About

Schaeffler Group USA has a strong heritage as a systems innovator in the replacement market, developing unique products and solutions engineered to provide flawless performance, unbeatable durability and high customer satisfaction. Products are manufactured and distributed to the automotive replacement markets in the United States and Canada. Customers include distributors, fleet owners and technicians who specify and install the LuK, INA and FAG brands.

What is today known as Schaeffler Group USA, started as the automotive aftermarket division of LuK, Incorporated. Located in Wooster Ohio, LuK was founded in 1977 to assemble clutch components for vehicle manufacturers. Soon LuK began developing and manufacturing clutch systems, working in close partnership with the automakers’ new vehicle development teams.

LuK Automotive Systems was established in 1982 as a department of LuK to provide domestic and import clutches and discs to the replacement market. In 1986 the company introduced the LuK RepSet® to the North American automotive aftermarket. This innovative concept provided customers with a complete clutch replacement set – clutch, disc and release bearing – in one box under one part number. LuK continued to expand its product line to provide full coverage for the light vehicle market.

Three years later, LuK Automotive Systems relocated to its current facility in Valley City, Ohio just outside of Cleveland. Throughout the next decade, the company expanded its product offering to include additional clutch system components – flywheels, hydraulic master and slave cylinders, clutch cables and release forks. This expansion offered distributors and service technicians products for complete clutch repair.

In 2005 the aftermarket operations of the Schaeffler-owned brands LuK, INA and FAG were integrated under a single corporate umbrella. The integration formalized a cooperative relationship that had long existed among the three companies. The company was renamed Schaeffler Group USA, and today it offers replacement parts for engine, chassis and driveline applications under the LuK, INA and FAG brands.

50 Years of LuK

LuK is an integral part of the Schaeffler Group. Over the last five decades, LuK has established itself within the Schaeffler Group as an expert and technology leader in the field of systems and components for vehicle drive trains. It all started in 1965 when the company developed a diaphragm spring clutch with a release system – which to this day remains a groundbreaking innovation and just one of the many to have come from LuK.

Diaphragm Spring Clutch

The first innovation to play a significant part in LuK‘s success story was the diaphragm spring clutch.

The diaphragm spring clutch is the beginning of luK's success story. Beginning in the mid-1960s, it increasingly replaces the coil spring clutch. Engines with higher torques overtax existing technology. Starting in spring 1965, LuK supplies diaphragm spring clutches to Volkswagen for the "Type 3" mid-size model. This makes this company from Bühl the first European high-volume manufacturer of diaphragm spring clutches.

Dual Mass Flywheel

LuK was the first manufacturer in Europe to successfully develop a dual mass flywheel (DMF) for high-volume production. The DMF allows driving in fuel-efficient operating points with increased auditory comfort, and therefore makes a contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.

A very significant increase in vibration damping was achieved in 2008 by integrating a centrifugal pendulum-type absorber. Isolation levels of more than 90 percent are achieved by using the spring mass system of the DMF in combination with the centrifugal pendulum-type absorber.

Self-Adjusting Clutch

An innovation by LuK engineers turns clutches from a wearing part into a permanent solution. This is achieved in the mid-1990s through the self-adjusting clutch (SAC), resulting in a longer life and comfort. When the friction lining of a clutch with diaphragm springs is worn, the SAC adjusts itself. Due to the SAC 1 and the enhanced SAC 2, the feel of the clutch pedal remains consistent. The clutch lasts through a long car life.

Clutches with an SAC adjustment mechanism balance the wear of the friction linings. They keep pedal forces constant throughout the entire life as friction linings become thinner and thinner. The introduction of the force-controlled, self-adjusting clutch enabled the clutch service life to be increased by a factor of 1.5.

CVT Components

Since they were first launched on the market for high-torque applications, the outstanding features of LuK‘s CVT components have gained a substantial reputation among specialists: In addition to their suitability for high-performance gasoline and diesel engines, the widest possible ratio spread and the high efficiency of the variator are the focus of customers‘ attention. LuK’s multi-link chain is now being used in high-volume production by three international vehicle manufacturers in Europe and Asia.

In cooperation with Audi, LuK engineers develop a continuously variable transmission (CVT). A multi-link chain and a variator are the core components of this new technology. They permit a new dimension in force transmission with up to 400 Nm. In 1999, this technology celebrates its premiere under the name "Multitronic" in the Audi A6.

Dry Double Clutch

The dry double clutch is an innovative development by LuK with great customer benefit. lt permits a high level of driving and shifting comfort while also reducing fuel consumption. In 2008, it is used for the first time in the VW Golf. Two automatically activated clutches arranged successively transmit the engine torque via two input shafts to the transmission. To shift gears, the clutch that has just transmitted the torque opens, the other clutch closes. Both processes happen automatically within one hundredth of a second and without any noticeable interruption of the tractive force.

The transmission comprises two sub-transmissions, which are each served by their own automated clutch. One clutch controls the unit with the uneven gears one, three, five and seven, while the second clutch controls the engaging and disengaging of the unit with the even gears two, four, six and reverse gear. Gears are shifted without interrupting the tractive force thanks to intelligent control of both clutches.

Torque Converter

The current prototype for the integrated torque converter (iTC) is one of the latest innovations by Schaeffler's LuK brand. lt is being prepared for volume production at the Wooster (US) location where converters are developed from 1996 onwards, like they have been at the Bühl location since 1990. This hydraulic-mechanical component increases the performance and efficiency of the automatic transmission. lt also reduces fuel consumption and C02 emissions. In this way, Schaeffler supports the automobile industry on its way to more efficient mobility for the future.

With the newly developed iTC, LuK implements a fundamentally reworked torque converter system: a design where the lockup clutch is integrated into the turbine. This reduces weight and provides space for highly efficient torsion dampers such as LuK‘s centrifugal pendulum absorber. This advancement is a decisive element for the success of LuK‘s torque converters.