This week in the AMN Executive Interview series, we feature Bill Hanvey, director of business development for Schaeffler Group USA’s Automotive Aftermarket Division. In this interview, Hanvey talks about the critical role of anti-counterfeiting efforts in Schaeffler’s overall brand strategy. He also gives us the scoop on some exciting new products. 
Schaeffler Group North America is quite vocal in its support for anti-counterfeiting measures. Aside from the obvious safety and IPR violations, why is it important to the company to support this issue?
The Schaeffler Group invests a tremendous amount of money to support their products and customers. Cataloging, training, research, marketing, technical support and customer service are just a few areas, aside from product development, that complete our program portfolio. That high level of design, service and manufacturing has become integrally associated with the name "Schaeffler Group" and its various brands. When a counterfeited article is sold, not only is our proprietary product being compromised, but the entire value proposition we offer to the aftermarket is as well. As manufacturers, we need to protect that investment in order to guarantee to our customers that they are receiving the product and support that was designed for their particular application. The Schaeffler Group is serious about finding and eliminating counterfeited product around the globe and has an entire team dedicated to this cause in our global headquarters.
Last year, LuK – a Schaeffler brand – launched the “Think Inside the Box” media campaign. How does this relate to your efforts to increase awareness of counterfeit product? How has the message been received out in the market?
We have heard a tremendous amount of positive feedback on this campaign. The "Think Inside the Box" campaign is designed to educate professional technicians that although some aftermarket clutch kits may look like an OE original LuK manufactured product, their performance may not meet our specifications. Our kit components are engineered and manufactured to work together and there are strict guidelines as to raw material and manufacturing specifications. It is extremely difficult to achieve the high level of quality that we build into our products through reverse engineering and contract manufacturing. A clutch job can take anywhere from three to seven hours, depending upon the application. Why invest that tremendous amount of bay time in a product that wasn’t designed and manufactured by a reputable OE supplier? I am a big proponent of using advertising to educate our customer base, and our next campaign will focus on eliminating common installation errors, which will in turn reduce unnecessary "comebacks" to the shop and subsequent warranty claims to us.
Maintaining a strong supplier-customer relationship seems to have reached a tipping point over the past few years. As a global manufacturer, what do you do to go the extra mile for your customers? What services do you provide that you feel give you an advantage with your suppliers?
We provide full program benefits to our customer on all of our product categories under the LuK, INA and FAG brands. I think the most important aspect is the support we offer through our technical services and customer service teams. Our tech line is manned by three ASE certified technicians who offer our customers more than 50 years of aftermarket experience. Their goal is to help that individual who is installing one of our products to get the job done right. Each call our tech line receives is logged and documented and trends are identified to see if a technical bulletin or other communications should be issued to help further the ease of installation. Our customer service team uses the same system to track requests and product inquiries so they can give the customer the most up-to-date information on a part. The support we offer before, during and after the sale establishes a good relationship with our customers, while allowing us to gain market intelligence on a daily basis.
What’s new with Schaeffler Group – any new products or technologies in the pipeline?
One of our newest and most interesting developments is the clutch for the Powershift Gearbox, sometimes called a Dual Clutch Transmission or "2CT." This is a completely new type of automatic transmission that marries the efficiency of a manual transmission with the control and comfort of an automatic. It works by splitting the gears of a manual into even (2nd, 4th, 6th) and odd (1st, 3rd, 5th) and driving each set of gears with half of a double clutch. The shifting of the gears and the engagement of the clutches is all managed by the computer controller, so the driver feels the shifts just like an automatic shifts today.
The clutch is based on proven dry friction technology from manual clutches, which provides very low drag and reliable and smooth shifts. The clutch unit is really two clutches in one. The clutches are arranged one behind the other and share enough parts that they can be fit into the same bellhousing. The advantage for the installer is that it’s a modular clutch set; when the installer bolts this one up, it goes as a single unit.
The fuel savings achievable with this type of transmission compared to a current automatic or even the next generation of automatics can be significant. The first application was at Volkswagen and the system is now available on the 2012 Ford Focus and Fiesta. Obviously, this technology has not yet made it to the aftermarket, however, Schaeffler’s close affiliation with OE engineering will keep our pipeline filled for years to come.
