Highest-quality production and close to customers at all major locations in the world

2014-09-23 | 000-005-315 DE-EN

SCHAEFFLER AG, BERLIN/SCHWEINFURT

360 Lifecycle Management - Schaeffler at InnoTrans 2014

Highest-quality production and close to customers at all major locations in the world

Rail bearings for traction motors, gear boxes, and wheel sets are subjected to the highest demands for quality and safety under various operating conditions. Schaeffler manufactures these products using state-of-the-art production technology according to globally uniform quality standards at 73 locations worldwide. Schaeffler covers all the stages in the manufacturing process - from the production of blanks through to assembly. Integrated inspection and testing procedures safeguard the highest levels of quality throughout the entire value-added chain. The Schaeffler quality management system ensures adherence to both railway-specific standards and relevant national and international standards.

Schaeffler established itself at an early stage on the Asian railway market with its FAG brand. In India, Schaeffler has been producing different bearing types for axlebox bearing supports and drive unit bearing supports for over 30 years. Schaeffler has also had a presence in China for over 30 years and has had its own production facility for railway bearings since 2002. In the future, it will also be possible to deliver directly to railway customers from the Russian Federation. TAROL and cylindrical roller bearing units will be produced in the new plant in Uljanovsk.

Schaeffler's rail bearing plant in China is located in Yinchuan, the capital of the autonomous province of Ningxia. There, over 500 highly qualified employees produce wheel set bearing units, so-called TAROL units, for metric and imperial dimensions. The units are primarily used in locomotives and freight cars. Manufacturers outside of China are also supplied with products from Yinchuan. All products are manufactured to the highest global quality standards. The plant is certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. The production facilities in Yinchuan also meet AAR (Association of American Railroads) quality requirements.

Local value addition as a prerequisite

Schaeffler relies on a local presence in its railway engineering activities, which contributes to adding value locally. The goal is to recognize the specific requirements of the markets and align the product quality, performance, and price to regional conditions. This entails not only development of an effective field sales team but also local production, including development of local R&D capacities. Filing of trademark applications to ensure that innovations are also protected in the local markets is also performed.

Another prerequisite for successful production at a given location is continuous human resource development. Employees receive regular training in Germany or on-site by internal and external trainers. Development of an on-site training program also guarantees staff retention and career paths to the highest quality standards. Schaeffler currently supplies TAROL bearings from Yinchuan, for example, for the series used for the Delhi Metro and wheel set bearings for the metro in Guangzhou, China.

This puts Schaeffler in the position to support the development and expansion of railway infrastructure with its know-how and quality standards and to stay on top of technology trends, enabling it to tap into the huge growth potential in the Asian markets.

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