Behind the scenes tour with Schaeffler

There was tremendous anticipation and excitement surrounding Schaeffler Vehicle Lifetime Solutions’ media tour. Planning was meticulous, the locations of Slovakia and Hungary promised intrigue, the itinerary delivered a carefully curated mix of work, culture and exploration, and the tour group a curious mix of journalists, garage owners and Schaeffler staff. A trip that promised much but delivered so much more.

So, why Slovakia and Hungary? Bratislava was our hub for three days; it is easy to travel to and from Vienna airport, it is a city full of charm, rich and proud history, hidden treasures and great beer, not to mention Kofola – thanks, Max, our travel guide – but, most importantly, it is only an hour’s drive from Schaeffler’s two manufacturing plants in Szombathely, based in western Hungary.

Let’s go in!

To be invited to go behind the scenes of Schaeffler was a privilege; to see manufacturing processes, innovation, future planning and spirit was an unforgettable experience. Understandably, security was tight, so while little can be shared from the intricacies and sophistication of the plant tours themselves, here are some stats that should make for impressive reading:

Plant one concentrates on powertrains, while plant two focuses on e-mobility. Combined, the two buildings’ total areas are 500,000m² and 2024 year’s sales were about €1 billion.

In plant one alone, a facility that was opened in 1997 and produced over 75 million LuK dual mass flywheels, it houses over 3,000 employees. Over 1,700 different products are made here, including clutches, transmissions and flywheels. This investment, work and expertise equates to deliveries for more than 20 OE customers.

Switching to plant two, this facility was opened in 2021 and is Schaeffler’s first dedicated plant for e-mobility. The building stood tall and imperious in luscious green countryside, and there was great inquisitiveness into what we would see in between the four walls.

This particular site is central to Schaeffler’s sustainability ambition of making its production activities worldwide carbon neutral. Unsurprisingly, it was clean, tidy and efficient, with more than 500 employees currently developing three products: synchronous motor rotors (PSM), asynchronous motor rotors (ASM) and stators.

Sustainability was a continuous theme throughout this tour, with eight non-financial targets revealed. Furthermore, it operates a rainwater collection and reuse concept, energy-efficient heating and cooling via heat pumps, and rooftop solar and photovoltaic installations.

Thanks to the ongoing developments and production quality, the combined Szombathely campus is one of the largest production plants within the Schaeffler Group.

VW Slovakia visit a triumphant conclusion

Fascinated by what we saw – including a robotic dog as we entered the canteen (what will they think of next?)! – the tour group departed and headed back to Bratislava for our final evening. After exploring the city the previous evening, taking advantage of the local hospitality, we thought a quiet evening after a long day on our feet would be the order of the day – we couldn’t be more wrong! After enjoying cocktails in a sky top bar, overlooking the city, and yet another three-course meal (thank goodness the step count was high over the three days), members of our group dived into a karaoke bar – and let’s just say a rendition of Sweet Caroline, performed by a mix of British, Slovakian and Hungarian guests, has never been sung so out of tune.

The following day, with energy levels sapping and snow falling, the perfect tonic for a group of petrolheads arrived in the form of a factory tour of VW Slovakia – what a phenomenal place. Witnessing the sheer scale and precision of the production line for models such as the Škoda Superb and VW Passat, assembled largely by automated robots, was captivating. From welding and body assembly to the application of glue on door trims, the choreography of man and machine was remarkable, providing a fitting and memorable conclusion to the visit.

Conclusion

Returned safely to the airport by our excellent, punctual chauffeur, there were opportunities to share our personal highlights, but the overriding feeling was one of gratitude – gratitude to the entire Schaeffler team, particularly Jeff Earl, for being outstanding hosts. It is not easy planning and executing a tour, especially one overseas, but he made it look simple, and his conscientiousness and thoroughness was a key reason why the Schaeffler VLS media tour will go down as one of the best.