Magnetics Business & Technology - January/February 2023 - 20

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Schaeffler Unveils 4in1 Electric Axle, Builds e-Manufacturing Capability
Schaeffler adding EUR 50 million expansion to its e-mobility development and manufacturing campus
Focused on evolving from traditional powertrain technology to
electric mobility, German motion specialist Schaeffler AG is
simultaneously launching several new electric axle drives while
also expanding its R&D and manufacturing operations to support
product and business growth in electric vehicle technology.
At the electromobility development and manufacturing campus of
its Automotive Technologies headquarter in Buhl, the company is
building a complex that will serve as a new center of excellence
for electrified mobility. The project represents an investment of
about 50 million euros. Construction was expected to get underway
in September 2022 and be completed in fall of 2024.
Matthias Zink, CEO of
Automotive
Technologies
The new complex will consist of two buildings connected by a
bridge. It will have a total floor area of 15,000 square meters,
providing space for some 400 employees to work collaboratively
on customer projects and develop new systems for electric
powertrains.
20 Magnetics Business & Technology * January/February 2023
" We are significantly scaling up our
activities in electromobility and are
acquiring major customer projects, " says
Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive Technologies.
In 2021, the company posted
over EUR 1 billion in sales of electrified
powertrain solutions. A major supplier to
both automotive and industrial sectors,
it secured new electromobility projects
worldwide valued at EUR 3.2 billion. This
was followed by a further EUR 3.2 billion
worth of new orders in the first half of
2022, already meeting the full-year target
for 2022 in the first six months.
" Going forward, Schaeffler is eager to acquire more and more
projects involving integrated mechanical, electronic and software
systems. To optimally manage these complexities, we are
building strong project teams and a future-oriented work environment, "
says Dr. Jochen Schroeder, who heads the E-Mobility
business division.
Ultra-efficient production of electric motors
In one of the existing buildings at the site, in a production hall
used for the manufacture of transmission components, Schaeffler
is currently building an ultra-modern plant for electric motors
known as the UltraELab. " As well as raising the bar for efficiency
and productivity, our aim with the UltraELab is to make a real
contribution to greater sustainability, " said Schroeder. These
objectives will be achieved primarily through the agile and flexible
production of electric motors, the heart of every electric
powertrain. Instead of using fixed production lines, the company
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Magnetics Business & Technology - January/February 2023

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