Chassis Systems

In addition to improving ride comfort, its body motion control and handling stability provide enhanced performance.

The monotube design enables a more compact body, enhancing the design flexibility surrounding the vehicle's suspension. In additionally, the high-pressure gas-filled construction provides excellent responsiveness, and allows for the damping force performance to be tailored to the characteristics of the vehicle and for the region where it is used.

The mechanical-type structure of the damper automatically adjusts damping force based on the frequency of the vibrations transmitted from the road surface, achieving a high level of both operation stability and ride comfort.

In addition to dampers with a uniquely designed damping force adjustment mechanism, the systems are installed with electronic control devices such as ECUs and sensors. By adjusting the damping force to the optimum level according to the road surface and driving conditions, these products provide a high level of handling stability and ride comfort.

This highly efficient type of power steering gear transmits assistance force through the belt drive, with the assist motor placed parallel to the rack shaft to reduce steering force. The ECU and motor are redundantly designed to support autonomous driving, which improves reliability and assist continuity.

This system, which has the power assist unit on the pinion gear (input shaft), offers high performance and output, excellent steering feel and quietness, and is suitable for a wide variety of vehicles, from light to compact cars.

The steering rack is equipped with two pinions—one of which connects conventionally to the steering shaft, and the other via a power assist motor. Together they provide smooth initial turning and returning to the center for the steering wheel, giving the driver excellent steering feel. Compatible with small to medium-sized vehicles.

This is a component of the column-assisted electric power steering system used in light, small, and medium-sized vehicles, and is characterized by its light weight and high rigidity. Since the steering gear ratio can be varied in relation to the steering angle of the wheel, it is possible to achieve a good balance between stability and maneuverability.

Based on electric power steering technology for automobiles, the EPS has excellent durability and reliability and is widely used in ATVs (All-Terrain Vehicles) and MUVs (Multi Utility Vehicles).

Since the drive torque of variable displacement type pumps are lower than that of the fixed displacement types the pump can improve fuel economy. The pump also generates less heat, which suppresses a rise in oil temperature in the power steering system, making it possible to simplify or eliminate cooler piping. With a wide range of product variations, this product can be applied to everything from passenger cars to large trucks.

The CFPR Tube Type is lighter than steel tubes and contributes to improved fuel efficiency. In addition, while steel tubes are made in two pieces which increase the number of critical rotations, we have optimized the bending eigenvalue and torsional strength by adjusting the winding angle of the carbon fiber to make it possible to make it one piece. In the event of a vehicle collision, the structure is designed to crush easily in the axial direction under low load and mitigate risk to passengers.

CFRP：Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics

The propeller shaft absorbs the impact of vehicle collision. The tube and constant-velocity joints contract for a sustained period of time under a low load to absorb impact and mitigate harm to passengers.

Where the engine and axles are separated from each other, as on four-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive vehicles, the propeller shaft transmits the drive force generated by the engine to the axles. The friction welding adopted at the junction contributes to improved strength, quality, and durability of the junction. We have reduced both the number of components and weight.

The division of the propeller shaft into two- or three-parts enables a reduction in the critical number of revolutions preventing vibration issues from occurring when the length of the shaft is increased. A dynamic damper inserted into the pipe reduces vibration and noise.

The differential gear is a part of the power transmission device. The driving force generated by an engine is transmitted to the tires through various types of bevel gears. The differential gear assembly absorbs rotational differences due to the direction change of the rotational axis drive and/or the rotational differences between the right and left wheels that lead to smooth cornering.

Rubber coupling is a joint composed of nylon cord and rubber that molds to the cord, and is effective in blocking engine vibrations by reducing the rigidity in bending, torsion and axial direction. In addition, the Lobro joint has zero internal gap, which reduces imbalance and suppresses muffled noise at high speeds. This combination makes it possible to improve the sound vibration and quietness of the vehicle.

The hypoid gear in the final reduction gear unit changes the direction of drive. The gear converts rotation axis by 90°, and also offsets the torsion position relationship of the two gear axles. This gear set offers high strength and excellent quietness.

Since a difference in rotational speed occurs between the left and right wheels when a car turns, a differential can be equipped to absorb the rotational difference. It can be installed in all vehicles—be it FF, FR, AWD, or BEV cars—and we deliver specifications according to the vehicle needs, such as adopting a TiN pinion shaft that excels in seizure resistance.

TiN: Titanium Nitride Coating

The pinion shaft used in the differential assembly is in a wear-prone environment because the gears placed onto the shaft rotate the surface. Nitriding and NiP are used for surface treatment to perform even in harsh environments, and TiN can be used in even tougher environments to significantly improve the anti-seizure properties.

NiP: Electroless Nickel Plating

Our electric parking brake provides automakers with advantages that include improved safety, robustness, and autonomous driving functions including automated valet parking. It is also optimized for noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) requirements for future e-mobility. The removal of lengthy cables and levers saves space, simplifies assembly processes and eliminates the need for parking-brake adjustments and presets. An electric parking brake booster is available for vehicles equipped with an electric brake booster.

NVH: Noise, vibration and harshness

Our innovative drum-type electric parking brake enables automatic parking for drum brake systems. By eliminating lengthy cables and levers, it saves space, simplifies assembly processes and eliminates the need for parking-brake adjustments and presets. This system is also suitable for smaller cars.

Our electric servo brake is an Astemo eActuation solution. Combined with ESC, it provides all necessary functions to electric vehicles (e.g. regenerative braking with high level of recuperation), and also ensures redundant functionalities for ADAS levels 3 and 4.
One advantage of the system is the pedal simulator being separate from the power unit—a configuration particularly suitable for vehicles with reduced packaging space for the pedal box.

ESC: Electronic Stability Control

Our innovative front SPS Caliper Brake family is a technology which combines outstanding quality and NVH performance with a high contribution to reducing CO2 emissions. It even provides zero drag by ensuring optimized clearance between the pads and discs during the life of the pad.

SPS = Spreader Springs

Astemo’s rear disc brake system features an optional compact mechanical parking brake solution that covers all vehicle applications.

Astemo’s drum brakes provide high reliability, NVH performance, corrosion resistance and robustness while reducing brake dust emissions.

NVH: Noise, vibration and harshness

Astemo’s electro-mechanical brake (Smart Brake) system supports future needs of mobility. With its advanced safety concept it provides a foundation for high autonomous driving levels of future vehicle platforms. With its fast response time, it increases performance and enables precise vehicle dynamics control. It can also increase the vehicle range by using innovative algorithms realizing zero drag during vehicle usage. Due to the modular software architecture it can easily be integrated into SDVs. The product portfolio is planned for all passenger car segments up to light commercial automotive applications.

SDV : Software-defined vehicles

Astemo’s electro-hydraulic brake (Smart Actuation) system supports the future mobility needs with a hydraulic solution. It realizes automotive independent control with highly responsive and precise pressure control, while having high-level NVH performance for service brake, ABS and vehicle motion control functions. The modular and scalable approach supports customers' future brake system architectures and is suitable for all passenger car segments up to light commercial automotive applications.

Aluminum knuckles are important platform parts that are attached to each suspension arm, and connect tires, discs and other parts to the car body. Reducing weight to improve fuel efficiency was one of our critical goals, and by using high-quality casting technology to realize high-strength aluminum with excellent elongation performance , we have achieved a 30 to 40 percent weight reduction compared to steel.