Electric vehicles are rapidly gaining momentum, increasing the demand for reliable and efficient technologies. Power modules play a pivotal role in this context, particularly in motor drives and battery charging systems. Dr. Jürgen Reinke, Head of Process Technology at Schunk Sonosystems, and Dr. Urs Bürgi, an expert in automation and precision at Infotech, explain the importance of these technologies and highlight innovations developed in collaboration with Infotech.

The Schunk Group is your innovative partner when it comes to metal injection molding (MIM) at the highest technological level. With over 100 years of material expertise and state-of-the-art MIM technology, we manufacture complex, precise, and series-ready metal components – tailored exactly to the requirements of your industry.

With the RDX1000 LWJ from Pulsar Photonics – a company of the Schunk Group – new benchmarks are being set in the processing of hard and brittle high-performance materials. This innovative system combines laser and waterjet technologies, enabling highly precise cuts in technical ceramics, silicon carbide, and hard metals – faster, more efficiently, and without causing material damage. 

With OptoSight, OptoTech, a company of the Schunk Group, launches a groundbreaking AI-driven software that makes optical manufacturing machines smarter, more efficient, and user-friendly. With this innovation, OptoTech sets new standards in the optical industry. 

With the acquisition of ESK-SIC, the Schunk Group has set a strategic milestone and further strengthened its position in the field of high-performance ceramics and specialty materials. But what does this mean for customers and the technical ceramics industry? We take a look at the background, the synergies and the innovations made possible by this partnership. 

Electric buses are no longer a future scenario - they are increasingly defining the image of modern cities. For the transition to more sustainable and quieter local transport to succeed, not only are powerful vehicles needed, but also intelligent and efficient charging infrastructures. This is precisely where Schunk Smart Charging comes in: with innovative, fully automatic charging systems that maximise the availability of electric buses - without any manual operation or plugs.

For transport companies, winter not only brings frosty temperatures, but also a problem that causes costs and effort: icy overhead lines. A challenge that Dessauer Verkehrs GmbH also had to contend with. Holger Steuer, Head of Maintenance, explains how the company got to grips with the problem in a straightforward manner. The result: reliable tramway operation despite ice and snow.

We know from experience: Developers of high-performance motors for electric cars face an enormous challenge. Tomorrow's e-mobility requires efficient motors for higher drive dynamics and longer ranges. But how can the performance of electric motors be increased in what is sometimes the smallest installation space? Higher speeds are a key to success, but mean extreme stress for the components. Without a stable rotor bandage, machine failure would be inevitable. Read here why armor sleeves made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) are the way to efficient high-performance motors.

The arguments that electric vehicles are still too expensive, take too long to charge, have too short a range or always require a cable to be held for charging still deter many customers from buying an electric car. Similarly, the demands for more environmentally friendly mobility in the industrial sector also present companies with challenges. For example, for electric mobility to become an economically viable alternative for logistics companies, solutions are needed that not only ensure fast, reliable charging and long ranges, but can also be integrated into the depot in a space-saving way. Fortunately, the development of charging systems for electric vehicles is progressing rapidly. The range now includes not only manually operated charging systems, but also autonomous solutions.

Read on to find out which charging systems offer the most potential for which types of vehicles and how an underbody charging solution enables efficient and space-saving charging of passenger cars and e-trucks.

Many transport companies can tell you a thing or two about it: Suddenly, metros or trains are at a standstill due to damaged engine or transmission bearings. Such breakdowns are not only annoying, but above all expensive. The cause are often vagrant shaft voltages that discharge in the bearings and cause lasting damage. Shaft grounding systems made of infiltrated carbon fibers can provide a remedy, reliably dissipating voltages and protecting against bearing damage.

Additive manufacturing is increasingly revolutionizing complex industries - including the aerospace industry. Schunk Ingenieurkeramik from Willich is a pioneer in this field. By developing sophisticated ceramic components using 3D printing processes, the company is opening up new dimensions in terms of product design and efficiency.

Schunk has been recognized as a Top Company by Kununu for the second time in a row. The reason for this is the positive feedback from our employees on the well-known employer review platform. According to Kununu, only around 5 percent of all employer profiles qualify for the Top Company seal, making Schunk one of the most popular employers in Germany. That makes us very happy!

Buying a laser machine for micro material processing (also known as a USP laser machine) is often a major investment for companies that want to improve their production processes and expand their manufacturing capacities. Often, these machines are high-tech machines that perform component-adapted manufacturing processes and have a variety of functions. It is therefore crucial that the purchasing process is carefully planned and executed. You can find out how to do this here.

When the 2:45 p.m. ferry arrived on the Isle of Wight on November 19, 2020, a very special passenger disembarked: the first of a total of five trains for the completely refurbished fleet of the modernized Island Line. The trains thus continue the Island Line‘s long-standing tradition of using refurbished and rebuilt London Underground equipment. Adrian Handley, Sales and Marketing Director of Sabre Rail, the UK's leading independent specialist in the overhaul of rail systems and components, shares the challenges the vehicle manufacturer faced in order to be able to operate the trains on the island and the solution that was developed together with Schunk.   (Image below: The first Island Line Class 484 train arrives at Wightlinks Fishbourne ferry terminal. © James123pilbeam, license.)

A dual study program is an attractive career path that allows you to combine theoretical knowledge at university with practical experience in a company. This means that you can acquire both academic knowledge and develop professional skills during your studies. If you are interested in a dual bachelor's degree program with Schunk as a partner company, you probably have a lot of questions about it. You'll find answers to 10 of the most common ones in this blog post.

Lightning strikes to wind turbines are not uncommon. According to the industry portal Windbranche, each wind turbine is struck by lightning 0.6 to once a year on average - usually on a rotor blade. The risk is even higher for multi-megawatt turbines. Studies show that these are exposed to direct lightning strikes at least ten times a year. No wonder, due to their exposed location on hills or off coasts, wind turbines attract lightning particularly strongly. Strikes can have serious consequences - from repair-related failures to the destruction of the entire plant.