OREANDA-NEWS. June 17, 2016. Dana Holding Corporation (NYSE: DAN) will present its VariGlide® planetary variator for beltless continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) at the International VDI Conference, to be held June 21-22, 2016, in Friedrichshafen, Germany. 

As part of a special session dedicated to CVTs in automotive applications, Dana will showcase this technology with subject-matter experts available to provide insights and answer technical questions related to the technology.

Dana's VariGlide technology features a unique planetary, coaxial configuration, which eliminates belts and pulleys used in conventional CVTs.  In addition to providing fuel economy benefits relative to 6-, 8-, and 9-speed transmissions, the VariGlide variator has the potential to improve fuel economy by up to 10 percent when compared with conventional CVTs with belts.

Developed as a modular, bolt-in solution, the VariGlide variator provides a highly flexible, highly adaptable, power-dense solution that easily integrates into existing front-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive, and rear-wheel-drive vehicle configurations with the added ability to support towing.  With more than 70,000 hours of durability testing accumulated on the core technology, the VariGlide variator provides OEMs a superior and robust CVT technology.  The VariGlide variator functions without the need for a high-pressure pump and associated complex supporting control system.  It also protects against traditional CVT slip-related damage.

"Vehicle manufacturers are seeking to meet increasingly higher standards for efficiency and fuel economy, while improving drivability and function.  Aimed at helping OEMs effectively meet these challenges, Dana's VariGlide  planetary variator presents a durable, scalable, and cost-effective alternative to traditional belt CVTs," said

Bob Pyle, president of Dana Light Vehicle Driveline Technologies.  "Our VariGlide technology offers a highly adaptable, customizable, and robust solution for most driveline configurations."

Similar to bearing technology, VariGlide offers superior NVH characteristics through its smooth and seamless operation.  The scalable nature of the technology provides solutions for vehicle architectures ranging from subcompacts to pickups and internal combustion to hybrid powertrains.  The ability to support more than 300 powerpath configurations provide OEMs the unique opportunity to customize transmission solutions for specific applications and markets to align with critical attribute needs.

Gordon McIndoe, Dana Light Vehicle Driveline Technologies transmission systems expert, will discuss the technology's capabilities in detail during the presentation entitled, "CVT Powerpath Solutions Using Continuously Variable Planetary Technology for Maximum Fuel Economy" on June 22 at 1:30 p.m. CET in Stand 20.  The presentation will highlight the use of continuously variable planetary technology for maximizing fuel economy and optimizing ratio spread and efficiency, with an example of a fuel economy simulation for a typical automotive application.

The dedicated CVT session, new to this year's International VDI Drivetrain conference, will address current challenges within the scope of continuously variable transmissions.  International experts from the automotive sector and industry researchers will be discussing integrated concepts and optimization for CVT components.  For additional information about the International VDI Conference, visit www.vdi-wissensforum.de/en/event/cvt.