Inside Schaeffler’s Hungary plant - Simon Powney
Deep in the heart of the Savaria region of western Hungary lies Vas County and the city of Szombathely, the home of two of Schaeffler’s state-of-the-art manufacturing sites.
Plant I is primarily a transmission construction facility, manufacturing clutches and flywheels etc., whilst Plant II is a shiny new E-mobility facility which handles the production and assembly of high output electric vehicle drive motors. Both plants also have advanced research and development departments which are constantly working on future mobility topics.
Approaching Plant II, I could tell that something special was going on inside, the building looked crisp, modern and certainly made a statement in the surrounding countryside.
The group was treated to an introductory presentation, highlighting Schaeffler’s commitment to quality and testing, attention to detail, and high standards of manufacture, and which also showed the company’s policy in providing a great place to work for local employees, as well as contributing greatly to the economy of the region.
As the tour of Plant II started, I was astonished at the cleanliness of the factory, not a speck of dirt in sight. This is needed to ensure precise handling of certain components, which require a sterile area for assembly. The plant makes PSM and ASM- motors, with and without permanent magnets respectively, for leading electric vehicle manufacturers, and has been slowly gearing up since building finished around four years ago. I would say that the company expects production to rapidly increase due to the footprint of the whole site (approximately 300,000m2). and the futureproofing of the set-up which allows for easy expansion.
Schaeffler has a total sustainability concept which includes the collection and reuse of rainwater, an energy efficient system for heating and cooling the factory utilising heat pumps, plus rooftop solar and photovoltaic arrays.
After a short trip to Plant I, we had time for lunch in the canteen before we enjoyed a tour of the factory. This was more like the traditional engineering that I recognise – clutches, flywheels and pulley decouplers!
We also saw drive plate friction material being produced from chips of material mixed with a fibrous bind before being baked, then finally riveted to the clutch friction plates that we see in the boxes in our workshops.
Other components are also being engineered here, with ornate self-adjusting clutch pressure plates being created from a roll of sheet steel, as well as a complete dual mass flywheel assembly line. Moving along each line, the products are checked by workers at every stage, often using automated laser or digital imaging technology, which scrutinises the assembly process and highlights any flaws or potential issues.
The group was staying just over the border from Hungary in Bratislava, and the local hospitality was very much enjoyed. Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and is certainly worth a visit, especially at this time of year, with a large Christmas market being setup while we were there, as well as stunning scenery, beautiful historic buildings and friendly culture. Somewhere definitely worth exploring!
On the final day we were treated to a tour of the Volkswagen Slovakia plant, on the outskirts of Bratislava. After passing security, we spent some time in the body shop, watching the Skoda Superb and VW Passat saloon and estate body shells being assembled, mainly by automated robots using state-of-the-art techniques and working in harmony with each other. I found it a very calming environment with minimal staff (the site is 80% automated), and lots of GPS robots cruising around the factory playing classical music whilst going about their business. When you did come across operatives, they were cycling up and down the factory walkways on Volkswagen bikes, trikes and scooters. As the factory is so large I was informed that this was the most efficient and green way of travel.
I felt very lucky to be invited, along with automotive journalists, influencers, and other garage owners, who were all looked after by Schaeffler VLS UK staff. It was an incredible experience and very enjoyable throughout. At the end of the trip, I spoke with Jeff Earl, Marketing Communications Manager for Schaeffler VLS UK Limited, who commented;
“Garage owners and professional technicians need to keep their eyes open for promotions run by the leading parts distributor workshop platforms to earn a place on a Schaeffler trip. Alternatively, next year we will be offering places to the ‘Schaeffler REPXPERT Workshop of the Year’ and to our ‘REPEXPERT Workshop Heroes’, the winners of which will be announced at our REPXPERT Conference on 14th May 2026”.