Recently, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology announced the list of 2022 Zhejiang Province's first-of-its-kind (set) product engineering tackling projects, and Wanxiang Qianchao's lightweight, high-strength, high-efficiency commercial vehicle universal joint product project was selected.

The first “first-of-its-kind” (or “set of its kind”) product engineering research and development project in Zhejiang Province aims to develop critical equipment that fills domestic gaps, key new materials, and essential software—products that are crucial for bolstering and strengthening the industrial and supply chains. Currently, these projects are still in the R&D or engineering research stage and are expected to achieve at least one engineered application or become part of a major engineering project within one to two years. Upon completion, the products developed under these projects should reach, at a minimum, a domestically leading level—or meet the performance indicators specified in the National Guidance Catalog for the Promotion and Application of First-of-its-Kind (Set of Its Kind) Products—in comparison with similar products.
Wanxiang Qianchao is dedicated to the research, development, and manufacturing of automotive components and is the world's largest specialized production base for universal joints. The "Qianchao QC" brand universal joint has been recognized by the State Administration for Market Regulation as both a "China Famous Brand Product" and a "World Famous Brand." The company has been awarded the title of "Manufacturing Single-Item Champion Demonstration Enterprise" by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and has been nominated twice for the China Quality Award. Wanxiang Qianchao has spearheaded the drafting of two industry standards for universal joints, one Zhejiang Manufacturing Group Standard, and 126 enterprise standards. In total, the company has applied for and been granted 324 national patents, including 29 invention patents.

The universal joint cross-shaft assembly falls under the advanced manufacturing and automation, new machinery, high-performance, high-reliability, long-life sealing, and transmission product manufacturing technologies listed in the "National Key Areas of High-Tech Support." It is widely used in passenger cars, pickup trucks, buses, light-duty trucks, medium-duty trucks, heavy-duty trucks, warships, marine vessels, mining machinery, construction machinery, agricultural machinery, industrial equipment, and other applications. Its structure comprises a cross shaft and four bearings. As the core component of the drive shaft assembly, the universal joint cross-shaft assembly features the most complex design—characterized by limited design space, high load-bearing capacity, and easy wear of needle roller bearings. The technical quality level of this component plays a decisive role in the overall performance of the drive shaft assembly.

Last June, Wanxiang Qianchao officially launched the R&D of a new-generation universal joint for commercial vehicles that features lightweight design, high strength, and high efficiency. This project aligns with the industry-leading trend toward lightweighting transmission system assemblies, focusing on enhancing the load-bearing capacity of the cross shaft and extending the service life of bearings. It achieves a new solution in which smaller-sized components replace traditionally larger ones, significantly reducing the overall weight of the universal joint under the same operating conditions, while also substantially lowering the weight of the entire drive shaft assembly. As a result, the power performance and service life of the universal joint’s drive shaft are effectively improved, representing an innovative technological approach to lightweighting. Meanwhile, to enhance energy utilization efficiency, the company has, for the first time in the industry, introduced the metric and design standard of universal joint transmission efficiency. By dramatically reducing frictional energy losses in the universal joint, this approach boosts fuel efficiency or extends the driving range of electric and new-energy commercial vehicles.
The lightweight, high-strength, and highly efficient universal joint products for commercial vehicles not only achieve significant weight reduction themselves but also substantially enhance the load-carrying capacity of the universal joints. This breakthrough can completely overturn the current selection criteria for such products, enabling the transmission system to be lightened to the greatest possible extent. This project covers the upgrade and iteration of all universal joints used in medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, and will drive more than 75% of domestic commercial vehicles toward the transformation and upgrading aligned with the “dual-carbon” strategy.

The lightweight, high-strength, and highly efficient commercial vehicle universal joint product has once again been recognized as a Zhejiang Province's first (set) product engineering tackling project, following the 2021 recognition of Wanxiang Qianchao’s independently developed maintenance-free, long-life heavy-duty truck universal joint as the country’s first (set) of its kind.