In the past 12 months, Haila, a global automotive lighting and electronics expert, has been able to win new and important businesses in the field of steering control modules. On this basis, as a major supplier of steering control modules, the company has further expanded its positioning. Based on increasing market demand for semi-autonomous driving modules (above L2), about half of new orders are currently for such modules. Frédéric Laure, vice president of project management for steering systems at HELLA, said: "We provide our customers with customizable products-from making products to design drawings (Built-to-Print) to fully assembled product modules." This customization The method has allowed Hella to develop a steering system suitable for L4 highly automated driving.
Since 2010, Hella has been focusing on the production of steering control modules (electronic control units, ECU for short). The steering control module is not only the basis for the electric power steering (EPS) system to provide power steering functions and improve vehicle fuel efficiency, but also enables automatic driving functions such as lane keeping assist and automatic parking. According to the definition of the American Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), L4 (Highly Automated Driving) can perform all driving operations without driver intervention in limited circumstances. Hella's fail-operational version of the controller (that is, a control module that can be operated after a failure has failed) is also designed to address these application scenarios. This means that if the system does not shut down when the electronic equipment suddenly fails, the power steering assistance system can continue to work. "Reliable fail-operational control units are the key to meeting future requirements for the field of autonomous driving," said Ralf Kuhl, Head of Electric Power Steering, Hella Product Center. In this regard, Hella is already in an advantageous position.
Fail-operational control units can also be applied to steer-by-wire systems. In the steer-by-wire system, steering commands are transmitted via electric pulses instead of the steering rod. At the same time, functions such as a retractable steering wheel in autonomous driving mode can also become a reality. Other personalized features are also possible, such as steering performance can be adjusted according to the driver's personal preferences.
In order to meet growing customer demand faster, HELLA continues to expand its production capacity this year. Hella intends not only to place production plants for steering control modules in Germany and China, but also in Romania, Mexico, Brazil and India.