Freudenberg-NOK… A truly global supplier - ATRA

packaging company - but they don’t
know the whole story.
Corteco is the aftermarket business
of global automotive-parts giant
Freudenberg-NOK, the world’s largest
producer of elastomeric seals and custom
molded products with 160 facilities
throughout the world. So the majority
of parts installed in TransTec®
transmission kits are actually made
by Freudenberg-NOK. That’s a far cry
from simply being a kit packager.
Now granted, some components in
TransTec® kits are made by other companies,
but this provides rebuilders with
the quality assurance that comes from
O.E. parts. Labeling Corteco a parts
packager is about as accurate as calling
NASA an airline. After all, NASA
doesn’t build their own Space Shuttles;
they buy every piece, and then just have
their guys fly them around, just like a
commercial airline… right?
Of course that’s an absurd assessment…
no one would think of comparing
NASA to an airline. Sure, they buy
their space vehicles; but they buy them
based on exacting specifications that
they develop and submit for each and
every component that goes into them.
And every one of those elements has to
go through rigorous testing and certification
before it’s accepted for its first
flight to the stars.
That’s also a terrific description of
how Corteco develops its transmission
seal kits. OEM standards are only a
starting point for Corteco. And, just like
the Space Shuttle, every piece that goes
into a TransTec® seal kit has to meet
their exacting specifications.
“That sounds great,” you say, “but
I’d be happy with OEM quality. Why
do I need more than that?” Because
OEM quality is adequate — maybe
even ample — for a new transmission,
right off the assembly line, when every
Jeff Rayburn - Sales Manager
bore is pristine and every surface in
perfect alignment with the rest.
But over time, those cases and hard
parts wear. And many of the seals that
were sufficient for use in a shiny, new
transmission case fall short when asked
to perform in a transmission that’s
been around the block a few times. No
amount of planning beforehand can
predict just how those units are likely
to wear in the real world.
This is why Corteco’s Research
and Development (R&D) team finds
it critical to work hand-in-hand with
transmission shops, production remanufacturers
and distributors: To provide
real-world data on transmissions that
are no longer pristine. And it’s why
TransTec® kits are far superior to OEM
and other brands when used in higher
mileage transmissions.
Customer-Driven
Development
Corteco’s business model of better
serving its customers begins in your
shop. Corteco has increased its sales
force to provide more direct contact
with transmission shops and production
remanufacturers.
This allows them to discover exactly
what shop owners and rebuilders
deal with in today’s transmissions. And
it allows them to take a more active role
in correcting the problems that those
shops face.
The sales force brings that information
back to Corteco’s R&D team
to be analyzed and addressed. The
R&D team includes degreed engineers,
who are uniquely qualified to analyze
raw failure data from the shops, and
develop newer, better ways to compensate
for the sealing problems caused by
wear in aging components.
And it’s why Corteco equips its
development team with the latest mea-
Bill D’Agostino - Sales Manager
suring and diagnostic equipment; equipment
such as the Surveyor® WS 3040
by Laser Design Inc., a highly sophisticated
device that measures components
with patented laser technology. This
enables Corteco’s engineers to evaluate
component sealing demands, and
provide high-quality solutions that will
meet and exceed those demands.
“We’re sealing experts,” explains
Craig Stark, Director. “It’s our job to
examine sealing components, and create
newer, more advanced solutions for
the sealing challenges our customers
face.”
Addressing Problems in
the Field
So how does Corteco’s R&D team
deal with a technical issue from the
field? “Our first priority is to help the
shop get the car out the door,” explains
John Wozniak, Product Development
Manager. “That may mean sending an
alternative component or a prototype
out overnight, just to address the immediate
situation. Once that’s handled, we
need to study the facts and determine a
course of action.”
From there, they add the details of
the condition to their comprehensive
research database. This database allows
Corteco engineers and technicians to
look for failure trends that need to be
addressed through design changes or
additions to their kits.
“Once we’ve identified a failure
trend, we know it’s time to begin looking
for the root cause, and to develop a
solution,” explains Wozniak. “In other
words, significant failure trends are a
call to action for us.”
Most of the data that enters their
evaluation process comes from transmission
repair shops, just like yours.
And they receive additional information
through their relationships with a
John Wozniak - Product Development Manager
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