Schaeffler North America

Roller Hearth Furnace Serviced and Prepped for Future H2 Fuel Use

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In 2007, an indirectly heated roller hearth furnace with energy-efficient REKUMAT® burners was put into operation at a Schaeffler plant in Germany. These burners were serviced last fall in Renningen and adapted in order to be operated with both natural gas and H2 as fuel with high efficiency and lowest emissions. The successful commissioning with natural gas has already been carried out, and once the hydrogen infrastructure has been established, commissioning with H2 as fuel gas will proceed.

With this and other conversions as well as newly built projects, Schaeffler is demonstrating its comprehensive commitment to sustainability while investing in the long-term future of the respective plants. Wienstroth Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH in building the plant and then servicing it recently helps with the adaptation to H2 as fuel. This conversion is possible for many existing plants with reasonable effort, without having to install new burners. Until the necessary hydrogen infrastructure is available, continued operation on natural gas or mixtures of natural gas and hydrogen is possible.


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Wooster, OH, Auto Supplier Facility Celebrates 40th with E-Mobility Expansion

Marc McGrath, President of Automotive Americas, Schaeffler

A global automotive and industrial supplier recently launched the company’s latest expansion, its U.S. center for advanced e-mobility development located at its existing Wooster, Ohio, facility.

Schaeffler Group USA Inc., which delivers high-precision components and systems in engine, transmission, and chassis applications, as well as rolling and plain bearing solutions for a large number of industrial applications, commemorated the facility’s 40th anniversary with a grand opening celebration and unveiling of the $60 million capital investment.

Already established as the center for Schaeffler’s torque converter product line, the newly renovated Wooster campus will equip employees with the capacity for the production of hybrid modules, the first of the electrification projects, which combines the electric motor with a hydrodynamic converter to yield a P2 hybrid solution. Beginning in 2018, the facility will produce the module for a major U.S. automotive manufacturer. The team is also engaged in pure electric vehicle technology development, including the production of Schaeffler’s e-axles.

“From 2007 to 2016, our automotive business has outpaced market growth by nearly double and we have expanded our manufacturing capacity in Wooster to keep pace with growth in our automotive transmission business, ” said Marc McGrath, president Automotive Americas, Schaeffler. “This latest investment, which builds upon our recent $36.5 million expansion of our Fort Mill, S.C. facility, prepares us for the production of future transmission technologies and further optimizes the facility’s vertical integration.”

Opening ceremony for the expansion of the Wooster plant. Among the guests were (from left) Patrick Lindemann, Vice President Transmission Systems; Bruce G. Warmbold, Regional CEO Americas; Bob Breneman, Mayor of Wooster; Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG; Mary Taylor, Lieutenant Governor of Ohio; Georg F. W. Schaeffler, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Schaeffler; Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive; Oliver Jung, Chief Operating Officer; Shelly Flint, Director Human Resources Transmission Systems and Automotive; and Marc McGrath, President of Automotive Americas. Photo credit: Schaeffler

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Automotive Heat Treating Department Expands

Schaeffler Group USA Inc., a global manufacturer of precision components for the industrial and automotive sectors whose South Carolina roots stretch back to the 1960s, celebrated the grand opening of its expanded manufacturing plant and new administrative building in Fort Mill, S.C. The project resulted in the creation of over 100 South Carolina jobs. For almost 50 years, Schaeffler has demonstrated its strong commitment to the Palmetto State through dramatic investments and expansion projects totaling over $1 billion and counting.

Schaeffler is excited to celebrate another milestone in our five-decade partnership with the State of South Carolina,” said Schaeffler America CEO Bruce Warmbold. “The increased production capacity in our Fort Mill 1 plant enables our company to offer more job opportunities for residents of the Palmetto State as well as more high-tech solutions to our automotive and industrial customers.

“South Carolina’s manufacturing industry is one of the fastest growing in the world, and we have fantastic companies like Schaeffer to thank for that,” said Governor McMaster. “Each time a company like this one commits to our state and invests in our people, it shows that our State is a great place to be doing business. Today’s celebration is just one of many that we know the partnership between Schaeffer and South Carolina will produce in the years to come.”

Schaeffler Group USA Inc.’s latest $36.5 million capital investment, which generated approximately 105 additional jobs, resulted in the construction of a new administrative office building, the expansion of one of two factories located on the company’s Fort Mill campus, and a reworked plant entrance to accommodate the growth and increase in traffic.

The factory expansion, which creates almost 35,000 sq. ft. of additional manufacturing space in the company’s Fort Mill 1 Plant, increases capacity in stamping, heat treatment and assembly for thrust bearings used in 8-, 9- and 10–speed automatic transmissions. Meanwhile, the brand-new administrative building encompasses over 64,000 sq. ft. of office space, including state-of-the-art workstations, a multimedia conference center for regional meetings, and a full-service employee cafeteria.

The York County expansion is part of a $164 million capital investment in Schaeffler’s South Carolina operations – which include facilities in Spartanburg County and Chesterfield County – that was announced back in January 2015. Collectively, the investments are expected to create more than 440 new jobs in the Palmetto State.

Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, Schaeffler is a worldwide manufacturer of high precision components and systems for the automotive industry as well as rolling and plain bearing solutions for 60 industrial sectors. With approximately 86,600 employees in 50 countries around the world, the firm truly possesses a global footprint. Schaeffler’s Americas operations, headquartered in Fort Mill, are responsible for the engineering, production, sales and marketing of three major product brands – LuK, INA and FAG.

In the U.S. alone, Schaeffler employs approximately 6,000 people at eight factories and three technology centers spread throughout South Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, Michigan and Connecticut.

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