The Industry 4.0 business unit is now Schaeffler Lifetime Solutions

The new name reflects the user-centric reorientation of the portfolio

Continuous digital condition monitoring and predictive maintenance prolong life cycles of systems and machines

With this change Schaeffler is responding to the new workplace reality of its customers, who increasingly seek smooth and sustainable production

Rauli Hantikainen is Head of Schaeffler Lifetime Solutions. He has been working for the Industrial division of Schaeffler since 2018 and is one of the key initiators for the reorientation and further extension of the portfolio.

Industry 4.0 is now Schaeffler Lifetime Solutions: The renaming is a result of the reorientation of the portfolio, which has been gradually expanded in recent years from individual product solutions to comprehensive services. The new name “Lifetime Solutions” and the subclaim “Keep your machines rolling” symbolise the aspiration to serve the needs and wishes of maintenance and works managers over the entire life cycle of a machine.

“The challenges and opportunities are growing: increased productivity and sustainability need to be achieved with higher efficiency,” explained Dr. Stefan Spindler, CEO Industrial at Schaeffler AG. “This requires comprehensive concepts – and these are exactly what Schaeffler Lifetime Solutions is aimed towards. Our customers are our main focus, and we support them every step of the way. The goal is clear: Our products and services should make their workflows as plannable as possible and give them the certainty that their machines will run reliably and without unexpected failures.”

The Schaeffler Lifetime Solutions portfolio is dedicated to making the day-to-day work of plant operators as easy as possible. The products of the OPTIME Ecosystem help to achieve this goal through continuous condition monitoring and automated maintenance.  

“The new name demonstrates clearly the route we are taking,” added Rauli Hantikainen, Head of Schaeffler Lifetime Solutions. “It is a value proposition: For fewer unplanned downtimes, longer life cycles of bearings and machines, greater sustainability, increased reliability during operation and thus a less stressful and more plannable working day for the plant operator. As a partner, we are on equal footing with our customers and we guide them through every stage of their production, remaining by their side with custom solutions.”

Schaeffler Lifetime Solutions combines expertise in components and digital solutions

The product and service portfolio is centered around predictive, preventive maintenance. This is based on Schaeffler’s many years of experience in the layout of bearings, as well as in their lubrication, monitoring and assembly.

The keyword “sustainability” is becoming increasingly important in production and is therefore one of the cornerstones for the development and expansion of Schaeffler Lifetime Solutions. The focus is on efficient and preventive maintenance. This makes valuable contributions to the better use of resources, as it prevents unplanned downtime in the plant and contributes to reducing CO2 emissions.