Large investments in R & D Ã¢Â€Â“ a continuous process - Scherdel GmbH

REPORTS ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, MANUFACTURING, MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY AND THE PRACTICAL APPLICA- 

TIONS OF ENGINEERING SPRINGS AND ON THE SYSTEMS, MACHINERY AND TOOLING DIVISIONS OF THE SCHERDELGROUP 

Dear reader, 

It seems that companies have only 

just recovered from last year's crisis 

when they are having to face the next 

trial – this time caused by the high level 

of debts incurred by the European 

states and the unbridled speculative 

activities of the financial sector. 

Against this background, the future development 

of the worldwide economic 

situation is still extremely uncertain. 

Admittedly, the companies in the 

SCHERDELGroup are pleased to note 

a positive trend as far as the level of 

incoming orders is concerned. Here, 

we are again approaching the outstanding 

results obtained during the 

first half of 2008. However, we don't 

know how long this trend will last. We 

are very concerned about the fact that, 

particularly in Germany, the prices for 

raw materials are constantly rising. Although 

the manufacturers have already 

set the prices for materials at 

the same level as just before the start 

of the economic crisis in 2008, it is evident 

from negotiations that these 

prices may rise even further. There 

may also be problems in obtaining 

supplies of steel. One of our particular 

strong points is our great potential in 

the field of research and development. 

This is currently evident in the work relating 

to future developments which, to 

a large extent, will provide a replacement 

for the combustion engine. The 

fact that, from a financial point of view 

as well, an increasing number of customers 

would also like their suppliers 

to carry out the development work, 

presents us with a great challenge. In 

the future too, thanks to our team of 

experts, our aim is to provide you with 

a reliable partner in the field of innovation. 

Walter Bach 

Group Managing Director 

Large investments in R & D – 

a continuous process 

Product development at SCHERDEL – 

a customer service for many trades 

SCHERDEL's worldwide activities in 

the field of research and product 

development are directed centrally from 

the SCHERDEL company known as 

INNOTEC Forschungs- und Entwicklungs-GmbH 

located at Marktredwitz 

and Poppenreuth in north-eastern 

Bavaria near the border with the Czech 

Republic. This company directs the activities 

relating to the development of 

new products at what are known as the 

"application locations" at Friedau, 

Seifhennersdorf and Marienberg in 

Germany, Beauvais and L'Arbresle in 

France, Muskegon in the USA and 

Shanghai in China. Depending on the 

requirements and the degree of difficulty 

involved, the development projects 

start during a period ranging from six 

months to four years before the beginning 

of series production. During the 

development phase, SCHERDEL is not 

only concerned with processes for optimizing 

springs and components but, at 

an early stage, we visit the premises of 

the companies supplying the raw materials 

in order to optimize these materials 

with regard to their subsequent use. 

At the same time, to satisfy the demands 

made by industry, we make a 

constant endeavour to shorten the 

product development times. Here, the 

company known as SIMENT GmbH 

(see the article on page 8) uses technologies 

such as Finite Element Calculation, 

Multibody Simulation or Crash 

Simulation. The next stage in the development 

process is the production of 

the necessary prototypes by the 

Group's own Prototype Shop. Basically, 

product development is very much an 

application-oriented process. Teams 

consisting of engineers and applicationtechnology 

specialists make use of 

their complex, expert knowledge relating 

to valve train, powertrain and auxiliary 

units, steering and brake systems, 

vehicle-body and opening systems, vehicle 

interior, as well as hybrid technology 

and electromobility. In addition to 

working out solutions for the automotive 

industry, the development work 

concentrates on areas such as medical 

technology, the manufacture of recreational 

and sports equipment, energy 

technology and also the "white goods" 

industry involving the manufacture of 

electrical appliances. SCHERDEL invests 

about six per cent of its total 

turnover annually in product development 

– even in years of crisis such as 

2009. The Group aims to extend its innovative 

capacity and efficient customer 

service still further. 

(tr/dk) 

1 

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING - TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT - NEWS AND INFORMATION EDITION 1/2010 E

COMPANY NEWS 

Staff profile 

We'd like to introduce staff members 

to you who will act as your 

contact if required. 

Motor racing – a driving for 

In many vehicles SCHERDEL components are part 

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING - TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT - NEWS AND INFORMATION 

2 

Olaf Korf, graduate in physics 

and Head of the Department 

of Purchasing and Materials 

Management 

Since the beginning of the year 

Mr Olaf Korf has been in charge of 

the Department of Purchasing and 

Materials Management for the 

whole SCHERDELGroup. 

Mr Korf studied physics and 

business economics at the University 

of Bayreuth. After passing the 

final State examination in military 

engineering he began working as 

a civil servant with the Federal 

Office for Military Engineering and 

Procurement. Now 38 years old, 

he started working for SCHERDEL 

in 2003. As an assistant to the 

Group Managing Director he soon 

acquired an extensive knowledge 

of the organization and procedures 

within the SCHERDEL- 

Group and he then occupied 

various positions at the Group's 

locations in France. Here Mr Korf 

devoted his efforts to staff development, 

the organization of sales 

and technology, and process optimization 

regarding production. 

One particularly important aspect 

of these activities was to make 

use of synergy effects within the 

French factories and to integrate 

them into the Group. 

Some of the most important 

tasks of the new Head of the Purchasing 

Department now include 

the coordination of SCHERDEL's 

purchasing activities worldwide, 

the setting up of a supplier management 

scheme for the whole 

Group, the further development of 

the procurement strategy and the 

optimization and standardization 

of the procurement process. 

Mr Korf is married and has three 

children. As a former marathon 

runner, he is still an enthusiastic 

and ambitious participant in endurance 

sports. 

I 

n no other field is the pioneering 

spirit so active and of such practical 

use as in motor racing. Creativity and a 

capacity for enthusiasm, coupled with a 

fair amount of know-how, experience, 

endurance and a talent for improvising 

as well – these are the qualities which 

characterize the world's best racing 

teams. An environment which demands 

speed and flexibility from all those involved. 

The SCHERDELGroup, as a 

supplier to the sport of motor racing, 

readily accepts such challenges. And 

this has been the case for a long time 

now. For many decades SCHERDEL 

products have been contributing to the 

success of racing drivers on courses, 

tracks and circuits worldwide. And so, 

indirectly, the Group is part of every 

winning team. This success is the result 

of a long and sometimes difficult development 

process. One important reason 

for SCHERDEL's great efforts in relation 

to this sport is the fact that Mr Walter 

Bach, the Group Managing Director, 

is an enthusiastic supporter of motor 

racing. 

Of course we take a certain amount of 

pride in the fact that, for a long time 

now, some of the most important racing 

events have been won by cars fitted 

with SCHERDEL products such as the 

valve spring. One great success here 

and a special highlight was in 1983 

when Nelson Piquet won the Formula 1 

World Championship driving a Brabham 

BMW BT52 whose engine was 

equipped with SCHERDEL valve 

springs. In 2006 there was an equally 

exciting event when the Audi R10 TDI – 

also fitted with valve springs made by 

SCHERDEL won at Le Mans, the classic 

long-distance race. Other successes 

(past and present) with our valve 

springs include DTM, WTCC, WRC and 

GT events – in motor racing and motorbike 

racing, such as the Speedway, for 

example. The list could be extended by 

any number of races and, hopefully, it 

will become even longer. 

For decades, wins at international motor-racing events have always meant success for products made 

by SCHERDEL as well. Development work carried out for motor racing is often incorporated in the series 

production of vehicles for everyday use. 

It's fascinating to consider the development 

from the first heavy-fuel engine 

of Rudolf Diesel (1893) to the world's 

first diesel engine which won the classic 

long-distance race at Le Mans in 

2006. Both engines benefited from the 

reliable operation of valve springs made 

by SCHERDEL. A pioneering spirit and 

the extreme demands of motor racing 

form a symbiosis which results in success. 

The Group is committed to producing 

first-rate quality at all times – not 

only as a supplier of products but as a 

development partner with an extensive 

range of activities in the development of 

materials, the development of products 

and their manufacturing processes. 

SCHERDEL's activities also include 

surface coating procedures and the 

Group has its own Machines and Systems 

Division. If required, customers 

can obtain not only a particular component 

but also the appropriate assembly 

units. 

Thanks to the Group's extensive development 

activities SCHERDEL has, in 

some cases, been able to incorporate 

in the production process for motor racing 

special measures which ensure that 

all the components survive the distance 

required for the race without damage.

ce of the pioneering spirit 

of the winning team 

Contact data 

For many years SCHERDEL valve springs have been part of the winning team at the famous Le Mans 

race. The most recent example is the triple win for the Audi-R15-TDI in June 2010. (Photos: Audi) 

Even if, in relation to business operations, 

these measures are not so important 

in view of the small number of 

parts required for motor racing, we nevertheless 

regard it as a challenge that 

only first-rate components should be 

SCHERDEL components also 

in the new gull-wing-door car 

The new SLS AMG, a really super 

sports car made by Mercedes Benz, 

makes the hearts of car fans all over 

the world beat faster. The gull-wingdoor 

car is a highly successful revival 

of the old Mercedes 300 SL which was 

presented to the public for the first time 

in February 1954 at the International 

Motor Sports Show in New York. The 

vehicle was built between 1954 and 

1957 as a coupé and, on account of its 

elegant, sporty design and its unmistakable 

gull-wing doors it was regarded 

supplied for this activity. After all, peak 

performance and a knowledge of what 

is technically feasible provide an outstanding 

basis for the manufacture of 

"normal" series products. 

(ab) 

for decades as a classic with cult status. 

Between 1957 and 1963 there was 

also a roadster version. In 1999 the 

"old" Mercedes 300 SL was chosen by 

the German old-timer magazine "Motor 

Klassik" as the sports car of the century. 

The new SLS AMG is impressive 

not only because of its classic design 

but also because it weighs only 1620 

kilograms, its chassis and bodywork 

being made completely of aluminium. 

At SCHERDEL we are proud of the fact 

that today, after more than 50 years, 

we still act as a supplier for this noble 

make of car. 

(dk) 

SCHERDEL 

Scherdelstraße 2 

D-95615 Marktredwitz 

Germany 

Albrecht Busse, 

graduate engineer 

Tel. +49 9231 603-537 

e-mail: 

albrecht.busse@scherdel.de 

The gull-wing doors of the new 

SLS AMG open elegantly thanks to 

SCHERDEL technology. 

3 

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING - TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT - NEWS AND INFORMATION

PRODUCTS 


The top priority: 

Resistance under 

service conditions 

With an annual production of up 

to 200 million parts, a valve 

spring in a modern car engine 

must be of a constantly high 

quality in order to be able to meet 

the demands of the dynamics 

and to ensure the durability required 

by approx. a thousand 

million cycles without breaking 

and with a minimum of relaxation. 

In the case of lorry engines, the 

demands pertaining to durability 

are similar. Here, although the 

dynamic stress on the valve 

spring is less, the factor of 

mechanical wear presents a 

challenge. Of course, in the case 

of engine construction for lorries 

too, the valve springs must be of 

a constantly high quality, even in 

the case of small or mediumsized 

batches. 

The requirement for a high resistance 

under service conditions 

is extremely important in the case 

of applications such as shipbuilding 

or for stationary engines as in 

block-type thermal power stations: 

here, a breakdown with the 

accompanying downtime could 

entail enormous costs. 

Valve springs for motorbike engines 

present a completely different 

challenge. On account of the 

high engine speed of over 14,000 

r.p.m. dynamic effects are very 

clearly noticeable. This requires 

special production processes 

which guarantee the reliability of 

the component. These processes 

are very often derived from the 

even greater demands which 

motor racing makes on valve 

springs. 

(jh) 

Contact data 

SCHERDEL 



Germany 

SCHERDEL valve springs – 

In-house machine construction and expertise relati 

Valve springs are optimized for every engine 

S 

ince the requirements for valve 

springs vary in accordance with 

their respective applications, at a very 

early stage SCHERDEL began to construct 

the necessary production equipment 

with its own machinery division. 

This machinery is individually designed 

to suit the respective requirements of 

the valve springs. In the course of time 

each stage of the process (coiling, tempering, 

grinding, deburring, shot peening, 

colour marking, hot setting, onehundred-percent 

inspection, preservation) 

benefited from the extensive 

knowledge of the spring specialists, 

knowledge which was also used in the 

design and construction of the relevant 

machinery. This ensures that the special 

requirements relating to the number 

of pieces produced or technical parameters 

are met. Another advantage of 

the interdepartmental transfer of knowledge 

from spring manufacture to the 

construction of machinery consists in 

the fact that, for example, special solutions 

such as one hundred-percent 

squareness control, measurement of 

natural frequency or special identification 

markings on a particular side of the 

spring (over the whole surface or in the 

form of a bar code) can be adapted to 

suit the respective production line. 

Thanks to the flexibility of its installations, 

SCHERDEL can manufacture 

valve springs of a constantly high quality 

for all the requirements described. 

Here it makes no difference whether 

the requirement is just for small batches 

or for 20 million pieces of a particular 

item per year; whether, as in motor 

racing, the valve springs just have to 

survive for a few hours without a breakdown 

or whether they have to ensure 

that an engine functions for decades. 

Scientific advisory service for 

manufacturers of materials 

In order to achieve the ambitious aim 

of offering as wide a range as possible 

in relation to product development, you 

require not only outstanding production 

technology but also an extensive knowledge 

of the materials used. That's why 

SCHERDEL's routine activities include 

the provision of steel manufacturers 

and wire drawers with suitable methods 

of testing and a scientific advisory service 

aimed at improving the quality of 

the materials. As a result, the Group 

has succeeded in obtaining releases for 

international material suppliers from its 

end-customers, on the one hand to ensure 

more competition and on the other 

to reduce the effects of exchange-rate 

fluctuations when purchasing in the 

global market. 

4 

Jürgen Hartmann 

Tel. +49 9231 603-521 

e-mail: 

juergen.hartmann@scherdel.de

a first-rate product worldwide 

ng to materials result in top quality – 

Thanks to an expert knowledge of the 

resistance under service conditions of 

the different combinations of the available 

types of steel and of the various 

production processes used by 

SCHERDEL, it is possible by using optimized 

production parameters (e.g. 

SCHERDEL SOF) to employ cost-effective 

solutions instead of a more expensive 

material. SCHERDEL acquired this 

knowledge by carrying out service-life 

tests using cycle testers which were developed 

and built in-house. 

For this purpose, however, at each production 

stage you also have to know 

what residual stress arises in a spring, to 

be able to measure this stress and to 

exert a positive influence on the stress 

at the respective production stage. In 

addition to the simulation of all the 

process stages by means of FEM calculation, 

at SCHERDEL the residual stress 

in a valve spring can also be determined 

by means of X-ray diffractometry. This 

ensures that feedback to the respective 

production stage is always possible. Using 

a scanning electron microscope, 

SCHERDEL also has the possibility of 

finding out the reason for the failure of 

valve springs and, according to the case 

in question, can then support the wireor 

steel-manufacturer in the further development 

of the production processes. 

Cost saving thanks to state-ofthe-art 

calculation programs 

Prior to series production of a valve 

spring and taking the technical standards 

provided by the engine manufacturer 

into consideration, SCHERDEL uses 

calculation programs which have 

been developed in-house to work out 

proposals for valve springs. Depending 

on the respective requirement these are 

fitted with damping coils in a linear or 

progressive design. In addition to all the 

possible shapes of springs (cylindrical, 

conical, beehive-shaped), various different 

wire cross sections including round 

wire, elliptical wire and multi-arc variants 

are used. 

In order to save on development work 

and thus on costs as well, the dynamic 

preliminary calculation method (multibody 

simulation) is being used to an increasing 

extent in the development of 

valve springs. As a result, variants which 

are less suitable in relation to dynamics 

can be excluded before the production 

of test specimens. As soon as the first 

prototypes are available SCHERDEL is 

able to measure in a cylinder head driven 

by an electromotor the dynamic 

characteristics of valve springs to which 

strain gauges are attached. These tests 

are carried out in our in-house testing 

shop. Using the results obtained, it is 

possible to assess not only the torsional 

stress, which is crucial for the durability 

of the valve spring, but also the bearing 

pressure exerted under the valve spring 

as well as the valve lift and the valve 

speed throughout the required r.p.m. 

range. This helps the engine manufacturer 

to decide whether the valve spring 

is suitable for additional tests in the engine. 

Maximum resistance under service 

conditions 

Even Rudolf Diesel 

relied on SCHERDEL 

"Progress based on tradition" 

– this motto from SCHERDEL's 

corporate philosophy is particularly 

evident in the Group's long 

years of experience in the production 

of valve springs. Thus 

SCHERDEL played a part in the 

design and construction of the 

world's first diesel engine by 

Rudolf Diesel in 1893 by supplying 

valve springs, and over a period 

of almost 120 years the 

Group has become one of the 

leading international manufacturers 

of valve springs, with an expert 

knowledge of all aspects of 

their use. Throughout this long 

period, the pioneering spirit of 

the engineers and technicians 

was always a driving force behind 

the progress in this field: 

for example, as early as 1936 

SCHERDEL was the first in the 

whole of Europe to use the shotpeening 

process to improve the 

service life of springs. 

At its locations in Marktredwitz (Germany), 

Beauvais (France) and Anqing 

(China), SCHERDEL currently produces 

approx. 200 million valve springs annually 

for locally and internationally active 

engine manufacturers. Here, the failure 

rate in the field is less than 0.1 ppm. On 

account of its extensive expertise relating 

to spring calculation, basic materials, 

production processes and testing methods, 

SCHERDEL is the top provider of 

an integrated valve-spring development 

service worldwide. (jh) 5 


PRODUCTS 

A 5-axis CNC machining ce 

VISION Sprint of Reichenbacher Hamuel contributes 


The new millennium tower of St. 

Edmundsbury Cathedral 

T 

he company known as Taylor 

Made Joinery Interiors Ltd based 

in Suffolk in Britain has the reputation 

of being a top-quality joinery manufacturer. 

A project consisting of the design, 

manufacture and construction of a magnificent 

fan-vaulted ceiling for the new 

tower of St. Edmundsbury Cathedral in 

Bury St. Edmunds is causing a sensation 

among experts from the trade. The 

spectacular oak ceiling, due to be completed 

in 2010, will be the "crowning 

glory" for the gothic revival tower, built 

3-D visualization of the ornamental machining work 

as part of a millennium project. By using 

a 5-axis CNC machining centre 

from Reichenbacher Hamuel – a 

SCHERDEL subsidiary – TMJ Interiors 

ensured that the immense technical 

complexity of such a project could be 

mastered efficiently and cost-effectively. 

TMJ Interiors from the county of Suffolk 

has an impressive record of successful 

historic building projects. That's 

why this specialist company was chosen 

to carry out this major order. In 

April 2008 the design team first started 

working on the detail and structural elements 

of the ceiling. A laser scan of the 

historic tower measured 29 million 

points, which enabled designers to create 

an accurate model of the existing 

structure. The information collected was 

imported into a 3-D computer software 

program by means of which extremely 

precise working drawings and, ultimately, 

five-axis tool-path drawings were 

produced. 

of the construction alone, the ceiling 

was designed and manufactured in 

over 2,500 individual pieces, with a total 

weight of more than five tonnes. The 

immense oak framework, consisting of 

eight curved rib sections with a central 

circular assembly, was first erected at 

TMJ’s workshop. All the ornamental details 

were applied and the complete 

ceiling was thus constructed prior to installation. 

In addition to being hardwearing 

and durable, the wood used 

had to harmonize with the fabric of the 

building; for these reasons TMJ decided 

to use FSC European Oak obtained 

from sustainable sources. 

TMJ was only able to accept a challenge 

of this nature because it could rely 

on its own expertise in joinery and on 

the outstanding accuracy and robustness 

of its CNC machining equipment. 

The components for the project were 

machined with precision using a Reichenbacher 

Hamuel 5-axis CNC machining 

centre. To increase the strength 

of the oak components as well as to 

minimize waste, a laminating process 

was used, which involved putting together 

layers of wood of various sizes 

to create suitable workpieces for machining. 

Manoeuvrability in three dimensions 

TMJ operates two Reichenbacher 

Hamuel 5-axis CNC machining centres: 

a Univers and a Vision Sprint. It was 

decided to use only the Vision Sprint for 

the complete manufacture of all the 

6 

A highly complex structure 

On account of the size and complexity 

David Clarke examines a component machined 

on the 5-axis VISION Sprint

ntre creates a piece of history 

to a cost-optimized manufacture of a magnificent fan-vaulted ceiling 

components with just some detailed 

work and the final assembly being carried 

out by hand. David Clarke, TMJ’s 

CNC specialist, who worked out parametric 

programmes for each component, 

said: ‘‘The Vision Sprint has 

tremendous manoeuvrability in three 

dimensions and is able to machine the 

most complex components. Even large 

pieces with double curvatures and extremely 

small radii are no problem for 

the Vision. Since 'all-round’ machining 

was necessary, we had to make jigs in 

plywood or MDF for every single component 

and, after carefully noting the 

grain of the oak, we plotted optimum 

Machining of a frame with double curvature and a length of 2.8 m 

cutting paths and selected the best 

possible tools.” 

The 5-axis Vision Sprint is equipped 

with two rotary axes inclined at 45 degrees 

to each other and optimized so 

that their centre axes intersect at the 

working point of the tool. This means 

that highly efficient three-axis machining 

is achieved with fewer interpolated 

movements. The quality of the workmanship 

and the accuracy of all the 

ceiling elements was first class and this 

was evident when the ceiling was constructed 

in the workshop – all the fixtures 

were at the correct angle and 

everything fitted together perfectly. The 

whole structure was then dismantled, 

transported to the Cathedral, and hoisted 

to a height of over 30 metres for installation 

in the tower. After completion, 

the vaulted ceiling will be gilded and 

painted in blue, green and red. 

With regard to the project, the cofounder 

and Managing Director of TMJ 

Interiors, James Taylor said: “This is a 

perfect example of the co-operation between 

Reichenbacher CNC technology 

and traditional craftsmen which has 

produced a breathtaking masterpiece. 

We know that we are helping to create 

a piece of history and are immensely 

proud of what has been achieved. This 

is an incredibly solid and yet decorative 

piece of oak sculpture which has been 

created by working to the very limits of 

structural and decorative joinery.” (mb) 

Preliminary construction of the fanvaulted 

ceiling at TMJ's workshop 

Using a winch, the first of eight 

structural sections is hoisted into 

position in the tower. 

7 


RESEARCH 

SIMENT GmbH – simulation 

Numerical simulation optimizes functionality and co 


8 

Multibody simulation 

Temperature fields 

P 

rogress based on tradition – This 

is not only the main guiding principle 

of the corporate philosophy of the 

SCHERDELGroup but it also describes 

day-to-day reality in the research and 

development activities, to which the 

Company attaches great importance. 

Here numerical simulation plays a major 

role as a tool used in process optimization 

and in product development. 

The main aims behind the use of computer-simulated 

processes are: shorter 

development times; cost-saving in relation 

to tests and prototype manufacture; 

more expertise in the choice of materials; 

and decision-making based on 

sound scientific knowledge. 

Since 1997 numerical simulation has 

become increasingly important in the 

SCHERDELGroup. This tool aimed at 

improving predictions relating to the 

technical characteristics of stampings 

and shaped components was first used 

at the location in Marktredwitz. However, 

the Mechanical Engineering Division 

with its headquarters in Coburg very 

Modal analyses and frequency responses 

soon began to benefit too from the use 

of the Finite Element Method in relation 

to product development. On account of 

this positive experience, the General 

Management of the SCHERDELGroup 

decided to concentrate the tasks relating 

to numerical simulation in a company 

created for this purpose – the beginning 

of Siment GmbH. Today, this company 

is a firmly established member of 

the Group offering a wide range of services. 

Outside the SCHERDELGroup it 

also provides valuable support in relation 

to product development for wellknown 

companies from many fields of 

industry. 

In addition to design, testing, prototype 

manufacture and decades of experience, 

simulation is one of the main elements 

of all development processes in 

Dynamic characteristics of a spring 

the SCHERDELGroup. The fact that the 

expertise available in all these fields 

can be called upon immediately results 

in an extremely dynamic development 

process. Problems are detected at an 

early stage and, on the basis of the virtual 

model, alternatives can be efficiently 

assessed and redesigned at a reasonable 

cost, or new, innovative solutions 

can be designed. Without the use 

of numerical tools, innovations such as 

sleeve springs for piezo-injection systems, 

dynamically stable spiral springs 

for camshaft adjusters, or complex 

stampings and shaped components for 

brakes would require an immense 

amount of prototyping and testing. 

Siment is the world leader with regard 

to the dynamic calculation of valve 

springs and the simulation of spring 

manufacturing processes for the measurement 

of residual stress. 

Stability calculations

in the SCHERDELGroup 

sts in the development process 

In mechanical engineering the range 

of activities includes simple strength 

tests and rigidity analyses, transient 

calculations of dynamic processes and 

the calculation of highly complicated, 

physically coupled connections in mechanical, 

electromagnetic or thermal 

systems. 

It makes no difference whether it's a 

question of vibrations in a machine or 

the simulation of flow configurations in 

Flow simulation 

furnace installations – thanks to the use 

of numerical simulation during the manufacturing 

process the benefit for the 

customer is always the same: weak 

points are eliminated, efficiency is enhanced 

and functions are optimized. 

A team of expert engineers experienced 

in calculation work in various 

specialized fields (mechanical engineering, 

materials research, physics and 

mathematics) forms the core of Siment 

GmbH. These specialists devote all 

their energy to the tasks described 

above and are not satisfied until the 

problem has been solved. 

The calculation methods are continually 

being adapted to suit customer requirements. 

By means of the crash 

software known as "PamCrash", for example, 

SCHERDEL was able to offer its 

customers the complete development 

process relating to metal structures for 

vehicle seating. 

Optimization 

Whether design, calculation of the 

standard types of load (protection 

against load, headrest test etc.), prototyping 

or series production, all the measures 

are available from a single 

source. For the end-customers this represents 

a fully cost-optimized procedure 

which, in the last analysis, has definitely 

strengthened SCHERDEL's position 

as a developer of metal structures for 

vehicle seating. 

At the end of 2008 Siment GmbH 

moved into new premises in the Walter 

Bach Development Centre in Poppenreuth 

near Marktredwitz. This has also 

paved the way for a possible increase 

in the number of staff employed. (dk) 

Contact data 

SCHERDELGroup 

SIMENT GmbH 



Germany 

Georg Hannig, 

graduate in physics 

Tel. +49 9231 603-610 

e-mail: info@siment.de 


Process simulation 

Program development 

9

RESEARCH 

Staff profile 

We'd like to introduce staff members 

to you who will act as your 

contact if required. 

Research creates a good k 

SCHERDEL develops standards and specifications 


10 

Werner Schelter, Master of 

Business Administration and 

Head of the Finance Department 

Mr Werner Schelter was born in 

Wunsiedel in 1956. After obtaining 

his A levels he studied business 

economics at Bayreuth, his special 

subjects being financial management 

and banking, as well as taxation 

and auditing. As a Master of 

Business Administration he began 

working as an assistant auditor for 

a medium-sized firm of chartered 

accountants and tax consultants. 

In connection with this activity, 

Mr Schelter already undertook the 

task of drawing up and auditing 

the annual financial statements 

and tax returns of the 

SCHERDELGroup. 

After a few years he moved to 

another job, this time to “Stahl-und 

Drahtwerk Röslau” where he was 

employed for some time as Head 

of the Accounting Department. On 

the first of July, 1996, Mr Schelter 

then moved to the SCHERDEL- 

Group where he took on the 

post of Head of the Department 

responsible for Bookkeeping, 

Finance and Annual Statements. 

His work is mainly concerned with 

drawing up the annual financial 

statements and tax returns, and 

dealing with external audits. In addition, 

he is also responsible for 

the financial management of the 

whole Group, the insurance 

arrangements, the company 

pension scheme and the employee 

share scheme. 

Mr Schelter is married and has 

three grown-up children. He devotes 

his leisure time to his family 

and his hobbies: literature and 

cooking. 

R 

esearch and development work 

plays a very important part in the 

SCHERDELGroup, which has a department 

specially devoted to all the activities 

connected with this field. Here it is 

noticeable that in recent years the number 

of projects and investigations has 

risen steadily. The following describes 

the main tasks involved in research and 

development work. In the next edition 

of SCHERDELnews the second part of 

this article will tell you about the most 

interesting technical facilities in this Department. 

Tensile tests carried out on receipt of new materials 

One of the most important tasks in relation 

to R & D work is the development 

of materials, processes and measuring 

techniques, as well as the provision of 

the technical know-how for the whole 

SCHERDELGroup. The central laboratory 

is responsible for the examination 

of materials and components. In the 

measuring and testing shop, fatigue 

tests and measurements relating to the 

dynamic behaviour of springs are carried 

out. The staff of the R & D Department 

are also in charge of the organization 

of both internal and external 

training courses. They are also involved 

to a great extent in assisting students 

with projects relating to their studies, or 

with their dissertation, Bachelor's or 

Master's thesis. They also help pupils 

with work concerning technical projects 

and a wide range of technical services 

is available for external customers. A 

great deal of time is also devoted to 

participation in external research projects. 

Here, SCHERDEL is also active 

as a research partner and as a member 

of committees accompanying projects. 

In addition to supporting the whole 

Group with regard to applications for 

subsidies, the R & D Department is also 

involved in work relating to standardization. 

It produces its own technical 

publications as well as collecting technical 

information to extend its store of 

knowledge. 

The development of materials also includes 

the setting up of new supply 

chains in order to be able to offer extremely 

strong valve-spring wires, for 

example, or by altering the materials to 

provide more efficient components with 

an improved design for new types of 

applications. One technical process 

used here, for example, is the thermal 

treatment of valve springs to improve 

a component's characteristics. 

SCHERDEL is constantly on the lookout 

for wires and metal strips which offer 

an improved resistance to extreme 

stress such as high temperatures or 

corrosive environments. With this in 

view, the Group develops its own standards 

and delivery requirements. 

Process development is concerned with 

the fields of metal working, joining techniques, 

metal cutting, thermal treatment 

using lasers for example, shot peening 

and the protection of springs against 

corrosion using various surface treatments 

or coatings. Development work 

relating to measuring techniques focuses 

on measurements of stress, force 

and valve train carried out on a testing 

stand driven by an electromotor; on 

carrying out fatigue tests and producing 

fatigue-strength diagrams; on further 

developing spring scales; and on dealing 

with various metrological problems. 

Failure analysis using the scanning electron 

microscope

nowledge base 

for new types of material and suppliers 

Testing the technical cleanliness 

The laboratory activities concentrate 

on carrying out quality-assurance tests, 

failure analyses and special examinations. 

For this work an extensive range 

of appliances is available. This includes 

equipment for chemical analyses, tension-testing 

and torsion-testing machines, 

a metallographic facility with 

preparation of microsections, durometers 

and light-optical microscopy, a 

scanning electron microscope with EDX 

analysis system, an X-ray diffractometer, 

as well as appliances for determining 

the thickness of a coating and surface 

roughness, and for testing the 

technical cleanliness. In the corrosion 

laboratory SCHERDEL has all the 

equipment required for carrying out 

salt-spray, Kesternich or condensationwater 

testing procedures. 

In the testing shop the activities include 

the measurement of stress by 

means of strain gauges or determining 

dynamic parameters on cylinder heads. 

The cylinder-head testing stand driven 

by an electromotor is fitted with a laser 

measuring system. The testing shop is 

also well-equipped for carrying out the 

fatigue tests and the vibration tests required 

for quality assurance: the spring 

fatigue-testing machines are made by 

well-known manufacturers such as 

Bosch, Reicherter and Schenck or, to 

meet special requirements, they were 

developed and constructed by 

SCHERDEL in-house. To complete its 

equipment, the testing shop has stateof-the-art, 

rotating-bending test machines 

for wires. 

SCHERDEL employs a large number 

of staff and invests a lot of money in relation 

to research and development 

work, the aim being to offer all its customers 

top quality and highly efficient 

products combined with cost-optimization. 

In the future too, the day-to-day 

activities of the SCHERDELGroup will 

show that the guiding principle of the 

corporate philosophy "Progress based 

on tradition – Growth thanks to innovation" 

is both our claim and our duty. In 

the next edition we will provide you with 

a detailed description of some of the 

appliances mentioned and explain how 

they work. 

(dk) 

New Service Centre in 

Turkey 

In the course of the continued 

internationalization of the Group, 

SCHERDEL has set up a new 

Service Centre (SSC) in the town 

of Osmangazi in Turkey. In recent 

years Turkey has developed 

into an important sales market 

and, particularly with regard to 

the future, it is considered to be 

one of the main growth countries 

in Europe. Major international automobile 

manufacturers and parts 

suppliers have already set up 

branches in the country on the 

Bosphorus and they rank among 

SCHERDEL's established business 

partners. Turkey plays an 

important part in the Group's 

strategic planning as well, since it 

acts as a bridgehead to the 

neighbouring Asiatic countries 

which, in their turn, also have a 

great potential for growth. On account 

of its relatively large population 

Turkey itself also presents 

a market with good prospects. 

The new SSC provides "locally 

based" expert advice and detailed 

customer service in relation 

to current series products as well 

as for new developments. By developing 

the partnership-based 

co-operation between customers 

and suppliers, the joint aim is to 

open up additional market potential. 

(dk) 

Service Centre Turkey 

Uluyol Cd. Gönül Sk. 

Tezeller Ishani Kat 3/19 

16220 Osmangazi / Bursa 

Mehmet Engin Bilgen 

Tel.: +90 224 272 7393 

Fax: +90 224 272 7393 

Mobile: +90 507 958 8889 

e-mail: mebilgen@modusteam.com 

Olgun Ekin 

Tel.: +90 224 272 7393 

Fax: +90 224 272 7393 

Mobile: +90 533 337 7955 

e-mail: oekin@modusteam.com 

11 


SCHERDEL-SPONSORING 


The new RS10-LC4 of the Amberg/Weiden 

Technical College. 

Taking this car as a basis, the plan 

is to construct an electrically driven 

racing car which will be ready for 

action this year. The electromotor 

will have a capacity of around 48 

kW. The torque of 60 Nm will be 

fully available throughout a speed 

range of 0 to 7700 r.p.m. We can 

therefore expect an impressive 

performance from this car. 

In the running with 

E-motion 

SCHERDEL supports the Amberg/Weiden 

Technical College in building a racing car 

S 

CHERDEL's efforts to support the 

"Running-Snail-Racing-Team" of 

the Amberg-Weiden Technical College 

provide just one example among many 

of the Group's co-operation with technical 

colleges, universities and educational 

establishments. Under the guidance 

of their professor, Dr. Horst Rönnebeck, 

the students have been engaged 

for some time in the construction 

of a racing car, which has been completely 

developed in-house. Bearing the 

name "Running-Snail" it takes part 

every year in the "Formula Student" 

races. By providing them with the 

appropriate services, SCHERDEL 

supports these young people in the 

development of their racing car. In 

the presence of Johann Schörner, a 

SCHERDEL employee, what is now the 

sixth version of the car was presented 

to the public recently in Amberg. 

Thanks to its body shell made of carbon, 

the new RS10-LC4 weighs only 

163 kilograms – a real light-weight. In 

addition, a traction-control facility helps 

The value chain at SCHERDEL 

SCHERDEL 

Materials/Supplier 

management 

• Supplier development 

SCHERDEL 

Research & 

Development 

• Materials development 

• Laboratory 

• Product development 

• Numerical simulation 

• Process development 

• Prototype manufacture 

SCHERDEL 

Production 

• Forming technology 

• Manufacturing technology 

• Assembly technology 

• Surface finishing 

• Automation 

to prevent wheelspin or excessive rotation 

of the wheels. In the past, the students 

took part in races in Germany, 

Italy and England. Admittedly, they 

haven't yet won any of the coveted trophies 

but usually they were among the 

top ten. Equipped with a KTM combustion 

engine, the car attains a speed of 

180 km/h on the track. It accelerates 

from 0 to 100 km/h in just four seconds. 

The new RS10-LC4 will make its 

first appearance on the race-track in 

July at Silverstone, one of the really 

traditional venues for motor-racing 

fans. However, at the Amberg Technical 

College they're already thinking 

about the future: next year the students 

want to be "in the running" with an 

electrically driven vehicle. Once again 

SCHERDEL will provide support for the 

building of this electric racing car. The 

aim is that this car will put on a good 

show when it takes part in the "Formula 

Electric Germany" races, thus demonstrating 

the talent of the team of young 

developers from Bavaria. 

(dk) 

SCHERDEL 

Logistics 

• Packaging 

• Logistics centre 

• Warehousing 

• Just-in-time system 

12 

Responsible in terms of the Press Law: SCHERDEL GmbH, PO Box 440, 95604 Marktredwitz, Germany, Phone: +49 9231603-0, Fax: +49 9231603-462

Large investments in R & D Ã¢Â€Â“ a continuous process - Scherdel GmbH

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