Automotive News
26/10/2009
Exhibit at 41st Tokyo Motor Show 2009
NSK to show how it will reduce CO2 emissions and improve safety of tomorrow's automobiles
NSK Ltd. exhibits at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show - October 21 - November 4.
Carrying the theme, “Changing Eco, Changing Safety,” the NSK booth at the Tokyo Motor Show will show how NSK responds to the rapidly changing automobile construction and market, and how the company will help reduce CO2 emissions and improve safety of automobiles of the future. The booth will showcase some of the world's finest products and technologies for electric control, low fuel consumption, compactness and lightness and safety.
As the largest bearing manufacturer in Japan and the third largest in the world, NSK has gained expertise in four core technologies “tribology,” “material technology,” “mechatronics technology” and “analytical technology” over the many years that it has developed and manufactured environmentally friendly bearing products. Using this expertise, NSK has contributed to the environment and safety through automotive product technologies.
Principal exhibits
1. Ultra high-speed ball bearings for motor and generator in next-generation hybrid cars
Designed for the motor/generator on next generation of hybrid automobiles, the ultra high-speed ball bearings can achieve a revolution of 30,000 rpm or more, or 1.5 times that of conventional bearings. This product will help make a wide range of next-generation hybrid automobiles, whether small or large, to be more fuel efficient, powerful, and compact.
2. LowFriction Torque ball bearings for hybrid cars
Designed exclusively for transmissions on the new generation of hybrid automobiles, the new low-torque ball bearings reduce frictional loss (energy loss) by 50–65% compared to conventional bearings. This product has helped with the fuel economy of the Toyota Prius, the hybrid automobile which has realized both low fuel consumption and low CO2 emissions.
3. Integrated gearbox and ECU column-type electric power steering (world’s shortest)
Electric power steering (EPS) is becoming increasingly popular around the world as a technology for making automobiles more compact and fuel efficient. NSK became the first company in the world to integrate the brush motor and the entire mechatronics (ECU, torque sensor board, gearbox, and torque sensor coil) into one unit to achieve the shortest column length for small vehicles in the world. Compact cars are making headway in Japan and Europe, where the need for environmentally friendly automobiles is high, and also in such emerging countries as BRICs. Compatible with various automobile models, the integrated gearbox and ECU column-type EPS contributes to smooth manoeuvrability and improved fuel economy, as well as in improving safety with its control technology.
4. Highly reliable hub unit bearing for BRICs
The hub unit (integrated unit of the hub that is installed on the tire wheel and the part that is installed on the chassis) offers high reliability for BRICs, where the demand for automobiles is on the rise. The product helps improve the durability of automobiles even on such rugged road conditions as snow, desert, or muddy water, and under a heavy load of passengers or cargo.
5. Miniature cages and rollers for planetary gears with high-speed rotation specifications (world’s smallest)
Developed by using the world's smallest roller (1.5 mm in diameter) and retainer, the compact and light cages and rollers are designed to meet the needs of increasingly diverse and faster transmissions such as belt CVTs, ATs, and hybrid automobile transmissions. Maximum rotation, on the other hand, has been increased to 1.5 times that of conventional products. This product meets the need to improve fuel economy and reduce the size and weight of automobiles.
Outline of the Tokyo Motor Show 2009
Schedule: October 24, 2009 (Saturday) to November 4 (Wednesday)
Weekdays: 10:00–18:00
Saturdays, Sundays, holidays: 9:30–19:00
Press invitation days and special invitation days: October 21 (Wednesday) – 23 (Friday), 9:00–18:00
Venue: Makuhari Messe (Chiba City)
West Hall W202
Organized by: Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc.