Carbon components for automotive industry

Electrification, increasing rotational speeds, and shrinking installation space are fundamentally changing the requirements for mechanical components in vehicles. Components must become lighter, more temperature-stable, and at the same time more resilient—while meeting tighter tolerances. With over 40 years of experience in processing carbon and fiber-reinforced composite materials, Schunk supports development teams in translating these requirements into production-ready solutions: from material selection and simulation to manufacturing.   

From concept to production readiness 

Schunk supports customers throughout the entire development process—including consulting, FEM simulation, prototyping, and assembly trials. This allows components to be precisely tailored to the respective engine or system concept before they go into production. 

Applications in vehicles 

Components made of carbon, graphite, and fiber-reinforced composite materials from Schunk are used where conventional materials reach their limits. One example is reinforcement sleeves and split tubes made of CFRP and GFRP, which, when used as a bandage, stabilize high-speed rotors in high-performance electric motors: Thanks to a coefficient of thermal expansion that is virtually zero for CFRP, the air gap between the rotor and stator remains minimal even at high temperatures and speeds—this reduces torque losses and increases the drive’s efficiency. At the same time, the sleeves are significantly lighter than comparable metal bandages, which reduces centrifugal forces and overall weight. Another advantage over metal bandages is that our CFRP and GFRP bandages are magnetically transparent. We address other mechanical applications in vehicles—such as bearings, seals, or components for vacuum systems—with the same commitment to precision, material expertise, and suitability for series production. You can find the appropriate products in the overview below.