Schaeffler Group Successful in NoAE Innovation Competition with Two Products

TROY, Mich., June 18 -- Schaeffler Group Automotive's INA and FAG brands were successful with two products in the Innovation Competition of the NoAE (Network of Automotive Excellence) recently held during the Wuerzburg Automotive Summit. INA's lightweight balancer shaft with rolling bearing supports and FAG's twin tandem wheel bearings were nominated for participation in the Innovation Vernissage in the "CO2 Reduction, Lightweight Design and New Materials" category.

"As a supplier, it is our obligation to offer our automotive customers optimized products for the drivetrain, where our ambitious goals of reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions can be achieved," said Dr. Peter Gutzmer, executive vice president of Schaeffler KG Technical Product Development and acting vice president of Schaeffler Group Automotive. "With the nominations, the jury has honored the efforts that Schaeffler has undertaken as a large international supplier."

Dr. Gutzmer explained how Schaeffler Group Automotive intends to increase efficiency in the systems with further "innovative components for the drivetrain of tomorrow" during his presentation. He also emphasized the importance of efficiency increases as the key to reducing fuel consumption and emissions. He outlined the product range of the Schaeffler Group, which includes concepts for fully variable hydraulic valvetrains in engines, as well as high-performance dual clutch systems in transmissions, that contribute to economical fuel consumption.

The NoAE Innovation Competition was first held in 2007. This is the first year that the Schaeffler Group has taken part in the competition, which is again under the auspices of the Federal Minister for Economics and Technology, Michael Glos. Out of several hundred submissions, 30 products were nominated for presentation to selected technical experts from the automotive and supplier industry at the Innovation Vernissage.

A brief description of the Schaeffler Group products that were nominated for the Innovation Vernissage is below.

INA Lightweight Balancer Shaft

Replacing the conventional plain bearings on the balancer shaft with rolling bearings reduces friction and allows consistent optimization of the mass distribution on these shafts. A reduction in mass of approximately 20 percent to more than 40 percent is possible, which can amount to as much as 2.2 pounds in a 4-cylinder engine. In addition to the associated minimization of the shaft's rotational inertia that is implemented in the design of the partial drivetrain and reduces noise generation, the oil mist supply of the bearing is improved and a pressurized oil supply is often no longer necessary. All these measures lead to a reduction in fuel consumption of up to two percent.

FAG Twin Tandem Wheel Bearings

The concept of the twin tandem wheel bearing is based on substituting rows of tapered rollers with two rows of balls each. This means that a double row tapered roller bearing becomes a four row ball bearing. Substituting the line contact of the tapered rollers with the point contacts of balls and eliminating rib friction reduces bearing friction significantly. At the same time, a higher cornering rigidity is achieved compared to the tapered roller bearing.

This innovative wheel bearing is particularly suitable for use in vans, sport utility vehicles and light trucks. These vehicle types are characterized by high axial loads and are usually fitted with wheel bearings with a tapered roller design. Twin tandem bearings can also be used in other vehicle types. With the use of twin tandem wheel bearings, fuel consumption can be reduced by approximately 1.5 percent per vehicle on average.

The Schaeffler Group

The Schaeffler Group, with its brands INA, LuK and FAG, and approximately 66,000 employees at more than 180 locations in 50 countries generates group sales of more than 8.9 billion euros (FY 2007) and ranks amongst the leading rolling bearing manufacturers and suppliers to the automotive industry worldwide. Affiliated companies include Schaeffler KG with its head office at Herzogenaurach and the brandnames INA and FAG, as well as the LuK Group, whose head office is located in Buhl/Baden.

To serve the North American automotive market, the Schaeffler Group operates a 78,000-square-foot North American Automotive Tech Center in Troy, Mich. This facility employs 165 engineers and technicians and houses a 30,000- square-foot, state-of-the-art test lab outfitted with multiple test cells capable of performing test simulations for engine and engine components. Schaeffler Group Automotive has headquarters in Fort Mill, S.C. and manufacturing facilities in South Carolina, Missouri, Ohio and Ontario, Canada.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For a high-res photos of INA's lightweight balancer shaft and/or FAG's twin tandem wheel bearings, please contact Adriana Ferrari at aferrari@bianchipr.com or 248-269-1122.