Making what at first sight seems impossible simply possible
Others might have been satisfied with such achievements and the state of the art of suspension technology, but that was never an option for the 53-year-old founder, managing director, and automotive enthusiast. In its segment, KW automotive is the only suspension manufacturer that develops and manufactures adaptive coilover suspensions including its own control units, sensor technology, and software control algorithms for autonomous, situation-dependent damping adjustment while driving in real-time. KW automotive is also a major player in the field of “artificial intelligence” for suspension control systems. For example, the suspension manufacturer has been working closely with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in this area for several years. Together with the Institute for Digitalization and Electric Drives (IDA) at Heilbronn University (HHN) at the Künzelsau campus, it is actively developing new technologies for both the automotive industry and the aftermarket.
The production workflow at KW automotive in Fichtenberg is as unique as the KW engineering itself
The KW automotive group produces all of its products, such as the coilovers of their brands KW, ST, and ap, with a vertical manufacturing range of almost 95 percent at its headquarters in Fichtenberg, Swabia. One of the unique features of this chain is that all processes, from suspension strut and housing production to damper assembly, spring coating, and final chassis assembly, are designed to be so flexible that suspensions can be made based on individual orders. Because of this “built-to-order” principle, KW automotive clearly stands out from all other suspension manufacturers and produces around 400 individual suspension kits every day. Of which about 350 are intended for totally different vehicles. “There is no other manufacturer in the global market for individual suspension solutions that can produce so many different coilover suspension kits per day with the speed and precision as we can achieve at our site in Fichtenberg. Depending on the suspension, more than 85 production steps are necessary,” says Klaus Wohlfarth, describing one of the unique selling points of the flexible production structure. For example, in 1995, KW’s product range included about nine chassis products for four vehicle applications, but by 2022, at the Fichtenberg site alone, there are over 26,000 suspension applications for more than 2,400 vehicle applications.
Investments that are ready for the challenges of tomorrow
Between 2017 and 2020, the suspension manufacturer invested in the expansion of its headquarters, and all manufacturing and logistics processes were digitalized for the successful transition to Industry 4.0. “We implemented all of this during our daily work activities and also successfully mastered it thanks to our dedicated team of employees and strong partners,” Klaus Wohlfarth continues. As a result of this digitization process, the companies that were acquired by KW automotive in 2021 will also benefit from synergies at the headquarters in Fichtenberg. Last year, in addition to the light-alloy wheel manufacturer BBS, the manufacturer Reiger Suspension, which specializes in offroad and rally suspensions, and the shock absorber business of AL-KO, which covers heavy commercial vehicles and the passenger car aftermarket, all joined the KW automotive Group. Additionally, also the SimRacing business is developing positively for the owner-managed companies group. With the brands Ascher Racing, TrackTime, and RaceRoom, KW is active in the fast-growing e-sports sector and is shaping it with further developments, in the same way, the company approaches the suspension aftermarket.
We congratulate Klaus and KW for their first 30 years and look forward to working with them for many years in the future!
1 comment
That was a great summary of KW’s achievements, and a nice little video tribute congratulating KW on 30 years of innovative business, and thanking them for their support.
In two weeks time, there are going to be quite a few race cars running KW dampers competing in a little event near the town of Nurburg 🙂