Schaeffler AG Business Report FY2011

Business Highlights

Financial overview

(in million euros)
  FY2011 FY2010 Rate of Change(%) Factors
Overall
Sales 10,694 9,495 12.6 -
EBIT 1,689 1,509 11.9 -
Automotive
Sales 7,160 6,325 13.2 1)
EBIT 1,074 990 8.5 -

Factors
1)
-In 2011, Automotive division managed to replace projects coming to an end with larger volume new and follow-up orders. Towards year end, however, growth was beginning to slow down.

-During the course of the year, revenue growth was driven in particular by the sales markets in Asia (+20%), North America (+13%), and Europe (+13%). Among top-selling product groups, torque converters (+27%), ball bearings (+18%), and tapered roller bearings (+18%) showed above-average growth. In addition, innovative new products such as the dry double clutch, ball screw drives, and the fully variable electro-hydraulic valve control system (UniAir/MultiAir) experienced particularly high growth rates.

Business Development

-The Company announced that it will bundle its activities relating to electric mobility in an eMobility Systems Division. The new eMobility Systems Division will initially provide jobs for 300 employees. Development capacities at Schaeffler's locations in Herzogenaurach, Buhl and Suhl, Germany will be expanded accordingly. The product range extends from start-stop solutions and hybrid clutches right up to electric drives. Activities relating to electric mobility will also be increased at Schaeffler's development locations in China and North America. (From a press release on July 7, 2011)

Awards

-The Company announced that Schaeffler Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is awarded The Best Supplier 2011 by Changan Ford Mazda Engine Co., Ltd. (CFME). This is the third time that the Schaeffler Group is recognized by CFME as the Best Supplier. (From a press release on December 15, 2011)

-The Company announced that it has been awarded the 2011 Supplier Award by Porsche. The group is supplying switchable bucket tappets and camshaft phasing units for Porsche's valve control system known as Porsche VarioCam Plus. (From a press release on August 1, 2011)

-The Company has received "Daimler Supplier Award 2010" from Daimler as the best supplier in the category "Powertrain". Schaeffler has received a further award in China in the form of the "Great Wall Motors Best Development Awards". (From a press release on April 20, 2011)

R&D

R&D Expense

(in million Euros)
  FY2011 FY2010 FY2009
Overall 495 467 384

 

R&D Structures

-Over 6,000 employees at 40 development locations worldwide were employed in developing new products and processes.
-Approximately 1,800 patents and patent applications worldwide.

R&D Facilities

<Japan>
-The Company is increasing research and development staff in Japan threefold to 300 in three years from now. The group is intent on reinforcing its presence in Japan by replenishing engineers and researchers for development and overall research functions primarily at the research institute that was opened in Yokohama last year. At the same time, Shaeffler is poised to step up activities to send its engineers to Japanese automakers in expanded areas and help accelerate their development through deeper collaboration. Schaeffler Japan established an R&D center last year at the site of Continental Group's development center in Yokohama. Schaeffler is in a capital tie-up with Continental. At the center, 250 people are now employed, of which about 100 are research and development engineers. This staff will be increased to 300 in three years, along with installation of additional testing and analysis equipment. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on December 28, 2011)

Product Development

Active electric differential
-The Company developed the ACTIVeDRIVE concept vehicle for electric mobility with four-wheel drive, based on a Skoda Octavia Scout. The major innovation of the Schaeffler ACTIVeDRIVE is its active electric differential (eDifferential) which is installed both on the front and on the rear axles. The use of two active electric differentials improves driving dynamics and driving safety, and the concept car has an overall output of up to 210 kW. (From a press release on March 28, 2011)

New spur gear differential
-The Company developed a new spur gear differential for passenger cars. Compared with the traditional bevel gear differential, its new differential saves up to 30 percent in weight and creates up to 70 percent more free axial space because of its slim design. This means up to three kilograms mass reduction for each differential and up to 90mm of extra space in the gearbox. Tests are currently being carried out on the differential. These will be followed by a design optimization stage, after which Schaeffler will decide whether to move into series production of the lightweight differential. (From a press release on January 28, 2011)

Fully-variable hydraulic valve control system
-The Company developed fully-variable hydraulic valve control system in collaboration with Fiat Powertrain Technology. The UniAir valve control system will make its debut in the Alfa MiTo 1.4 MultiAir. And in 2011, the UniAir technology will now be launched in the US market with the Fiat 500. The fully-variable valve control system reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 25 percent. During the warm-up phase, hydrocarbon emissions (HC) are reduced by up to 40 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx) even drop by up to 60 percent. (From a press release on January 10, 2011)

Torque converter with centrifugal pendulum absorber
-LuK developed new torque converter with centrifugal pendulum absorber. Production of the converter started in Europe during September 2010 and production projects are underway with several OEM's in the U.S. and Asia. (From a press release on January 10, 2011)

Investment Activities

Capital Expenditure

(in million Euros)
FY2011 FY2010 FY2009
Overall 846 386 325
Automotive 621 284 88

 

Investment Outside Germany

<China>
-The Company announced that it will open new factory in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China. The new plant is located in Nanjing Jiangning Science Park, with 100 million euro investment in phase one and area over 250,000 square meters. Main products cover a range of automotive and industrial rolling bearings. Construction of the new factory is to be completed by end of 2012 and will begin mass production in the first quarter of 2013. By end of 2016, 3,000 to 4,000 new jobs will be created accordingly. (From a press release on April 13, 2011)