300,000th mechatronic roll stabilizer manufactured in the Schaeffler plant in Schweinfurt

Petru-Catalin Scafaru (left), Plant Manager at Schaeffler in Schweinfurt, Wolfgang Feser (right), Head of the Suspension Actuators Segment, and the segment's employees are delighted with 300,000 mechatronic roll stabilizers.

Successful mechatronic roll stabilizer: Over 300,000 pieces have been manufactured since series production started
Customer orders are continuously increasing
Active adaptation of the car when cornering and unilateral road irregularities

With the mechatronic roll stabilizer, Schaeffler set a milestone in the field of mechatronics for the automotive sector and brought one of the most complex products to the Schweinfurt location four years ago. Over 300,000 roll stabilizers that have already been produced and the increasing demand are not only evidence that the product has become an integral part of the premium automobiles of German and international manufacturers. They also testify to Schaeffler's high level of manufacturing expertise.

“Four years ago we started series production of the product here at the Schweinfurt location. Since then, we have gained new platforms from our two major customers. For example, we have been producing Porsche Taycan for the electric sports car since summer 2019. Further customer orders and the associated increase in volume will also make new starts outside the pilot segment necessary in the future, ”says Petru-Catalin Scafaru, plant manager at Schaeffler in Schweinfurt.

Active adaptation to every driving situation

Roll stabilizers minimize roll movements of the vehicle when cornering and absorb unilateral road irregularities. This increases comfort and dynamism and also increases safety.

Schaeffler's mechatronic roll stabilizer consists of a gearbox, an electric motor, the actual control unit and an integrated torque sensor. The electric motor, together with the high-ratio, three-stage planetary gearbox, rotates the two stabilizer halves against each other and thus generates a torque that has a stabilizing effect on the body. The torque is recorded precisely with the help of a contactless torque sensor and used for fast and precise control of the actuator.

In contrast to hydraulic systems, Schaeffler's mechatronic roll stabilization calls up electrical power as required - quasi "power-on-demand". A key to this is the electric motor, which only consumes power when the actuator twists and builds up a moment. To hold the moment, only small electrical resistance losses have to be compensated. The execution of Schaeffler as a mechatronic system helps to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. At the same time, there is greater system dynamics compared to hydraulics and more precise steering behavior.