Explore the latest technology trends, career opportunities, and the people behind Schunk’s pioneering solutions

How carbon, graphite, and silicon carbide materials support reliable mechanical seals and bearings in demanding power plant applications.  When a pump fails at a power plant, the consequences can be significant. Reliable seals and bearings are essential to keeping equipment operating under demanding conditions. But how much does material selection influence their performance? A closer look at Schunk’s materials and solutions for power generation shows why choosing the right material early in the design process matters. 

Demand for high-performance batteries continues to grow, placing increasing demands on battery active material production. During calcination, sintering, and coating processes, components must withstand high temperatures while maintaining stable processing conditions. Manufacturers need to ensure consistent product quality while keeping energy consumption low and equipment availability high.  The materials used in these processes play an important role. Their properties affect not only process reliability but also heating and cooling times, maintenance intervals, and the overall cost of production. 

Public transit electrification is accelerating across major metropolitan areas in North America. Transit agencies are investing in reliable, scalable electric bus charging infrastructure to support zero-emission operations while maintaining high service availability. A current reference project in Florida demonstrates how Schunk Smart Charging supports efficient pantograph charging for electric bus depots: the Miami-Dade Transit electric bus charging project. 

Buses from Solaris and Irizar. Charging systems from Medcom, ZPUE Włoszczowa and Ekoenergetyka. For MPK Kraków, all of them have to work together in daily operation without any interruptions and high availability. This is a common challenge as electric bus fleets grow. Vehicles and charging infrastructure are added over time, often from different suppliers, while the charging process still needs to remain consistent. In Krakow, Schunk Smart Charging provides the conductive interface between the buses and the charging infrastructure. The system has been in operation since 2017.

Schunk offers FDA-compliant materials that meet the requirements of EC 1935/2004 — with WRAS, KTW-UBA, California Prop 65 compliance, or PFAS-free options available depending on the application. For pumps, seals, and bearings that need to perform reliably.

Bulkhead seals, stern tube seals, and submarine seals must perform reliably over long periods of operation. Wear, temperature, and exposure to different media place high demands on both the material and the component.  Schunk supports manufacturers of marine sealing systems with materials expertise and precision-manufactured seal rings made of carbon graphite and silicon carbide. Different material grades and designs are available depending on the application. 

Anyone seeing a freight train in India for the first time may have to look twice. Many trains carry containers stacked two high – known as double-stack container trains. This allows more freight to move on each train, making rail freight more efficient.  To provide enough clearance for the stacked containers, the overhead contact lines are installed significantly higher than on most European rail networks. The locomotive itself, however, is not taller. That means the current collector on the vehicle has to bridge a much greater distance to reach the overhead line. And that is where the engineering challenge begins. 

Aerospace components operate in some of the industry's most demanding environments. High mechanical loads, aggressive media, friction, and wear all place significant demands on the materials they are made from. 

For tribological applications, long-term performance begins long before a component is manufactured. It starts with selecting the material best suited to the application's operating conditions. 

This is where Schunk's expertise begins. As a specialist in carbon materials, Schunk helps customers identify the optimal material for their application before manufacturing precision components to customer specifications.  

Salary and exciting responsibilities are important. But more and more job seekers are also paying attention to how a company treats its employees.  After all, we spend a large part of our day at work. That makes it even more important to find an environment that not only offers opportunities for growth but also supports health and well-being.  At Schunk, people work in offices, laboratories, and production facilities. While day-to-day responsibilities may differ, the importance of employee health remains the same. That’s why we offer a variety of programs and resources that support physical health, preventive care, and overall well-being. 

Oil quenching is a widely used process in heat treatment to achieve specific mechanical properties. It is essential for many components used in industries such as bearings, gears, and fasteners.  At the same time, oil quenching introduces its own challenges. One factor that is often overlooked is how the quenching oil interacts with fixture materials.  When porous materials are used, oil can enter the material structure during quenching. During subsequent heating cycles, this oil evaporates and can lead to soot formation and contamination inside the furnace.   Over time, these effects impact process stability, maintenance effort, and overall efficiency.

Since November 2025, the SLS 104 roof-mounted pantograph has been operating in regular service with Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe (KVB). The real-world test highlights how pantograph charging systems are evolving—and what that means for day-to-day e-bus operations.

Electric buses are becoming standard in public transit systems across North America. As fleets continue to grow, transit agencies face increasing pressure to scale charging infrastructure that can keep vehicles running reliably throughout the day.  That is exactly what King County Metro is addressing in Seattle. The agency is currently expanding the charging infrastructure at its Tukwila Base depot with 123 inverted pantographs from Schunk Transit Systems. 

In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, two 14.5 MWh Battery Electric Locomotives (BELs) from Progress Rail, A Caterpillar Company, are now in regular operation. Charging is handled by four Schunk SLS 201 systems installed in parallel, providing up to 2.8 MW of total charging power. The installation brings megawatt-level charging into day-to-day heavy-haul rail service. 

In high-temperature processes such as vacuum brazing or hard soldering, material selection plays a critical role in both efficiency and cost-effectiveness. A factor often overlooked: the charge carrier system. This case study demonstrates why carbon fiber reinforced carbon (CFC) is not only a technical but also a financial advantage over conventional steel. 

Silicon carbide (SiC) plays a key role in many high-tech industries – from semiconductors and solar systems to technical ceramics and abrasives. Its exceptional hardness and thermal resistance make it an essential material for demanding industrial applications. However, the downside is significant: conventional SiC production is highly energy-intensive and has a major carbon footprint. Producing just one ton of SiC can emit up to 4.2 tons of CO₂, driven by both chemical reactions and the electricity required for production. In a global market increasingly focused on sustainability and resource efficiency, this is a growing concern. This is exactly where the RECOSiC process comes in. Developed by ESK-SIC GmbH, a company of the Schunk Group, in partnership with Fraunhofer IKTS, RECOSiC enables the recovery of high-purity SiC from production residues – offering a significantly improved carbon balance and supporting true circular economy principles in industrial materials.

In industrial high-temperature processes, such as heat treatment in sintering furnaces, conventional materials like steel quickly reach their physical limits. Starting at around 800 °C, steel significantly loses strength and exhibits noticeable plastic deformation under mechanical load. This leads to sagging support structures and misalignment of components. The high thermal mass of massive steel components also extends heating and cooling times and results in considerable energy losses.