Diploma in Hydraulic Hybrid Transmissions
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in hydraulic hybrid transmissions. 8 modules covering machinery and tractor transmissions, power-split transmissions, hydrostatic units, gears and mechanical components, transmission control, hydraulic hybridisation and validation, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Hydraulic Hybrid Transmissions — studying from New Zealand
Off-road and special vehicle engineering is a major strength in New Zealand, reflecting the importance of agriculture, forestry, mining and construction. Manufacturers and fabricators in the Waikato and Canterbury produce tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment and specialised machinery, many of which are exported worldwide. Engineers in this field work on design, testing and safety compliance for equipment used on farms, in plantations and on remote worksites.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$2,960 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
Which New Zealand bodies relate to off-road and specialist vehicle engineering?
Engineering New Zealand is the main professional body, and vehicle compliance is handled by the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. Heavy machinery and certain specialist vehicles can also fall under WorkSafe New Zealand rules. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by any national body, so employers and regulators decide their value.
Who hires off-road and special vehicle engineers in New Zealand?
Employers include forestry and agricultural equipment firms, mining and civil construction contractors, fabrication shops, and emergency or utility vehicle fleets. Practical design, safety and maintenance skills are central to hiring. A SEIUM qualification may help, but its weight depends on the employer.
How does the study load work for someone with a job here?
The programme is fully online, so you can study around work from anywhere in New Zealand without a student visa. Specialist courses take 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and master's programmes 1,900 hours. You get an assigned technical tutor, and fees can be paid in instalments or sponsored by an employer.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Compare transmission types for machinery.
Analyse power-split transmissions.
Select suitable hydrostatic units.
Design the mechanical components of the transmission.
Develop ratio control strategies.
Integrate hydraulic hybridisation into the transmission.
Simulate and validate the complete transmission.
Who it's for
- Transmission engineers.
- Hydraulics engineers.
- Transmission control engineers.
- Simulation engineers.
- Tractor test engineers.
- Agricultural product engineers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter agricultural machinery.
What you'll work with
- ISO 4409 (hydraulic pumps and motors, performance testing)
- ISO 6336 (load capacity of spur and helical gears)
- ISO 281 (rolling bearing dynamic load ratings and rating life)
- OECD Code 2 (official testing of agricultural and forestry tractor performance)
- ISO 789-1 (agricultural tractors, power take-off tests)
- ISO 4413:2010 (hydraulic fluid power, safety requirements)
- ISO 11783 (ISOBUS) (tractor-implement communication)
- Simcenter Amesim
- Romax
- MATLAB/Simulink
- GT-SUITE
8 modules
1.1Stepped mechanical transmissions1.2Powershift and semi-powershift1.3Pure hydrostatic transmissions1.4Continuously variable transmissions1.5Traction and PTO requirements1.6Efficiency by speed range1.7The CVT market1.8Tractor testing to OECD codes1.9Electrification trends1.10Workshop: comparing transmission efficiencies
2.1Principle of power splitting2.2Planetary gear sets as summing units2.3Input-split and output-split configurations2.4Hydrostatic branch and mechanical branch2.5Pure mechanical transmission points2.6Ranges and synchronous shifts2.7Power recirculation2.8Analysis with lever diagrams2.9Commercial examples2.10Practical exercise: kinematic analysis of a power-split CVT
3.1Variable-displacement axial piston pumps3.2Variable-displacement motors3.3Swashplate angles and control3.4Volumetric and mechanical losses3.5Testing to ISO 44093.6Efficiency maps3.7Working pressures3.8Hydraulic noise3.9Unit selection3.10Lab: efficiency map of a pump
4.1Planetary gear design4.2Load capacity to ISO 63364.3Bearings and life to ISO 2814.4Multi-plate clutches4.5Transmission lubrication4.6Churning losses4.7Design with Romax4.8Gear noise4.9Component reliability4.10Practical exercise: sizing a summing planetary gear set
5.1Optimum ratio strategies5.2Engine-transmission coordination5.3Cruise speed control5.4Range shift management5.5Slip control5.6Work and transport modes5.7Operator interface5.8ISOBUS and J1939 communication5.9Field calibration5.10Lab: ratio control in Simulink
6.1Accumulators in the hydrostatic branch6.2Energy recovery during braking6.3Launch assistance6.4Hybrid power-split architectures6.5Energy management6.6Accumulator sizing6.7Integration with the engine6.8Benefits in real duty cycles6.9Comparison with electric hybridisation6.10Case study: hybridising a 200 hp tractor
7.1Modelling in Simcenter Amesim7.2Co-simulation with GT-SUITE7.3Agricultural duty cycles7.4Efficiency measurement on the test bench7.5PTO tests to ISO 789-17.6Durability tests7.7Field tests7.8Model-test correlation7.9Technical report7.10Case study: bench validation of a transmission
8.1Definition of the machine8.2Traction requirements8.3Power-split architecture8.4Selection of hydrostatic units8.5Mechanical design8.6Control strategy8.7Simulation and results8.8Validation plan8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so you can combine it with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Simcenter Amesim, Romax, MATLAB/Simulink and GT-SUITE, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Procedures are studied on real cases of transmission efficiency maps on test benches, kinematic analysis of power-split transmissions and field validation of CVT tractors. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final project.
Standards covered: ISO 4409, ISO 6336, ISO 281, OECD Code 2, ISO 789-1, ISO 4413:2010, ISO 11783 (ISOBUS).
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. A university degree is not required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Simcenter Amesim, Romax, MATLAB/Simulink, GT-SUITE, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
Related programmes
Diploma in Battery Integration in Heavy Machinery
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in battery integration in heavy machinery. 8 modules covering cell chemistries, battery pack design, battery management systems, thermal management, machine…
Postgraduate Diploma in Kinematics and Suspension Geometry for Buggies
Online 800 h Postgraduate Diploma in Kinematics and Suspension Geometry for Buggies. 8 modules covering ISO 8855 (vehicle dynamics: vocabulary), SAE J670 (vehicle dynamics terminology) and…
Diploma in Land Transport Risk Engineering
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in Land Transport Risk Engineering: 8 modules covering land transport risks, risk analysis methodologies, dangerous goods, road safety and human…
More in Off-Road, Special Vehicles & Machinery
All Off-Road, Special Vehicles & Machinery programmes → · How to apply · Fees & financing · Scholarships