interfaces Tracing systems for end to end quali ty assurance of products have been developed as well Traceability detects defects in time and thus helps avoid costly recalls Vision systems for quali ty assurance of manufacturing processes by means of artificial intelligence are moving into focus too These systems use high resolution industrial cam eras that recognize the geometry color or position characteristics of products as well as counterfeits In addition the business unit designs develops and installs technologies in the area of human ro bot collaboration MRC The product portfolio ex tends from automated high speed pick place applications to highly complex assembly process es using collaborative robots These cobots are the fastest growing segment in the robotics mar ket In addition to the classic industrial robot that permanently installed in a cage and shielded from its human colleagues keeps performing the same staccato like movements over and over this is a smart way to achieve automation in collaboration with humans Machine parts from a 3D printer Schaeffler has been using 3D printing technology for many years Engineering designers have access to a wealth of tools from the concept design to the printed component The technology increasing ly enables the production of spare parts and com plex plastic or metal machine components The special purpose machinery unit also uses these benefits for so called additive manufacturing To day one in two machines already contains at least two components from a 3D printer a trend that will continue to grow New markets new horizons Along with the tasks professional fields and job profiles change Bernd Wollenick s team of mecha tronics specialists mechanical and electrical en gineers and technicians technical writers and sales experts has been joined by 100 software de velopers This is another growing trend although there s yet another trend that s far more import ant The special purpose machinery unit is in creasingly opening itself up to other sectors By opening ourselves to other markets we want to ac tively benchmark ourselves and aggressively place competitive technologies in the marketplace Wollenick explains The business unit is current ly involved in numerous discussions with potential new customers They include international manufacturers in di verse sectors who are interested in metal cut ting machines assembly and inspection lines or handling and feeding technologies from Schaeff ler All sectors are conceivable This will not only broaden our horizons but in turn also enhance our traditional business But even the move from a specialized to a mass market is no longer taboo for Schaeffler The demand for lean capital expendi ture optimized machines at a lower price is high especially in emerging markets However this is a real balancing act Wollen ick cautions Our special purpose machinery engineering is the operational backbone of the Schaeffl er plants and quality Made by Schaeffler is our spinal cord This will always be our top pri ority in keeping with the proven tradition estab lished by our founders 18 months 1 to 2 new plants are opened by Schaeffler every year which has resulted in an addition of one million square meters 247 acres to Schaeffler s worldwide production network in the past 15 years is the average time that elapses between the decision and launch of a new Schaeffler plant Not only the machines but also the entire material flow and space utilization concepts are based on identical worldwide standards 73 Here and now

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