Development and manufacture of high-quality powertrain components
The focus of the Winkelmann Group’s Automotive Division lies on the development and manufacture of rotationally symmetrical engine and transmission components as well as components for fuel modules. Thanks to our experience in product development and the use of innovative manufacturing processes, our companies in this sector are among the leading automotive suppliers to many well-known vehicle manufacturers. When producing our system components, we combine metal forming with many years’ experience of bonding and coating, innovative plastic processes, and bespoke solutions for elastomer and viscose based rotary vibration dampers. At our headquarters in Ahlen (Germany), Winkelmann Powertrain Components GmbH takes the lead in developing new products and technologies. As well as our main location, production also takes place worldwide in Legnica (Poland) as well as Lagos de Moreno (Mexico).
Our automotive solutions and products
The requirements for low emissions and efficient fuel consumption lead to ever higher demands on today’s automotive industry. Reducing engine size (downsizing) and simultaneously increasing revs puts pressure on the engine’s components and, in particular, the gear parts that transmit power. We concentrate on new, innovative system components to successfully meet these challenges.
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Products and solutions for engine and transmission systems
In the automotive industry, the Winkelmann Group is one of the world's most innovative manufacturers of various system components. By constantly developing, we can manufacture components and component groups to the highest precision while conserving resources at the same time. Our products include:
Pulleys and timing belt pulleys:
We manufacture pulleys and timing belt pulleys using innovative “WIN:DUR” thermosetting technology, which we developed in-house. Using this technique, we can supplement tried-and-tested steel components with lightweight yet highly resilient plastic components. Manufacturing components to a high level of accuracy contributes to extremely smooth running and efficient use.
Fuel distribution systems:
We are among the world's most innovative manufacturers and leading suppliers of gasoline engine fuel distribution systems, including high-pressure and low-pressure fuel distribution systems, and fuel and oil spray lines. Working closely with our customers, we develop new system components from conceptual design to production readiness.
Torsional vibration dampers:
We are a leading light in the field of torsional vibration dampers thanks to decades of experience and our innovative, highly sophisticated solutions. Our components are particularly effective in reducing rotational vibration in crankshafts, camshafts, and auxiliary units, thereby significantly reducing the weight and friction of the shafts, reducing noise, and improving smooth running. Our products include assembled and vulcanized dampers, dampers with decoupled pulley wheels, and viscose dampers.
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Solutions and products for alternative drive systems
The transport of the future demands sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions that are also economical. This starts with the design of the systems, continues through the manufacture of the system components needed, and ends up with the finished product. That is why our Development Department is constantly working on new processes and technologies to carry out projects that are not only efficient but also economically and ecologically robust. These are also based on trend analyzes from renowned automotive market research institutes as well as international studies.
Our automotive production sites worldwide
Our services for the automotive sector
Our Automotive division is more than just an automotive supplier: We see ourselves as a true sounding board for our automotive customers, who can make a valuable contribution to new developments. We aspire to high-quality products.
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Pre-development
We aspire to always use the latest technology and, even more so, to be a pioneer. That is why research and development in automotive components is of particular importance to us. Together with universities and colleges as well as selected industry partners, we drive the development of innovative technologies. We design and analyze new processes and products and examine how we can use them within our portfolio.
Product development
We work particularly closely with our customers when developing new products. Based on customer specifications, we develop initial designs which we then continue to optimize in a "simultaneous engineering" process. This creates an individual solution every time, which precisely meets the requirements of our customers.
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Mass production
Even when producing samples, we are already starting to plan for rapid implementation for mass production. For example, we use mass production technologies at an early stage of the development process to ensure product characteristics can be recreated in production. What’s more, we simulate actual loads in our own test laboratory to assess our products’ suitability and service life in advance.
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Our manufacturing processes
The Winkelmann Group’s Automotive division develops and produces a wide range of drive train components for passenger and commercial vehicles. We use numerous different production processes. Our aim is always to produce products from as few individual components as possible to achieve maximum stability with low material usage. We have constantly expanded and refined the expertise needed over the more than 100 years we have been in existence.
In essence, we rely on the following processes:
Forming technology: Forming technology is one of our absolute core competencies. It makes it possible to produce even complex components such as vibration damper housings, rotor carriers and hollow rotor shafts in a "one-piece design". By carefully selecting and combining individual process – including deep drawing, shearing, stamping, roll forming and flow forming, components can be produced that are considerably more stable and flexible.
Thermosetting technology: Injection stamping is at the forefront of heavy-duty component machining. We developed our "WIN:DUR" injection stamping process back in 1992. We combined injection molding and pressing to make the advantages of both processes commercially viable, thereby supplementing steel parts with plastic components that are high-strength yet lightweight. The components produced using this technology are stable in all directions and resistant to heat and media.
Bonding technology: Bonding technology is of vital importance when producing fuel distribution systems: We use various welding technologies such as TIG welding, laser or projection welding, as well as soldering technologies such as high-temperature soldering or inductive soldering for reliable bonding within tight tolerances. Bonding by forming, for example cold or hot riveting, is also a standard technology that we use, for example, for manufacturing flex plates.
Vulcanization: For vulcanization on horizontal and vertical injection molding machines with a clamping force of 2,500 to 4,000 KiloNewtons, we only use the "injection molding" process with hot sub-distribution, cold duct with hot sub-distribution and needle valve cold duct with direct injection. This process increases the quality of the vibration dampers – which we ensure by constantly monitoring the processes – and saves on resources during operation.
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