Case Study: FZB Technology achieves faster, more reliable electrohydraulic power steering design with Comsol

FZB Technology uses multiphysics simulation to guide design improvements for electrohydraulic power steering systems

FZB Technology, a U.S. automotive R&D provider, needed to design and optimize a complex electrohydraulic power steering (EHPS) system where thermal, fluid, electromagnetic, mechanical, and acoustic effects are tightly coupled. To avoid slow, costly physical validation cycles (which can take up to six months) and to meet automotive requirements faster, FZB turned to Comsol’s COMSOL Multiphysics software to virtually prototype and analyze the ECU, motor, pump, reservoir and the full system assembly.

Using Comsol, FZB ran coupled simulations—thermal, structural, electromagnetic, CFD, acoustics and rotordynamics—while importing pump data from PumpLinx and geometry updates from SOLIDWORKS. The results identified critical issues (e.g., stator thermal interference), led to a groove and pump‑geometry changes, optimized bearings, shafts and gear shapes, and produced power‑consumption limits. Those changes reduced iterative physical testing, ensured components remained within safe temperature and vibration ranges, and accelerated the development cycle while meeting automotive specs.

FZB Technology

Steven Qi

Manager