Motor car technologies are changing rapidly as the world's car makers seek solutions for better fuel economy and lower emissions while delivering higher performance. One area of major activity by all carmakers is the search for a New Generation Automatic transmission that provides a fuel economy saving when compared to a manual transmission in stop-start city driving conditions, and not represent such a high purchase cost penalty over the manual transmission for the car buyer. There is a particular need for this in Europe where around 85% of cars are still manuals.
The Automated Manual Transmissions (AMT)
The place where it was thought that such a transmission would come from was the class of transmissions known as Automated Manual Transmission (AMT). The initial offerings in this area have however been just robotically shifted manual transmissions that have not really provided a satisfactory solution as they have all required an interruption of the engine torque to allow the gearshift to take place. This has resulted in a jerky gearshift quality that is unacceptable as a replacement for a "conventional" automatic transmission.
The Current Generation AMT.
For some years now, there has been robotically shifted manual transmissions on offer that try to automate the gear shift and clutch operation of the manual, to make it more like an automatic transmission but with the mechanically more efficient, lighter, cheaper and smaller manual transmission as its base. These Automated Manual Transmissions (AMTs) have provided a "sporty" shift (sometimes referred to as a "Tiptronic" or Selespeed, depending on the car maker concerned) while maintaining the fuel economy benefits of the manual transmission. However, to make a gearshift in these AMT offerings, the engine power output has to be interrupted making the gearshift quite "jerky" when compared to a conventional automatic transmission.
The Next Generation AMT.
It was then considered that a "Next Generation" Automated Manual Transmission (NGAMT) with their ability to make "full power shifts" would provide the answer. The predominant design in this area has been the Dual Clutch system in various forms, However this arrangement has some quite definite limitations in the shifting patterns that can be used. Any limitations in this area are not a good thing for a transmission that could be considered as a potential replacement for the conventional automatic transmission (random ratio shifts being an important feature for any automatic transmission) even though it provides significant benefits in fuel economy and emissions.
Introducing the Smartmatic™ Transmission.
SDTL has patents granted, and additional patents applied for, which define a very elegant solution for a highly cost effective Next Generation Automatic Transmission (NGAT) that is a fully featured automatic transmission and which has no inherent limitations on the shifting pattern or number of ratios available. Further, it delivers major benefits in fuel economy, emissions, cost, weight, package size and efficiency.
In other words, Smartmatic™ delivers a solution that fits ALL the requirements of a Next Generation Automatic transmission, something that competitive transmissions seen so far cannot claim.
The Smartmatic™ retains the basic manual (layshaft) transmission layout but replaces the gear shifting forks, dog clutches and synchro rings with a compact "multi-cone" gear selector on each gear. It is also feasible to make the selector on 1st and reverse gears large enough to double as a launch clutch, thus removing the need for a conventional clutch.....
The Smartmatic™ can be activated, controlled and managed with an electro-hydraulic system, OR a new generation electrical / electronic device when suitable hardware becomes available. The gear shifts can be as fast as 40 to 50 milliseconds, or as slow as 1 second, depending on the balance between speed and "smoothness" of the gear shift most appropriate for any given application. For example, in a manually shifted race / rally car, the fast shift might be the choice, but for a luxury family sedan the slower and smoother shifts (almost imperceptible) would be more appropriate.
The Smartmatic™ employs a compact and unique Multi-Cone selector on each gear. These are controlled and actuated completely independently of each other, hence the ability to manage the gearshift quality and gearshift pattern exactly as required for any particular set of driving conditions. There are no restrictions whatsoever with the Smartmatic™.
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SDTL Information Memorandum Updated 4th November 2006
This Information Memorandum (IM) has been prepared by Select Design Technologies Limited (SDTL or Company). The information contained in the IM is current as of 4th November 2006.
... The subject of the private ruling is the application of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (1997 Act) at the time a licence is granted to a company resident in a foreign country ...
SDTL and IIL have signed a license agreement on the 17th of February to cooperatively design, develop and market the SMARTMATIC™ and / or the QISS transmission technologies.
It was then considered that a "
SDTL has 
The Smartmatic™ can be activated, controlled and managed with an electro-hydraulic system, OR a new generation electrical / electronic device when suitable hardware becomes available. The gear shifts can be as fast as 40 to 50 milliseconds, or as slow as 1 second, depending on the balance between speed and "smoothness" of the gear shift most appropriate for any given application. For example, in a manually shifted race / rally car, the fast shift might be the choice, but for a luxury family sedan the slower and smoother shifts (almost imperceptible) would be more appropriate.
The Smartmatic™ employs a compact and unique Multi-Cone selector on each gear. These are controlled and actuated completely independently of each other, hence the ability to manage the gearshift quality and gearshift pattern exactly as required for any particular set of driving conditions. There are no restrictions whatsoever with the Smartmatic™.
