E-mobility is taking hold around the world – and the automotive industry is changing. Many manufacturers are shifting from internal combustion engines to electric powertrains. The Ford Motor Company – a long-term partner of Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH – will be making most of the electric drive units for its European production at its UK transmission plant at Halewood near Liverpool. As before, Ford will be using Liebherr gantry technology, but for electric drive units rather than transmissions for internal combustion engines.

Gear shaping is a robust and universal process for manufacturing gears – due to the geometries of some gears, no other machining methods are capable of producing the teeth. In order to offer even more versatility in this area, Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH has fundamentally revised and developed its LS 500 E gear shaping machine. A shaping head featuring an electronic helical guide and an interface for an optional chamfering device are now included as standard.

Gear skiving used to be a gear cutting method that was difficult to control due to its complex kinematics, but it now offers a genuine alternative to shaping or broaching. The synergy between machines, tools and processes provided by Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH’s Skiving³ technology package makes it possible to efficiently and flexibly machine an extremely wide variety of workpieces, including in small batch sizes. Skiving³ therefore crucially boosts productivity, quality and cost-effectiveness levels not just in series production, but in contract gear manufacturing as well.

The Swabian manufacturer of transmission and drivesolutionsSPN Schwaben Präzision Fritz Hopf GmbH manufactures gearboxes, gears, and drive systems according to individualcustomer requirements. The company uses various machinesLiebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH and can therefore rely on innovativemachine and tool technology as well as reliable contacts.

With the PHS 10000 Pro pallet handling system from Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH, the machine tool manufacturer GROB in Mindelheim has automated its in-house production of machine components on two 4-axis machining centers and thus increased productivity by around 45%. The challenge here was not only to manage large parts weighing tons, but also a series of additional constraints that required highly individual solutions, as well as project planning where not a single day‘s work could be delayed.

For the manufacturing of valves and valve kits, Linde Hydraulics GmbH & Co. KG invested in a production plant at the Ballenstedt site with five 5-axis machining centers from Grob, which are interlinked via the PHS 1500 Allround pallet handling system from Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH. This enabled the company to increase the output of this manufacturing line by 30%. The planning was quite a challenge: due to the high demand, not only did additional machines have to be integrated, but an alternative location for the plant in the historic production halls also had to be found during the project.

The opportunity to gain experience abroad and work in Europe, the USA or Asia has been an integral part of training at Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH since 2000. After a temporary interruption due to Corona, the program is once again enjoying great popularity. The young people taking part in the assignment not only experience enriching stays abroad but are also well-prepared for international service assignments.

Sustainability goals and increasing raw material prices are making the recycling of batteries from electric vehicles an increasingly pressing issue for the automotive industry. To recover the valuable raw materials and components from the battery packs, they must be disassembled and sorted at the end of their service life. Automated processes provide a basis for economic dismantling while minimizing the hazards to employees from high-voltage equipment. Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH uses its tried and tested automation technology for this and is working with research and industry to develop scalable, flexible solutions for the automotive and recycling sectors.