Schaeffler expands electric motor expertise with its latest acquisition

29 November 2018

German supplier Schaeffler has concluded the acquisition of Elmotec Statomat, as it looks to secure the future of its business.

As the automotive industry moves towards electric and hybrid technology, away from the traditional internal combustion engine, suppliers are looking to further their business in the emerging field. Schaeffler is one company that is working hard to make sure its business is relevant and offer supplies to manufacturers as they work on their electric vehicle (EV) development.

Elmotec Statomat is a manufacturer of production machinery for the high-volume construction of electric motors and possesses expertise in the field of winding technology. With this acquisition, Schaeffler is expanding its expertise in the construction of electric motors and thereby driving forward the implementation of its electric mobility strategy.

′Electric mobility is one of our central fields of future development. By acquiring Elmotec Statomat, we are taking a further important step to expand our manufacturing expertise in this field and consistently implement our electric mobility strategy’, said Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG. ′This acquisition will enable us to seamlessly and completely accommodate the industrialisation of electric motor construction within our company and close the last remaining technology gap in the production of rotors and stators.’

Elmotec Statomat is an owner-operated company that in 2017 generated sales of around €40 million and currently has around 200 employees. The company has experience in wave winding technology, a field that is considered a leading area of future development for electric mobility in terms of power density, efficiency, and efficient high-volume production.

′With its technologies, Elmotec Statomat has already proven its outstanding performance capability and power of innovation. With more than 50 individual intellectual property rights in 13 patent classes worldwide, the company is one of the world’s leaders in the field of winding technology in stator production. Through this acquisition, we are most importantly expanding our manufacturing expertise in the field of electric motors and thus opening up further potential for growth by producing electric motors and stator production facilities’, explained Jochen Schröder, Head of Schaeffler’s E-Mobility business division.

In December last year, Schaeffler purchased the remaining 49% of Compact Dynamics that it did not own, having taken a controlling stake during 2016. The company is a development specialist in the field of innovative electric drive concepts with a focus on high-performance drives and integrated lightweight construction in small volume production and motorsport applications. By acquiring Elmotec Statomat, this expertise will be expanded by the addition of further expertise in the high-volume production of stators for electric motors.