- Business
- Schaeffler AG (SFFLY) is a leading global motion technology company that develops, manufactures, and supplies precision components, systems, and services for automotive, industrial, and aerospace applications. The company operates through key divisions including E-Mobility, Powertrain & Chassis, Vehicle Lifetime Solutions, and Bearings & Industrial Solutions, offering products such as rolling and plain bearings, linear guidance systems, clutch systems, transmission components, torsion dampers, valve train systems including UniAir variable valvetrains and switchable tappets, camshaft phasing units, electric axle drives like the EMR4, electric motors, power electronics, generators, high-performance master control units for software-defined vehicles, thermal management solutions, range extender modules for REEVs delivering up to 300 kW, repair solutions for automotive aftermarket including clutches, engines, transmissions, and chassis parts; and industrial solutions encompassing maintenance products, monitoring systems, direct drive technology, and smart interconnected bearings. Schaeffler serves diverse markets including passenger and commercial vehicles, two-wheeled and off-highway vehicles, rail, renewable energies such as wind, solar, and hydropower, heavy industries like steel, cement, mining, power plants, and pulp & paper, as well as aviation and robotics, with target customers ranging from OEMs and aftermarket providers to industrial manufacturers worldwide. Founded in 1946 by brothers Wilhelm and Georg Schaeffler and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the company maintains approximately 250 locations across 55 countries, including major facilities in Schweinfurt and Bühl, Germany; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA; Savli, India; and expansions in China, Slovakia, Brazil, the UK, and Thailand. Schaeffler markets prominent brands such as INA, FAG, and LuK, and through holding companies controlled by the Schaeffler family, maintains significant stakes in Continental AG and Vitesco Technologies.
In recent developments, Schaeffler completed its transformative merger with Vitesco Technologies on October 1, 2024, via a pioneering public-to-merger structure in Germany, integrating Vitesco's electrification expertise to expand manufacturing plants, R&D capabilities, and product portfolio across power transmission, energy generation, and electromobility, targeting doubled EBIT by 2028, 74 billion euros in orders, 815 million euros annual synergies, and 10% revenue from new activities by 2035. The company announced structural measures in November 2024, including 4,700 job reductions primarily in Europe, closure of plants in Austria and the UK, and cessation of bearing production in Berndorf, Austria, and couplings in Sheffield, England, to optimize its portfolio under the "earn the right to grow" principle. Additional strategic moves encompass a November 2024 minority investment in and purchase agreement with Agility Robotics for humanoid robots across its 100-plant global network by 2030; unveiling at CES 2025 of expanded motion technologies post-merger; December 2025 launches of a compact range extender module (up to 80-300 kW for 400V/800V REEVs), VoltShield-P insulation bearings, PFAS-free refrigerant thermal solutions, and High Performance Master Control Units at CTI Berlin; expansion of large-size Spherical Roller Bearings production in India for heavy industries; and a December 2025 memorandum with Helsing for drone development cooperation. Schaeffler India, a publicly listed subsidiary, further supports localized manufacturing growth.