1. Pi Shurlok
drives Automotive
Innovation with
Advanced Electronics
The East of England offers:
An exclusive interview with
A dynamic automotive cluster;
G
G Access to globally valued research;
Dr Nigel Preston Pi Shurlok
G A highly experienced skills base;
G Potential for strong market growth;
Pi Shurlok is revolutionising its offering with a rapid prototyping
G A well-established supply chain;
G A lower-cost base for European operations platform - OpenECU (Electronic Control Unit) - for engine control
within easy reach of London, the rest of the and other vehicle systems.
UK and the Continent.
Dr Nigel Preston, Pi Shurlok’s Chief Operating Officer for Engineering
Services, shares news on the company’s latest developments.
‘All new engines come with a pre-set ECU, which can
be restrictive, but Pi Shurlok’s open platform completely replaces
the original system, and gives the user the chance to run the
engine in any way they choose. One example has been the use
of OpenECU for MIRA’s (formerly the Motor Industry Research
Association) H4V (Hybrid 4WD Vehicle) project to develop the
optimum hybrid powertrain.
‘This work is crucial at a time when there is a huge demand for
reduced energy consumption in every walk of life. Rising oil
prices, environmental concerns and legislation are driving efforts
Business support funded by the
East of England Development Agency
to make every vehicle as efficient as possible.’
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2. Pi Shurlok Drives Automotive Innovation
With Advanced Electronics
Dr Preston continues: ‘MIRA used our OpenECU platform to companies in the area, for example prototype electronics
replace the original engine management system, giving them manufacturers, and also enables us to use facilities provided by
full control of the internal combustion engine and providing a organisations such as MIRA. In Cambridge we are immensely
new solution to engine and vehicle control system development. fortunate in having a number of people who are highly regarded
within our industry and we also have access to the services of
‘With Pi Shurlok’s support, the engine control system was experts in specialist areas at the universities in Cambridge
optimised to interact with the hybrid electronic control unit, and the surrounding region.
maximising the benefits provided by the hybrid powertrain.
‘Our location means we are close to the major centres of the
‘OpenECU has been applied to a wide variety of vehicle UK automotive industry – Ford, General Motors, Lotus and
electronic control needs, not just engine management. Nissan all have bases here. The automotive cluster includes
many Centres of Excellence including the Millbrook Proving
Ground, Nissan Technical Centre Europe, Cranfield Impact
‘Pi Shurlok’s key strength is being able to
Centre and Ford Dunton Technical Centre. As a result our
support customers at all stages in the region is renowned worldwide for its innovation and
development process: from defining system leading-edge research and we believe that Pi Shurlok is
playing a key role in ensuring this continues.’
and product requirements to creating rapid
prototypes and developing the product through
to manufacture. Our products and engineering
services cover all the major uses for electronics KEY FACTS
in vehicles, such as engine and emissions
Pi Shurlok, a Control Instruments Group company,
controls, suspension controls, instrument is a Tier1/Tier2 supplier of automotive electronics.
clusters and infotainment, alarms and Its head office and global engineering headquarters
are housed at Milton Hall in Cambridge, with other
security products. locations in Detroit, USA; Frankfurt, Germany and
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Approximately
‘Electronics are increasingly being used to improve performance
500 people are employed worldwide, 70 at Milton Hall.
and extend the functions of traditionally mechanical systems.
Exhaust systems are a good example of increasing system
Pi Shurlok’s rapid prototyping platform – OpenECU –
complexity where electronics are required. As emission control
is revolutionising the company’s offering to customers:
regulations become tighter, it’s no longer possible to meet all
the requirements with purely mechanical solutions. In many G The open platform completely replaces the original
cases, electronics now control the injection of reagents directly system and gives users the chance to run an engine
into the exhaust stream itself and monitor the performance of in any way they choose.
particulate filters so that they can be actively regenerated when
they are in danger of becoming blocked. G MIRA used OpenECU for its H4V (Hybrid 4WD Vehicle)
project to develop the optimum hybrid powertrain,
‘Another example is suspension control, where springs and pursuing efficiency crucial in today’s
dampers are supplemented with active or semi-active controls energy-conscious climate.
that are managed electronically. These can significantly improve
road handling and ride comfort according to road conditions, G The company benefits from its Cambridge location
driver behaviour and driving situations. For example, by stiffening by having access to the services of experts in
the dampers during cornering, body roll can be reduced. specialist areas at the universities and being close
to the major players in the UK automotive industry,
‘Our worldwide headquarters, at Milton Hall in Cambridge, including Centres of Excellence such as the Millbrook
allows us access to specialist resources provided by other Proving Ground and Cranfield Impact Centre.
East of England International
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