Schaeffler, one of the leading global suppliers of the automotive and industrial sectors, is preparing to implement its electromobility strategy with a new investment of 50 million Euros. The new facility, which will be located in Germany, will have an environmentally friendly and sustainable design. The electric motor plant, which meets the ultra efficiency criteria, will offer a state-of-the-art working environment for large projects.
Schaeffler, one of the leading global suppliers to the automotive and industrial sectors, is expanding its electromobility development and production campus in Bühl, Germany, with a new building complex. The facility, which will cover an area of approximately 8.000 square meters, will be a new center of excellence for electric mobility at Schaeffler's Automotive Technologies headquarters. The project is being implemented with an investment of approximately 50 million euros. Making a statement on the subject, Matthias Zink, CEO of the Automotive Technologies Division of Schaeffler AG, said, “We are significantly increasing our activities in the field of electromobility and undertaking large projects. We create brand new and state-of-the-art workspaces for our innovations in this field.” said. Schaeffler's revenue from sales of electric powertrain solutions in 2021 exceeded 1 billion euros. At the same time, Schaeffler, as a supplier to the automotive and industrial sectors, has implemented new electromobility projects with a total investment of 3,2 billion euros worldwide. Subsequently, it achieved its 3,2 targets in the first half of the year by receiving new orders with a total value of 2022 billion euros.
Most of the projects will pass through the expanded electromobility campus. The new facility, built as part of Schaeffler's 2025 Roadmap strategic program, represents an important milestone in increasing the company's e-mobility opportunities. The construction, which started in September 2022, is planned to be completed in the autumn of 2024. Bühl Mayor Hubert Schnurr spoke as follows on the subject; “The construction of the development center is an important development for Bühl in terms of the nature of the business and especially the future of the workforce in the region.” Hubert Schnurr predicts that with the construction of the development center following the announcement of the global headquarters of the Schaeffler Automotive division in Bühl in 2018, the company will both strengthen its position at Bühl and take its place in the “mobility of the future”.
Ultra-modern workspaces with high sustainability performance
The new complex, which will be located in the Bussmatten industrial zone in Bühl, Germany, will consist of two buildings that will be connected by a bridge. The facility, which will cover a total area of 15.000 square meters, will enable it to carry out the projects undertaken in cooperation with approximately 400 employees and to develop new systems for electric powertrains. Schaeffler E-Mobility Division Manager Dr. Jochen Schröder says, “Schaeffler wants to undertake more projects in integrated mechanical, electronic and software systems in the future. We are building strong project teams and a future-oriented work environment to best manage the complexities that may arise.” he said. The facility will include workspaces for teams in different disciplines, extensive collaboration and networking zones, laboratories and workshops. Constructing a conference center is also among the plans. The new complex will be in addition to Schaeffler's three buildings in the Bussmatten park, where it develops components and systems for electromobility. The bridge that will provide the connection will also strengthen the communication and dialogue between the different teams in the field. The headquarters of Schaeffler's E-Mobility Division is located in Bussmatten.
Environmental conditions and sustainability will play an important role from the very beginning of the process. The complex will receive most of its energy from solar panels on the roof and facade. Sustainable cooling and heat generation will be provided by heat pumps, while the on-site collection tank will collect rainwater for use in various applications such as irrigation and plumbing. The new complex will be built in accordance with the DGNB (German Council for Sustainable Buildings) Gold Standard.
Ultra-efficient electric motor production
Schaeffler is currently constructing an ultra-modern plant for UltraELab electric motors in one of the buildings in the Bussmatten district, where transmission components are produced. This flagship global facility is being built in accordance with the principles of the “ultra-efficient factory” concept developed by the state of Baden-Württemberg together with Schaeffler and other companies. “With UltraELab, we aim to raise the bar in efficiency and productivity and make a meaningful contribution to sustainability,” said Jochen Schröder. said. Many of these goals will be achieved through the agile and flexible production of electric motors, which are the heart of every powertrain. Instead of fixed production lines, the company will use flexible digital technology modules that can be rearranged and scaled in the production of engines. Thanks to standardized interfaces and cutting-edge IT integration, installing and configuring modules will be much simpler and faster compared to traditional systems. This innovative production concept is being developed within the scope of the AgiloDrive17 project managed by Schaeffler with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection (BMWK) and 2 different consortium partners. “Our aim is to enable the flexible and efficient production of innovative electric motors,” Schröder said. he added. A pilot facility has already been created, where experts can test the agile manufacturing facility. This facility, together with its digital twin, will be a roadmap for the industrial scale manufacturing facility. “By integrating electric motor development and manufacturing activities in one place, we benefit from significant synergies for continuous product improvement,” Schröder said. ended his speech.
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