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.

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.

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.

Anyone applying for an apprenticeship or a dual bachelor's degree program at Schunk will - in the best case - go through a three-stage application process. This consists of

1. a written online application
2. a digital recruitment test
3. an interview

We know from experience that many students are afraid of the recruitment test. In order to take away that queasy feeling, we have compiled some information for you here on the proper preparation and procedure of the recruitment test:

When you need structural components made of ceramics that are as large as a human being, it can become a challenge. A challenge that was also faced by the Zeiss company. That's because the conventional manufacturing process, in which silicon carbide powder is pressed into a block and then milled, presented a major technical hurdle here. "A new idea was needed," says Stefan Unger, who is responsible for supply chain sustainability at Zeiss.

E-mobility continues to gain ground: according to a study by the IEA (International Energy Agency), there were around 16.5 million e-cars on the roads worldwide in 2021 - three times as many as in 2018. Forecasts predict that the share will rise to 116 million electric cars by 2030.  However, no matter how successful electric mobility is, manufacturers still face challenges in addressing concerns potential buyers may have about purchasing an electric car.

Since Pulsar Photonics has become part of the Schunk Group, the laser micromachining specialist has been able to fully develop its potential - also thanks to joint projects with other Schunk companies. "Schunk's financial strength and the technology company's existing networks around the world open up completely new opportunities for us to further develop our cutting-edge technologies and market them globally," Dr. Jens Holtkamp, one of the three founding managing directors, said happily last June. At that time, the Schunk Group acquired a majority stake in Pulsar Photonics, the Aachen-based full-service provider for laser micromachining with short-pulse and ultrashort-pulse lasers.

Materials expert Stefan Günther explains why manufacturers of conductivity measurement technology who use measuring electrodes made of graphite can rely on permanently accurate measurement results. Schunk has been manufacturing conductivity measuring electrodes made of graphite for over 20 years. They are used worldwide for quality monitoring in analysis and measurement technology in laboratories and industrial processes. Special applications in dialysis are also possible. Very good chemical and thermal resistance, good thermal as well as electrical conductivity and high purity make graphite the material of choice for many users here.

Achieving the European climate protection targets in the transport sector requires a strong European railway. The EU is therefore planning to double passenger traffic and significantly expand rail freight transport by 2030. In addition to alternative drive concepts and the expansion of rail infrastructure, digitization of the rail system for more efficient use of resources is one of the prerequisites for meeting the political framework conditions.

Krakow is focusing on sustainability and investing in electromobility in public transport. The first electric buses have been operating in the city since 2014. In 2021, 50 more vehicles were added that transport passengers in the Krakow area. The highest exceedances of air pollution limits were recorded in this region (see: https://cleantechnica.com). However, the expansion of the e-bus fleet presented the city with a challenge: how can around 80 electric buses be charged efficiently?

If one of your production plants breaks down, this is associated with high costs. Damaged bearings are often the reason for expensive downtimes. The cause: parasitic currents that find their way through the rolling bearings of the plant. Shaft grounding systems can reliably remedy this situation and discharge voltages to the plant ground. But we know that many of our industrial customers still face a dilemma: This is because shafts with a wide variety of diameters are installed in the gear units of their production plants. This means high storage costs, as they have to keep various sizes of shaft grounding systems in stock for emergencies. We will show you how you can now ground a wide variety of shafts with just one system and reduce your storage costs: