Schunk Group

The Schunk Group is a company based in Germany. The main fields of activity are carbon technology and engineering ceramics, HVAC and environmental simulation, sintered metal technology and ultrasonic welding technology.

The Schunk Group is represented in 28 countries with more than 60 operating companies. Net revenue in 2012 about 930 million euros, the number of employees is about 8,300. The Schunk Group consists of independent companies.

Historical

The company was founded for the production of carbon brushes by Ludwig Schunk and Karl Ebe 1913 in Fulda. In 1918 the company moved to Heuchelheim near Giessen. The childless company founder Ludwig Schunk (1884 - 1947) inherited the entire business assets of the assisting device for company employees. This facility should provide voluntary financial support associated with dependence, disability or old age, employees and former employees or their dependents. Today, the Ludwig- Schunk Foundation eV fulfills a fiduciary as defined by the testament of the company's founder tasks.

Outline of the company

The Schunk Group is organized into four divisions:

Division Schunk Materials

The material division produces components of graphite, carbon composite materials, silicon carbide, oxide ceramics and quartz. It is divided into the following business units:

• Tribology: Bearing and seal rings, and slide made ​​of carbon and silicon carbide.
• High Temperature Applications: Graphite parts for industrial furnaces, crucibles for silicon production, AAS - cells, components made ​​of fiber- reinforced carbon ( CFC), and more.
• Small Motor Technology: carbon brush and holder systems for electric motors in household appliances and power tools.
• Current Transmission: carbon brush and holder systems for large electric motors, pantographs and grounding contacts for railways.
• Automotive: carbon brushes, brush plates for starters, brush plates for fuel pumps.
• Technical Ceramics: Burner and Burner Nozzles for direct and indirect heating, kiln furniture, ceramic oxide, mechanical seals, bearings for shaft seals or abrasion-and corrosion stressed pump parts, ceramic inserts for bulletproof vests.
• Semiconductor: components for wafer production as Susceptors Levi gates, quartz chambers, and more.

Under the brand Weiss Technik GmbH and the companies environmental Weiss Weiss Air Conditioning GmbH operate. The Karl Weiss GmbH was founded in 1956 as a manufacturer of electro-physical devices. In 1978 she was acquired by the Schunk Group. The Weiss Group consists of two business units Environmental Simulation and Air Solutions. Over the decades, the group of companies expanded nationally and internationally. The Weiss Group has total worldwide over 22 companies in 14 countries. The number of employees amounts to 2,000 employees (about 850 of them are in the Hessian main plant in rice Church Lindenstruth busy).

In the business unit Environmental simulation instruments and systems are developed and manufactured for environmental simulation. The product range comprises temperature and climate testing systems for testing, weathering, temperature shock, corrosion and long-term tests in all test chamber volumes and large scale systems and process-integrated plants for environmental simulation and biology.

The core activities of the business unit Air Solutions include development and production of complete ceiling systems for operating theaters, industrial clean room technology and air conditioning of data spaces.

Division Sinter Metals

The Sinter Metals Division of the Schunk Group consists of the companies Schunk GmbH sintered metal casting, sintered metal Schunk GmbH Thale and the sintered metal SA de C.V. Mexico. Schunk Sinter Metals mainly produces sintered parts such as gears, camshaft adjuster, locking cam, metal injection molded (MIM ) and precision bearings. The main customers are the automotive and electrical industry, manufacturers of household and electrical tools and medical technology.

Division Sonosystems

The Schunk Sonosystems GmbH was formed by the merger of Schunk GmbH ultrasound and ultrasound STAPLA GmbH. The products of this range cover the entire spectrum of the weldable using ultrasound applications. This includes the joining of non-ferrous metals and thermoplastics an alike. In the late 1970s developed the Schunk Ultrasonic Metal Welding to industrial maturity. Today it is used for welding of cable harnesses in the automotive industry in particular.

History

Ludwig Schunk and Karl Ebe founded the carbon brush factory Schunk level oHG in Fulda in 1913. In 1918 the company moved to Heuchelheim.

In 1923, brush holders were included in the production program. From 1924 the production of electric graphites and from 1928 was the production of metal contacts. 1932 began the production of sintered metal porous bearings.

After the death of Ludwig Schunk in 1947, the inheritance of the childless company's founder went to the " Support Association " Schunk level oHG 1948 and 1949 a building program to expand the operation was set from 500 to 1200 employees. In 1955 followed with the establishment of Schunk & Ebe SA in Brussels, the first foreign company. Today Schunk is represented by 46 companies in Europe. In 1957, the Schunk Electro Carbón S. A. de C.V. in Mexico founded the first company on the American continent. 1969 saw the establishment of the Brazilian company Schunk do Brasil Ltda. in Sao Paulo.

In 1978, the then Karl Weiss GmbH was taken over. In the same year the foundation of the Schunk Graphite Technology LLC took place. in Wisconsin. The presence in the United States was reinforced during the 1980s and 1990s. Currently, Schunk has eight companies in the United States.

In 1983, we expanded the product range with the range ultrasonic welding technology. 1986, a training center for the training of young skilled workers was established in theory and practice.

In 1991, the company experienced due to failed diversifications, especially in the field of automation technology in a crisis. The following year, 1992, carried a restructuring and sale of automation technology.

In 1997, the acquisition of EHW Thale ( sintered metal technology and email technology) and the establishment of Pichit Industrial Works Co. Ltd. was. in Pichit, Thailand. Today Schunk is represented by 15 companies in Asia. 1999 was Schunk ( Aust ) Pty.. Ltd.. Founded in Rowville, Australia.

In 2004, the President visited in his inaugural trip through the states of operation. In 2005 the company was awarded as " Hessen- Champion" by the Hesse state premier Roland Koch. 2006 joined the Schunk Group of the initiative things making the Association of German Engineers ( VDI) at. In 2007, the Internet portal created by Schunk under this initiative www.ingenieurparadies.de to the operation.

In 2007, the EHW Thale Email GmbH was sold to a group of three private investors. 2008 Schunk received for the Internet portal engineering paradise from the VDI Best Practice Award 2008 in the category encourage innovation.

The Ministry of Environment Baden- Württemberg Schunk recorded again in 2009 for the innovative production concept of a fuel cell stacks from.

In 2010, Schunk realized the biggest expansion of its nearly one hundred year history. Over a period of four years, sustained investments in the area of ​​high temperature applications. Thanks to this capacity expansion at the site Heuchelheim Schunk now manufactures the world's largest carbon fiber panels for the semiconductor and solar industries.

In 2012, the State of Hesse Schunk chose for its automotive carbon brushes in the category " world leader " with the innovation and growth rate for Hessen- Champion in 2012.

In 2013, the Schunk Group celebrated its 100th anniversary.