WHY ATF OILS ARE SO IMPORTANT
The increasing demands for ever better fuel economy and reduced greenhouse gas emissions require increasingly complex vehicle designs. For automatic transmission vehicles, technological developments mean that it is more important than ever to choose the right ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) product so that the transmission works optimally throughout its lifetime.
There have never before been so many different transmission types as in today's vehicles. Today, the focus is increasingly on the transmission interacting with the rest of the vehicle to provide better overall performance with increased fuel efficiency, lower emissions and a more comfortable driving experience.
Automatic transmissions contain many components of different materials that must work smoothly and reliably together. Examples of such components are torque converters, planetary gear kits, centrifugal oil pump, seals and coupling kits and brake kits.
The trend is towards more gears, while alternative, often lighter materials are used. This places increasing demands on the ATFs, which are very important for the operation of the transmission
An ATF is probably the most complex of all lubricating fluids.
The oil must cool and lubricate, while at the same time transferring power and pressure. The requirements to be met by the ATF may be contradictory. For example, it will reduce friction and prevent abrasion of components, while providing a carefully balanced level of friction that allows coupling and torque converters to function efficiently. ATFs must increasingly also cover the entire system life without replacement, have high anti-friction durability, good shear stability, be liquid at low temperature and have better oxidation stability. At the same time, the oil needs to contribute to better fuel efficiency and reduced emissions in conjunction with each specific automatic transmission solution.
As hardware designs in the automotive industry are evolving to become increasingly complex, it is no wonder that liquids are required that exclude universal solutions, both for new or old vehicles with automatic transmission.
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