Schaeffler and technology company PTC establish a strategic partnership

Schaeffler and PTC sign a memorandum of understanding: Uwe Wagner, Chief Technology Officer, Schaeffler AG (center), Rainer Eidloth, Senior Vice President R&D Processes, Methods & Tools at Schaeffler (right), Jim Heppelmann, President and CEO at PTC (left) and Kevin Wrenn, Executive Vice President Products at PTC (second from left).

Memorandum of understanding (MoU) focuses on integrated and agile product development in a forward-looking IT architecture

Data transparency and traceability across the entire development process facilitate complex systems engineering solutions

Schaeffler continues to drive digital transformation in the field of product development

Digitalization as a core focus area for Schaeffler within Roadmap 2025

Today, global automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler and technology company PTC, headquartered in Boston, USA, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), thus marking Schaeffler’s continued progression of digital transformation in the field of product development. Together with PTC, Schaeffler will work on an integrated, agile, and end-to-end IT landscape for developers and thereby expand its digital ecosystem in line with the digital agenda. “The partnership with PTC is yet another milestone in our digitalization strategy within Roadmap 2025,” says Uwe Wagner, Chief Technology Officer, Schaeffler AG. “For Schaeffler, seamless data models, 3D data, and digital twins are already elementary components of the research and development process. Increasing complexity calls for consistent IT solutions across all development areas to realize greater innovation, agility, and efficiency gains. In order to achieve this, it is crucial for Schaeffler to work together with strong partners, such as PTC.”

Long-standing cooperation continues
PTC has been providing software solutions, which help companies expedite product and service innovations, improve operational efficiency, and increase workforce efficiency, since 1985. Schaeffler has worked very successfully with PTC for 20 years and relies, among other services, on the CAD and product lifecycle management solutions that PTC provides. The engineering applications are essential for the introduction and further development of the digital twin, particularly for the purposes of visualization in 3D models, which Schaeffler also uses for augmented reality projects. “Both companies will benefit from the further intensified cooperation, says Jim Heppelmann, President and CEO at PTC. “Our aim, in this partnership with Schaeffler, is to develop and progress our digital transformation solutions by specific market.”

Focus on integration and transparency
Working in conjunction with PTC, Schaeffler will consolidate its engineering IT environment to enable an efficient response to rapidly changing requirements. This not only involves optimizing, but also expanding, the IT landscape. Data transparency and traceability across the entire development process take center stage here. The aim is to achieve company-wide integration of the software and system development solutions involved (application lifecycle management and model-based systems engineering), which will also improve the mapping of complex requirements governing systems engineering, such as compliance with various country-specific security regulations.

The FAG brand is inextricably linked with the rolling bearing industry. In Schweinfurt, Germany, in 1883, Friedrich Fischer designed a ball mill that made it possible to use machines for the first time to produce high-precision steel balls in large volumes. This idea is regarded as the historic beginning of the rolling bearing industry. FAG has been a registered trademark since 1905 and, after being taken over by Schaeffler in 2001, is a key element of the Schaeffler Group together with INA and LuK.