At the 12th International MTZ Conference on “The Drives of Tomorrow”, Schaeffler demonstrates that there is a large variety of intelligent automotive technologies. Different application areas and purposes require technologies to be combined with each other. Whether a vehicle has an electric drive, a hybrid drive or an internal combustion engine – the main focus of developers is on environmental friendliness and energy efficiency. This means that the different drive trains must be increasingly considered in conjunction with the integrated system of internal combustion engine, transmission, and electrification. This is where Schaeffler as an automotive and industrial supplier can prove its wide-ranging expertise. The stated aim is to offer every customer the best technical solution for the relevant requirement.
The rapid shift in mobility presents the entire industry with tasks that are challenging but manageable. In this field, Schaeffler can benefit from its extensive portfolio of technologies and develop customized system solutions for its customers. “On the path towards carbon-neutral mobility, Schaeffler can make use of a wide range of drive options”, explains Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive OEM at Schaeffler. “Due to our focus on the interaction between internal combustion engine, transmission, and electric drives, we have the expertise that is required in order to develop the best technical solutions for the individual regional requirements and applications together with our customers around the world.”
The main focus of the presentations held at the conference, which was also initiated by Schaeffler, is on electrified drive trains, hybrid technologies with efficient internal combustion engines, and a holistic view of an environmentally-friendly energy chain. Profound expertise in individual technologies and their potential when combined with each other always form the basis of advanced technologies. For example, comprehensive knowledge of vibration behavior and vibration damping are prerequisites for designing efficient internal combustion engines with cylinder deactivation. Furthermore, comprehensive optimization strategies and exceptional design expertise are essential in order to develop electric drives that are compact and powerful at the same time, such as modular electric axles with integrated power electronics, and to smoothly integrate individual components, such as engine, electronic system, and transmission, to create a perfectly matched drive train.
Further topics addressed at the conference in Frankfurt are fuel cell and synthetic fuel technologies. “Our customers can expect us to deliver solutions for all concepts”, explains Mr. Zink. In Frankfurt, for example, Schaeffler is providing an initial insight into the importance of intelligent surface coatings for fuel cell technology.
Schaeffler puts energy-efficient technologies into volume production that make driving with low or zero emissions possible. From drive trains based on an internal combustion engine through to a hybrid or electric design, the wide-ranging development expertise of Schaeffler engineers makes an important contribution to efficient and clean future mobility.
