmission ratio combined with motor transmission can complete power transmission and high and low speed conversion requirements. Among them, as the power source of the motor, the number of silicon steel sheets in the internal stator and rotor has increased. The process of silicon steel sheet is stamping. The stamping die requires the relevant tool processing technology, as well as the gear and housing required for the transmission part. This will create a range of related industry demand business opportunities. With the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, the application of multi-speed transmission ratios may allow transmission applications to be developed again. Through the multi-speed transmission ratio change of the gearbox, the power transmission efficiency is better than the single-speed transmission ratio, so that the motor maintains high speed operation. The energy consumption of speed and the needs of high and low speed different scenarios are expected to improve the high and low speed performance and better endurance of electric vehicles.
2. Batteries
The battery pack is a key core component of electric vehicles, accounting for about 35% to 40% of the cost of the vehicle. The battery pack mounted on the vehicle has a large volume under the battery life requirements, and the upper cover, shell, base and protective cover are all high processing requirements. The components are made of aluminum alloy and high-strength steel plate, which is lightweight. By 2030, annual demand for lithium-ion batteries is expected to exceed 2.8TWh (terawatt-hours), equivalent to the total annual production of 80 TESLA Gigafactory and seven times the current demand. Applications such as integrated processing machines and punches will be promoted simultaneously.
3. Body
The simplification of components is another trend in the development of electric vehicles. Achieve the added value of eliminating abnormal vehicle noise, improving safety, increasing mileage, saving production resources and so on. Another development focus – modular chassis is currently implemented by major car manufacturers. By sharing modular chassis, we can achieve the purpose of increasing production capacity and reducing costs. Integrated parts casting machines and forming tool machines can take this opportunity to increase the number of parts produced and used.
The rise of electric vehicles leads the new layout of the machine tool industry
As governments around the world vigorously promote carbon neutrality and ban the sale of fuel vehicles related policies and regulations, as well as changes in the product planning of international automobile manufacturers, the global electric vehicle industry application has accelerated. Traditional fuel vehicles have been developed into pure electric vehicles. The biggest difference is that the motor replaces the engine (including the gearbox) and the battery system replaces the fuel as the energy source. Although the machining needs of engines, transmissions and intake and exhaust systems are no longer required, the machining needs of motors, battery housings and gears are still high. In addition, the future machine tool industry also needs to use stamping, die casting, laminating and other processing methods. Manufacturing trends for electric vehicle parts, including efficient automated production of motor parts, automated production of batteries and power modules, deceleration mechanism manufacturing, etc., aluminum alloy parts and composite parts application processing The increasing demand for lightweight electric vehicles will increase the application of non-traditional processing technologies (waterjet, ultrasonic, laser, lamination manufacturing, etc.). Develop new technology of machine tool equipment to drive related manufacturing automation and modular production needs. Looking to the future, the market development trend of the global machine tool industry is changing rapidly, and it has changed from a mass production model to a small batch, diversified and flexible production. Meet customized production needs. Therefore, with the rise of electric vehicles, machine tool equipment will be complex, multi-tasking, large-scale development. Add value through intelligent technology combined with virtual and real fusion, jitter suppression, thermal displacement control, 3D real-time imitation, interference detection function, voice interface, machine processing status monitoring, production data visualization and predictive maintenance monitoring system.
Deconstruction and reconstruction of the automobile industry to grasp the new business opportunities of electric vehicle parts
Since 1998, the European Union has advocated reducing carbon emissions. At that time, it was only an oral agreement, no mandatory binding. In 2014, the European Union formally established the world’s strictest carbon emission control targets for vehicles, legally forcing car manufacturers to reduce carbon emissions. In 2021, all new cars sold in the EU will have to be covered by the new regulations. Automakers that fail to meet these standards will be fined for vehicles that exceed carbon emission standards. The vehicle carbon emission controls apply to all cars sold in EU member states. To avoid fines prompting major automakers to respond, the simplest is to produce electric cars. Reducing carbon emissions (vehicle fuel consumption) is the most important research and development topic for the world’s major automobile manufacturers. By electrifying traditional auto parts, reducing the weight of electronic components, miniaturizing engines and improving operational efficiency. For example, in order to save energy, integrated starting motors and generators are designed to match the automatic start/stop system during parking. Through the design of high-voltage components, matching components such as IC semiconductors can withstand lower currents. Reduce system costs, simplify peripheral auxiliary components, and integrate the start motor and generator for energy recovery action at idle and braking, effectively reducing energy consumption. In line with the trend of energy conservation and emission reduction, new energy vehicles and electric vehicles are the future development trend of automobiles. Whether it is a new energy vehicle or an electric vehicle, a lot of power electronic components must be used in the body, and the power requirements for various components are higher than ever. Even traditional machine-based components have been developed to be controlled by electronic components to achieve high efficiency and precision. Under this trend, the degree of electrification of the power system is increasing. Certain components must be redesigned/developed to meet the needs of vehicle electrification and to cope with the increased power consumption of on-board systems. Electric vehicles improve pollution emissions through electrified components, and the innovative design of electronic control or power electronics components increases operating efficiency and extends driving distance. Vehicles are divided into electric vehicles, full hybrids and mild hybrids according to the degree of electrification of the power battery ratio, with a micro-hybrid powertrain. Simply put, the proportion of battery power and motor responsible for the power system is different. Pure electric vehicles represent the complete use of power batteries as electric power.
The restructuring of automobile industry and the transformation of parts industry
Electric vehicles use electric motors and power batteries instead of the original (gasoline or diesel) engine and fuel system as the power source of the electric vehicle. Components such as the intake/exhaust or fuel supply system, transmission, hydraulics, multipliers, master cylinders and steering systems are all part of a traditional internal combustion engine. Both are replaced by electronic components that control start, run, stop, acceleration and deceleration. Electric vehicles add shock absorbing springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms, electric air conditioning systems, high voltage lines and other components to the existing suspension system, body, tires and other devices of traditional vehicles. With the development of the electronic trend of automotive systems to the direction of electrification, the proportion of electronic components such as power batteries and motors in the total cost of automobiles has increased significantly. And the proportion of the original engine, gearbox and other fuel systems in the vehicle cost has gradually decreased. Power batteries account for the highest proportion of the cost of electric vehicles (40-50%), followed by the drive system. The cost ratio of traditional internal combustion engines has been reduced from 22 to 24% to 10 to 20%. Among them, electric vehicles use electric motors, motor drivers, vehicle controllers, transmission mechanisms and drive shafts, and cooling systems to replace existing engines, auxiliary equipment, transmission mechanisms, and exhaust systems. Other costs of electric vehicles include the body shell, chassis and other components. Because electric vehicles have derived many new controllers, power batteries, power components or power conversion modules from traditional (internal combustion engine) vehicles, the phenomenon of vehicle and parts industrial restructuring has been formed.
Automotive lightweight and modular components
Vehicle lightweight can be achieved by producing small vehicles, improving vehicle structure, using lightweight alloys, high-strength steel plates or rubber and plastic materials. Because the car adopts front engine and front wheel drive, the drive shaft, differential and other parts are omitted, so that the structure is more streamlined, so that the vehicle is miniaturized. Other structural improvements, such as the use of high-strength steel plates, hollow structures, miniaturization, etc., have been gradually implemented in European, American and Japanese auto plants. The use of rubber and plastic materials in automobiles is growing rapidly. In response to the practice of automotive lightweight, increasing the proportion of automotive lightweight materials has received considerable attention. Among them, rubber and plastic materials have great advantages in terms of weight, manufacturability and material cost. Manufacturers achieve the goal of reducing vehicle weight by producing smaller vehicles, simplifying vehicle exterior design, miniaturizing components and using lightweight alloys. In recent years, considering the riding space and transmission efficiency, many manufacturers have adopted front engine and front wheel transmission, eliminating the rear drive shaft, rear axle differential, gear set and other components to make the structure more streamlined. The aspects of body sheet metal materials, manufacturing methods and mechanism improvement, hollow structure design and miniaturized parts application are gradually popularized in European, American and Japanese automobile manufacturers. Various automobile manufacturers are competing to improve the application proportion of light alloys in auto parts, among which light alloys such as high-strength steel plates, aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys and titanium alloys are the most concerned. There are several ways to achieve lightweight electric vehicles:
• Use lightweight materials such as low-density aluminum and aluminum alloys, magnesium aluminum alloys, engineering plastics or carbon fiber composites, etc., and replace ordinary steel with high-strength steel plates to reduce the thickness of steel plates
• Optimize lightweight structure design, optimize the structure of body, chassis, engine and other components
• Laser welding, hydraulic forming, aluminum alloy low pressure casting, semi-solid forming and other advanced manufacturing technology.
The electric vehicle system consists of body, chassis, power mechanism, suspension, tires, battery pack, steering mechanism, brake mechanism, electric motor, air conditioning and other system components or modules, of which the body and chassis account for the electric vehicle. The total weight is about 2/3 of the total weight. The focus of lightweight electric vehicles is on the design and manufacture of body and chassis components. The lightweight of the body and chassis helps to reduce the weight of electric vehicles. The lightweight of electric vehicles can be achieved through the design of the body structure, the application of lightweight materials and manufacturing technology. Light electric vehicles focus on:
• Lightweight based on improved power consumption of electric vehicles.
• Lightweight is based on improving the performance and safety of electric vehicles.
An increasing number of electric vehicle components use CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer/plastic). Due to the characteristics of light weight and high mechanical strength, major automobile manufacturers around the world are competing to develop trial production. At present, carbon fiber composites are being developed and applied in the field of automotive parts, including: Body, chassis, roof, doors, cylinder head, hood, rear spoiler, spoiler, center console, trim strip, instrument panel, drive shaft, special transmission system, seat, seat cushion, tail wing, rearview mirror housing, frame arm, deflector cover, A-pillar, sun visor, radiator guard, side guard, pedal, auxiliary bumper and other body, interior trim, exterior trim, etc. The auto parts industry has developed into a multinational enterprise and participated in global competition. The requirements of consumers from all over the world for auto parts are diverse, and the development trend of parts is to require continuous innovation in all aspects of performance. Safety, reliability, pollutant emissions, fuel consumption/carbon emissions, and design practicality need to be continuously improved. After more than 100 years of development in the automotive industry, it is increasingly difficult to develop innovative products. Manufacturers have invested heavily in research and development of auto parts. Car manufacturers must bear the huge cost pressure of parts manufacturing, management, marketing, after-sales, inventory and so on. The concept of modular parts is gradually developed and applied by automobile manufacturers. The modular development of product platform derived components is a necessary means to cope with the fierce market competition. Volkswagen put forward the modularization strategy and implemented the MQB platform product development plan, and the modular development of auto parts will become the trend of research and development and manufacturing in the future automotive industry. In addition, the integrated technology of electric vehicles shows the future development of the automotive industry. Because the structure of electric vehicles omits the traditional engine, transmission, transmission shaft and other complex mechanical components or systems, it is easier to introduce the concept of modularity in the vehicle design.
Progress of intelligent manufacturing parts industry
The automobile has entered an era of product diversification and shortened life cycle. Major automakers struggle to offer multiple models. Since 2017, the life cycle of models has been significantly shortened. How to adjust production capacity according to consumer demand has become a serious problem that auto factories and auto parts manufacturers must face, including the corresponding auto parts production efficiency, research and development and manufacturing costs, defective rates, high value, and even parts logistics scheduling challenges. In the future, the automobile industry will develop towards the trend of sharing economy and high customization. In response to the needs of the sharing economy automotive industry, the automotive industry will require cost reduction, robustness requirements, fast on-site maintenance, and the possibility of supporting big data. Data and Security (digital platform Embedded security, H2M to M2H, M2M, aftermarket additive manufacturing, augment-based