Volvo Localizes Balancer Shaft Supply in China with Jebsen Automotive Technik

Dalian, China — Swedish car-maker Volvo Car Corporation and Mitec-Jebsen Automotive Systems (Dalian) have entered into a partnership to support the manufacture of the balance shaft for Volvo’s new GEA3 engine and the production will be started in 2016.

Mitec-Jebsen, a joint venture of Jebsen Automotive Technik (JAT) and MITEC Automotive AG, will supply 220,000 balancer systems for the GEA3 every year from 2016 to 2022, manufacturing and integrating balancer shafts, oil pump steel gears and crankshaft gears. The new 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, which has strategic significance to Volvo over the world, is undergoing final development and testing in Sweden, and will be manufactured in China for use in several current and new Volvo models and cars produced by Geely, Volvo’s new Chinese owner.

For this cooperation, Volvo hopes to localize with a balancer supplier in China to help ensure flexible, rapid, and cost-effective production for the GEA3. Volvo has strict requirements for the engine design and production standards. With design expertise and advanced manufacturing technologies and processes, Mitec-Jebsen was the stand-out quality choice for Volvo.

Precision Components

Mitec-Jebsen balancer shaft systems are gear-actuated, rotating at twice the crankshaft speed to meet the highest precision requirements. They are used by many leading car makers in China, including Volkswagen and Shanghai General Motors.

The balancer shaft is a necessary part of every three-cylinder automotive engine, preventing vibration and noise being transferred to the chassis and thus delivering a smoother ride experience. A highly complex component, the balancer shaft must be expertly designed and precisely machined to ensure compatibility with the engine system. Furthermore, this precision must be maintained during production to ensure that each balancer shaft set is fit for purpose.

Expert Partner

“A key factor for Volvo was that Mitec-Jebsen is not only a total solution provider capable of developing, engineering, and manufacturing complex components, but also a supplier that can integrate balancer shafts and gears into a complete balancer system,” explained Arnie Jensen, Director of JAT. “Our value lies in our understanding of how to design, develop and deliver the exact solution that the customer needs. In the end, this is just as important as the premium components we produce.”

The combination of JAT’s management expertise, Mitec-Jebsen’s China-specific manufacturing and application experience, and Mitec Europe’s technical support was an ideal fit for Volvo. The new relationship represents the first time that Volvo and Mitec, the world’s leading balancer shaft supplier, have worked together.

Following more than a year of collaboration to develop and refine the balancer design for the GEA3, Volvo and Mitec-Jebsen remain in close contact as the arduous testing and certification process continues. Mitec-Jebsen is also preparing to expand its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Dalian to ready itself to begin mass production of components for the new engine.