Schaeffler UK invests in advanced coating plant

The new machinery includes surface coating machines and a 66-tonne deep drawing press, and Schaeffler says it will now be able to produce highly repeatable, superior quality engine parts. The new coatings plant was installed in June while the deep drawing press has just arrived at the factory and is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year. Roger Evans MBE, plant director at Schaeffler UK, says that the new coating machine will enable Schaeffler UK to coat components with an ultra-thin Tiondur DLC, ultra-hard, multi-layer coating via vacuum-controlled chambers. Applied material, he explains, is either in the form of a solid (PVD – physical vapour deposition) or gas (PACVD – plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition), enabling the plant to produce unique compositions of materials and coatings using an environmentally friendly process. "Without doubt, this investment is the single most important investment in this factory's history," states Evans. "By embracing these advanced coating and deep drawing technologies, we will be able to produce new, superior quality components that meet the needs of our automotive customer base, which will help safeguard the long term future of this factory," he adds.