Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Schaeffler, a leading global automotive parts supplier, held grand events on December 4 and 5 at its Xiangtan and Wuhu manufacturing bases to showcase two important advancements, according to a post on its WeChat account.
At the events, the company announced that its integrated coolant system (ICS) has surpassed a monthly production capacity of 10,000 units, and its high-power electric water pump for range-extended electric vehicle (REEV) cooling systems has officially gone into operation.
Hermann Wieser, director of Schaeffler's Mechatronic Module division, revealed, "Effective thermal management is essential to ensure optimal vehicle performance and in-cabin experience. Leveraging our expertise in engine thermal management, Schaeffler has rapidly developed and iterated products to provide complete thermal management solutions. Thanks to the outstanding performance of our clients in global markets, our production volume and capacity have steadily increased, reaching a cumulative output of 80,000 units and a monthly delivery volume of over 10,000 units. This is a major milestone we are proud to celebrate."
The ICS developed for new energy vehicles combines key components such as the electric water pump, water valve, and water reservoir in a highly integrated design. This approach simplifies the complex connections between the electric motor, battery, and HVAC circuit, while also enabling mode adjustments for complex operating conditions, optimizing the performance of the vehicle's thermal management system.
The high integration of this product reduces the number of sub-components, helping simplify the installation of vehicle parts. Additionally, this design saves space, and lowers costs and pressure losses in the system circuits, improving subsystem efficiency and extending vehicle range. Since its launch, the ICS has been applied in several models of Chinese electric vehicle brands and exported overseas.
At the Wuhu plant, the electric water pump, specifically developed for REEVs, leverages the company's extensive expertise in thermal management for internal combustion engines, hybrid and all-electric vehicles.
Building on previous generations of products, Schaeffler has developed the electric water pump with the power output lifted to 260W to meet the higher cooling demands of REEV components and systems. The product features a modular design with high integration, significantly improving the overall efficiency of the cooling system and reducing energy consumption.
In China, Schaeffler has a long-standing commitment to thermal management for traditional internal combustion engines. The company expects to produce its 10-millionth-set engine thermal management module in the country by the end of this year. Additionally, it has been at the forefront of developing thermal management solutions for new energy vehicles. Schaeffler's China team secured the group's first water-side and refrigerant-side integrated thermal management projects in 2022, achieving mass production by the end of 2023.
