Design

Whether a six speed sequential gearbox or a humble driveshaft, all Quaife's components begin life in the firm's in-house high tech design department. Quaife's design team benefits from the very latest Solid Works 3D computer aided design package on four workstations, enabling swift and accurate visualisation of complicated components.

This powerful tool allows Quaife's design team to not only produce large scale working drawings, it also enables ‘virtual' checking of the fit of key components, ensuring a successful machining outcome before any metal is actually cut.

The recent introduction of a state of the art Cosmos FEA software package bolsters Quaife's technical capabilities, allowing the early validation of designs through accurate stress analysis on ‘virtual' gears, shafts and casings, which then feeds back into the ultimate working design.

All projects are subject to regular design reviews and documented to ensure that all customer requirements are met and that problems are ironed out at the design stage, these reviews are regularly audited under the EN9001 quality system.

The final asset in the Quaife design team's armoury is an advanced gear program, which allows the designers to calculate gear tooth ‘mesh' to fine tolerances, a vital aspect of high performance transmissions that are designed to pushed regularly to the limits in a highly competitive motorsport environment.

Yet despite the very latest ‘tools' for the job, there's no substitute for the human element in this highly specialised field and here Quaife's design team excels, with over 70 years combined experience, ready to face the challenges of the next project. Who knows, perhaps it'll be yours?