In this article, we want to talk about:
1. What does it mean to create an independent hive easily?
2. What changes have taken place in the upgraded power system?
3. Visit the birthplace of the engine
In 20 18, Great Wall Motor split the power and parts department from the inside and established Honeycomb Yichuang Technology Co., Ltd. (wholly owned by Great Wall Motor), which mainly produced engines, transmissions, electric drive systems and related parts to meet the assembly requirements of its models. Nominally independent, on the one hand, you can let go of your hands and feet and develop independently better; Secondly, as a parts company, its products are also oriented to other car companies, just like Denso and Aisin, which are controlled by Toyota, to facilitate third-party car companies to purchase parts.
The power plants of Honeycomb Art Creation are distributed in Xu Shui, Tianjin, Yangzhong and other places. This time I came to the power plant in Xu Shui. At present, this factory produces various series of 1.5T and 2.0T engines, and the GW4B 15A mentioned at the beginning is produced here. Not far from the factory is the production line of the third generation Haval H6, and the off-line engine can be transported to the assembly workshop for assembly in the shortest time.
●? Several upgrade change points
GW4B 15 models are widely used in Haval H4, H6 and H6? On Coupe and other cars, the maximum power is 124kW and the maximum torque is 285 N m. The 1.5T engine on Haval H6(2020 Platinum Edition) is an improved version of GW4B 15A, with the same performance parameters. With the launch of the third generation Haval H6, the calibration and matching of the engine should be adjusted, but the hardware remains unchanged. Compared with GW4B 15, the extra A is mainly reflected in several aspects:
1. This engine meets the most stringent national 6b emission standard.
2. The second generation CVVL variable valve lift technology after mechanism optimization.
3. Adopt 350bar ultra-high pressure electric control direct injection system.
4. The electronic pressure relief valve is adopted, which has faster response speed and wider adjustment range of torque platform.
Great Wall Motor is the first China brand automobile enterprise to mass-produce variable valve lift technology (named CVVL), and applied for nearly 100 patents for this technology, which was first applied to GW4B 15 engine. By GW4B 15A, CVVL variable valve lift technology has also been upgraded to the second generation. The main change is that the parts of the actuator are less than those of the first generation, and the mechanical friction inside the cylinder is reduced by optimizing the actuator. In addition, the second generation CVVL mechanism makes the engine "breathe" more smoothly under different working conditions by optimizing and adjusting the valve timing.
GW4B 15 adopts in-cylinder direct injection technology, the injector is located at the top dead center, and the injection pressure is 200bar. GW4B 15A models increase the fuel injection pressure to 350bar. Higher pressure combined with the design of injector can reduce the diameter of fuel particles and obtain better fuel atomization effect. In addition, the injector can do work once and inject twice, which makes the mixture burn more fully and improves fuel economy while reducing exhaust emissions.
GW4B 15A, like GW4B 15, adopts an integrated cylinder head design, and the pressure relief valve of the turbine is electrically controlled. GW4B 15A also optimizes the electronic control pressure reducing valve, which improves the dynamic response by about 4% to improve the driving comfort and acceleration response of the vehicle.
●? Positive pressure dust-free workshop? Keep constant temperature and humidity
After the technical changes, let's take a look at the production line of this engine. First of all, the engine is a relatively precise part or product in the automobile, so it puts forward high requirements for production and assembly, and impurities and dust will affect the performance of the engine. The engine workshop adopts positive pressure design (indoor pressure is higher than outdoor pressure to prevent dust from entering) and adopts dust removal equipment to meet the dust-free (relatively speaking, not absolutely dust-free) environmental requirements.
As any object expands with heat and contracts with cold, it is necessary to minimize the influence of temperature on the production and assembly of precision parts. Therefore, the air conditioning system in the workshop can realize the constant temperature and humidity of the environment and ensure the consistency of engine assembly at any time of the year.
●? Self-produced main and core components
In the development of Great Wall Motor, there is always a sense of crisis. In order not to be controlled by others, Great Wall Motor tries to keep its core technology and corresponding manufacturing capabilities in its own hands. The establishment of Honeycomb Easy Creation is a solid step in this direction.
The cylinder block, cylinder head, crankshaft, turbocharger and some small parts of GW4B 15A engine are all produced by Honeycomb Arts. Piston, connecting rod, camshaft, etc. I bought them all from outside. According to the person in charge, these parts can actually be produced by themselves. Considering that the current demand is not big enough, it is more beneficial to reduce the cost of the whole machine through outsourcing. If the future output demand increases to a certain balance point, the self-production method will also be adopted.
●? Error-proof mechanism ensures assembly consistency
The interior of the engine is very complicated, and the assembly is more done by hand. After all, people make mistakes, so it is particularly important to introduce error prevention mechanisms and equipment in the assembly line. For example, in the operation of continuously tightening multiple bolts of the engine, the torque is input in advance by the computer program, and the installer only needs to complete the tightening action. In addition, during the tightening operation, the equipment will record the movement track of the wrench, and if the worker forgets to bolt, the equipment will remind him accordingly.
The assembled engine will also be compared with the standard engine through the visual identification system to find out the mistakes or omissions, thus ensuring the consistency of installation. This consistency is so accurate that after tightening the oil tank cover, the logo of the oil tank above is in the same direction. Finally, each assembled engine should undergo an ignition test for about 90 seconds. The sensor will monitor the performance of the engine in the thermal test and confirm that it meets the standards before it can be officially shipped.
Summary:
This GW4B 15A engine of Honeycomb Yichuang is the most advanced 1.5T model of the company at present, and it is in the first echelon of China brand in terms of technical equipment and performance parameters. After re-matching and adjustment, the 7DCT matched with this model will be applied to the new Haval H6. In addition, the car also has a 2.0T engine and the latest 9DCT power combination.
Hardware quality and performance parameters are only one aspect, and the key depends on the performance of the vehicle in actual use. Last week, we had an early experience in adopting this car. Because it is a trial car, there is still room for optimization and improvement in dynamic performance. When the new car goes on the market, we will also bring the power and performance of the production car for the first time. (Text/car home? Feng Jingyi? Photography/Leng Xiaoyang)