Our works
Our works today, from scratch to field, represent our commitment to shape the future.
Developing best-in-class technology solutions to meet customers’ requirements and align to market needs, PUNCH Torino works to continuously push the boundaries, whether it is the study of new technologies, like in the field of virtual analysis or simulation, leading research activities with universities and other companies in the context of European Union funding programs, even supporting the creation of start-ups.
Hydrogen Solutions
The future of Sustainability
At PUNCH we strongly believe that the future of mobility is going to gradually shift to “greener” solutions. Our company highly values the environmental impact caused by CO2 emissions. For this reason, PUNCH has started the development and research on hydrogen-related solutions, which provide for a zero-emission carbon footprint.
The European Union has planned a roadmap to become carbon neutral by 2050, so we believe the market opportunities for non-traditional fueled engines are enormous in the forthcoming years.
Hydrogen is a clean fuel, perfectly adaptable both in the marine and in the automotive sector. Its usage is highly compatible with the demands of the public transport and heavy-duty segment of the automotive sector.
Software testing solution
Solution based on Virtual Controller Hardware prototyping
Embedded software complexity continues to grow in the automotive domain. Sophisticated functionalities, connectivity and active safety are key features of modern vehicle architectures. Therefore, all related testing activities play a central and significant role within the software development process.
Since testing must be done in the early stages to catch issues prior to production release, this typically has a non-negligible impact on hardware resource availability, in terms of both target embedded controllers and Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) benches, with related costs.
We at PUNCH introduced Virtual Hardware Prototyping as an innovative technology, on top of the Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD), to maximize the testing capability at different levels.
The proposed solution is highly scalable, due to the efficient parallelization based on a grid of virtual nodes. The improved software quality, the cost saving, and the reduction of time to market, are just three of the tangible outcomes obtained by adopting this approach.
The new General Motors 3.0l Duramax Diesel engine
A technology milestone combining state-of-art efficiency, emissions, performance and refinement
In 2019 General Motors introduced, for the first time in the Light-Duty Pickup Truck market, a new Duramax 3.0l 6-cylinder inline diesel engine. This engine has been designed by PUNCH Torino team from “clean sheet” paper and specifically developed for the new GM Full-Size Truck platform: it equips the current generation of Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra as well other vehicles in the future. The New Duramax represents a state-of-art propulsion system specifically tailored for the new generation of pickup trucks, combining performance and fun-to-drive, with very low emissions and high fuel economy.
It has been designed to reach high power and torque density, to allow down-sizing of engine displacement and down-speeding with respect to typical pickup truck and LCV engines.
Recognized as Benchmark for noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), it meets the high expectations of North American Pickup customers
Together with sophisticated software control and algorithm, the new Duramax is compatible with current and future emission requirements (starting from BIN160).
A single cylinder optical Diesel engine study
An optical investigation of combustion and soot formation for different e-fuels and piston bowl geometries
Although new technologies for mobility are emerging, the Internal Combustion Engine will still have a key role in transport over the next decades. Diesel engines are challenging in terms of pollutant emissions, in particular of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particles. In this context, new hardware technologies as well as new renewable fuels have shown great potential to reduce soot emissions without affecting engine efficiency (CO2 emissions). For this reason, the impacts of using e-fuels (OMEx and FT-diesel) and different piston bowl geometries on soot formation and combustion development were analysed in a single cylinder optical Diesel engine. Experimental data confirmed that e-fuels showed a remarkable reduction in soot formation. Also, specific bowl geometries such as stepped lip and wave-stepped lip bowls, presented a faster late soot oxidation in comparison with the re-entrant geometry.
Experimental Investigation on an Innovative Additive Manufacturing-Enabled Diesel Piston Design
Improved Engine-out Emissions and Thermal Efficiency beyond Euro6
The research study conducted in cooperation between GM and Istituto Motori, explored how the application of the most recent additive manufacturing technologies allow complex combustion bowl features, enabling optimized combustion process to a level that was not achievable with standard manufacturing technologies.
An innovative, highly re-entrant-sharp-stepped profile featuring radial-lips has been studied and fully characterized by utilizing a specifically designed test rig and experimental campaign.
The results show an important reduction of the engine-out smoke emissions in comparison to the Euro6B design with no detrimental effects on the efficiency when advanced compact injection patterns and optimized calibration are applied at partial loads.
To this aim, sensitivity studies have been conducted to understand the optimal injection protrusion, spray indexing to the ribs and fuel injection parameters. Moreover, the prototype additive manufactured steel piston did not highlight durability concerns after an extensive experimental campaign at partial load conditions.
To.TEM
To.TEM is a Startup created for the design and development of micromobility for the transport of people (in particular, electric scooters), having a high technological value.
Its first realization is Lynx, an innovative electric kick-scooter for an urban sustainable mobility, equipped with technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, anti-collision alert systems and advanced connectivity, that allows geo-localization and remote diagnosis.
AITEM
AITEM is a Hi-Tech Startup focused on Artificial Intelligence development. Our solutions provide advanced and efficient methods from Medical to Industrial fields.
Among the products, AIPPO, a system developed together with universities and hospitals, that uses Artificial Intelligence to get a rapid diagnosis of COVID, through X-ray.
European Union Funding Programs
PUNCH Torino is actively engaged in the context of European Union funding programs, carrying out research activities and collaborating with companies and universities of EU countries.
The research covers a wide range of technological fields, from environmental-friendly propulsion systems to passenger well-being monitoring; mobility related electronic controls Artificial Intelligence applications to traffic systems and related business model studies.
STARS – Shared mobility opporTunities And challenges foR European citieS
DEIS – Dependability Engineering Innovation for Cyber-Physical Systems
DESIGNING USER CENTRIC E-KICKS COOTERS&BUSINESS MODELSFOR ENHANCING INTERMODALITY