This is what happens at the new Technology Center

At the new Technology Center, embedded in the headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Schaeffler concentrates its development know-how for material-based and material-defined products, focused on forward-looking fields like electric mobility, nano and battery technology, and hydrogen.

“We set standards in analytics, in development, and promote collaboration between the departments of all functions and divisions. That makes workflows more efficient and facilitates exchanges of experience,” emphasizes Tim Hosenfeldt, Senior Vice President, Corporate Research and Innovation & Central Technology at Schaeffler. The services offered by the high-tech laboratory facility encompass the development of material-based products – such as low-friction, robust, and durable bearing solutions – as well as holistic and precise analysis of mechanical, electrical, mechatronic, chemical, and physical properties of the relevant materials. “In addition, we test system reliabilities and deliver solutions for method development,” adds Hosenfeldt, the facility’s landlord.

All that not only serves the purposes of in-house research but also those of external customers. “Now, customers visit us directly at the Technology Center to develop joint solutions, for instance due to our holistic expertise regarding electrochemical cells,” relates Hosenfeldt.

Cross-functional research teams working on optimal coatings for solid-state batteries for future generations of electric vehicles promising more range, more safety, and faster charging speed are a case in point of what’s currently happening at the Technology Center.

Facts and figures

© Schaeffler/Daniel Karmann

“The Technology Center is totally vibration-free and satisfies all the safety standards for handling active and reactive materials including explosion protection.”

These are the tech highlights

• Schaeffler’s new Technology Center was built based on a totally vibration-free design. Consequently, researchers in Herzogenaurach can increase the magnification under a microscope from 3,000-fold to 50,000-fold – using the same technical equipment. Hosenfeldt: “We’ve enhanced the research quality in this area many times without having had to buy new equipment,” says a pleased Hosenfeldt. Equally important as a sharp eye for materials research is an ultra-clean environment. That’s why the venting system of the laboratories operates with laminar, i.e., non-swirling, airflow.

• A so-called EMC lab has been newly established. There, Schaeffler tests the electromagnetic compatibility of electronic components such as the power electronics for electric drives. Hosenfeldt: “The tests are crucial for electric mobility as well as for robotics because they help make products safer and more resilient against electromagnetic interferences. Currently, that’s becoming more and more relevant in view of the growing use of voltage increasing from 400 to 800 volts.”
• Equally smart as the technologies being developed there is the facility itself that meets the most exacting demands in terms of sustainability. For instance, waste heat from the factory floor is used for heating. The German Society for Sustainable Building (DGNB) has awarded Gold Standard certification to the laboratory facility.
• New as well is a laboratory for nano technology in which Schaeffler develops catalysts for electrochemical cells.

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Know-how from a one-stop shop

“For all of Schaeffler’s eight motion technology product families, material-based and material-defined research projects are the focus,” says Tim Hosenfeldt. “Due to the new Technology Center, we can now offer extensive services – holistically and in all directions, from recommendations to manufacturing to analyses. We’re now offering our areas of development expertise that we’ve built over years in concentrated form at a one-stop shop. Our internal and external contact persons no longer need to take their products to different laboratories and no longer need to merge individual reports either. That’s why we’re talking about one-stop service that strengthens and accelerates innovative prowess.”

Effective work thanks to short channels

The entire office space has been furnished according to the “New Work” concept, creating a work environment that promotes collaboration and interdisciplinary teamwork. Although the facility, as described at the beginning, is essentially a laboratory, it’s also intended to be a place where people come together for cross-functional collaboration, billed as “effective work thanks to short channels.”

More digitalization, more quality

Thanks to the implementation of a digital planning and logistics system, performance and quality improve significantly. Tim Hosenfeldt explains, “The system feeds data directly into the Schaeffler data platform, the so-called Laboratory Information and Management System, resulting in a customer experience in real time, all R&D labs are interlinked. Automated analyses and the utilization of artificial intelligence enhance our efficiency and accuracy. In addition, AI offers more options for designing materials and products using the PolyAssist tool, for example, to optimize development processes.”