Our innovative product solutions
From idea to series production
Nicolai Schindler listens with satisfaction to the characteristic "clack" of the electric motor housings as they fall from the conveyor belt into the waiting collection basket. Every second, they undergo high-precision forming and testing processes that guarantee zero-defect quality. After months of preparation, the motor housings are finally in series production. Nicolai looks very satisfied and also somewhat relieved.
Around Nicolai, everything at PWO is running at full speed. The presses are working with the precision for which PWO is known worldwide. After many months of development, countless simulations, discussions, minor setbacks and major breakthroughs, the day has finally arrived: his latest project is officially going into series production.
"It's always an exciting moment when you can finally hold the result of all this intensive work in your hands," says the project manager to his colleague, who is supervising the running-in of the manufacturing process. This product solution will soon be installed in vehicles all over the world, millions of them over the next few years.
This piece of steel has come a long way – from the initial customer inquiry to here in series production. A journey that began with an email
Project start at the desk
Nicolai is sitting at his desk when an email from sales lands in his inbox. Attached, he finds a specification sheet and CAD data for a new engine housing. The customer's requirements are very demanding: an extremely precise solution is to be produced, as sustainably as possible.
"The combination of complex requirements – optimal use of materials, tight tolerances, and critical forming – really appeals to me," says the Black Forest native, who was born near Oberkirch. "When I receive a request like this, I know right away that it's not going to be a standard project." After training as a tool mechanic and further training as a mechanical engineering technician, he has been with PWO for over 17 years – initially in tool design, and since 2018 in the "Electronics, Chassis & Airbag Components" business unit. His enthusiasm for complex technical challenges is just as great today as it was on his first day.
I always imagine our product solution already installed in the vehicle and then think backwards: How do we get from the raw material to the finished solution? What path does this take through our production?
He analyzes the technical requirements point by point on the computer. CAD data, material specifications, initial manufacturing ideas. "I always imagine our product solution already installed in the vehicle and then think backwards: How do we get from the raw material to the finished solution? What path does this take through our production?" At the same time, other calculations run in parallel – e.g., material selection and resource utilization. "Today, these aspects are just as important as costs," explains Nicolai.
When perspectives clash
The large meeting room is full: sales, development, purchasing, production, quality. Everyone contributed their specific perspective. As expected, the discussion took time. "Everyone has their own point of view, and rightly so," says Nicolai. "Development is primarily concerned with technical risks, purchasing focuses on material costs and production has its eye on available capacities. My job is then to reconcile all these technical and economic requirements."
Most questions revolve around the possibilities of minimizing the use of materials wherever possible without affecting the function of the component. At the same time, high degrees of forming must be achieved and low tolerances maintained. Some colleagues are not yet convinced: they say the concept is too untested – and therefore too risky. But Nicolai argues passionately for this vision: "This is not just about a single project – it's about building strategic know-how for the future. We are pushing the boundaries of metal forming here."
After more than two hours of intense discussion, the decision is made. PWO will signal technical feasibility to the customer! "Transparency, openness, and mutual respect are crucial here," Nicolai summarizes the successful meeting. "In the end, everyone involved must feel that we have made a well-founded decision together." And that's how it is.
The art of customer communication
The subsequent telephone conversation with the developers on the customer side proceeds smoothly – including the question that Nicolai has heard many times in his career: "Can you implement this, and if so, how quickly?" As always, his answer is honest and transparent: "As quickly as possible – but with the necessary care." He then explains the individual steps necessary to optimally balance quality and costs. He also shows where adjustments can be made together to optimize the schedule, for example through parallel development phases or early coordination. "A project like this is like a clockwork mechanism with a thousand small gears. Everything has to work together perfectly."
Nicolai also suggests sustainable alternatives that offer significant potential. "This is an important competitive advantage for us, and one that customers are increasingly responding to positively," he explains. "Especially when we don't just say 'this is more sustainable,' but quantify it specifically: 'This is how much CO₂ you save.'" There are usually two main advantages: weight reduction directly reduces energy consumption – whether in combustion engines or electric vehicles. And: material selection and manufacturing technologies can significantly reduce the carbon footprint.
The digital world as a resource conservation measure
Complex calculations flicker across the monitors in the simulation center. Colorful heat maps show how the material behaves under stress, where tensions occur, and how the forming process will proceed. "Here, we simulate both the function of the component and the entire manufacturing process," explains Nicolai, still fascinated by his project.
The results are astonishingly accurate: "Modern simulation tools often correspond very closely to the actual measured values." One simulation recently made a particular impression on him. "The software was able to predict the material flow and potential cracks so accurately that we were able to optimize the tool before the first sample was even produced. That saved us a tremendous amount of time and money." Nevertheless, validation on the physical component remains indispensable – especially for innovative materials or new manufacturing processes. "After all, physics still has a few surprises in store."
Hands-on theory
A few weeks later, the time has come. The first 3D prints are ready – still made of plastic, but already in the exact shape of the final component. "Printing finally makes a component tangible. This clarifies questions that would otherwise be impossible to answer, such as: Does it really fit exactly into the intended installation space? Are there any accessibility issues? Possible collisions?"
The entire project team gathers around the prototype. Everyone turns and twists the component, checking details that were not visible on the screen. "This creates a common understanding among everyone involved – including the customer later on." The customer reacts enthusiastically when he holds the model in his hands for the first time. It is much more compact and thin-walled than he had imagined. It is precisely these moments that are valuable. After all, they prevent costly misunderstandings before they become expensive.
3D printing is also a win from a sustainability perspective: "If we identify weak points early on in the concept phase, we save material, energy and time later on," explains Nicolai. "Every iteration on the computer or in 3D printing is therefore cheaper and more environmentally friendly than changes to the series."
Sustainability with a system
PWO consistently focuses on optimized material usage: Where material is not really needed, it is specifically reduced through forming. This not only saves weight, but also significantly reduces the carbon footprint. And production is also becoming increasingly sustainable – for example, by minimizing material waste and energy consumption. The result: components that are more environmentally friendly than their predecessors.
The phase of patient detail work
What follows are weeks of continuous development work. Toolmaking, initial samples, functional tests, step-by-step optimizations – each phase has its own requirements. "It's often the little things that take time," says Nicolai. "A supplier who has to adjust a specification. A tool that needs to be readjusted. Or the customer who has another idea for improvement."
Keeping track of everything over such a long period of time requires structured work and small rituals. "We document every step of progress and celebrate even the smaller successes," explains Nicolai. "When an important test is passed or a technical solution works, we take a moment to celebrate it as a team." What motivates him most? "The knowledge that we are working on something big, even if the part is still very small," he says. "We are helping to shape the mobility of the future here. That's something very special."
Of course, there are also moments when not everything goes according to plan. For example, when a test shows unexpected results, a delivery date is postponed, or the budget has to be recalculated. "In situations like these, teamwork is crucial," says the project manager, "as is open communication and the confidence that everyone is doing their best."
When vision becomes reality
The electric motor housing has come a long way in its development. Now Nicolai is standing in the production hall, holding it in his hands – ready for series production. "I am fascinated by this special combination of high-tech and human creativity," he reflects. "An email ultimately turns into a product solution that is not only technically impressive, but also conserves resources – and reliably fulfills its function throughout the entire lifetime of a vehicle."
This exact product solution will be continuously produced for at least the next 10 years and installed in millions of vehicles around the world. Nicolai's children find this fact particularly exciting. When they want to hear more about his work he explains it to them like this: "We develop components for cars that weigh less but are still safer. We make sure to use as few raw materials as possible and to use clean energy. This makes cars more environmentally friendly – and that's very important so that our forests and mountains are just as beautiful when you grow up as they are today."
Digitalization creates sustainability
The future of project management at PWO lies in an even stronger fusion of digitalization and sustainability. Artificial intelligence will make simulations even more precise, and digital twins will enable complete virtual optimization before the first physical prototype is built. "In five years, we will be able to develop even more climate-friendly innovations," predicts Nicolas Schindler. "The focus on green transformation will therefore continue to grow and further strengthen our market position – and that's a good thing."
After the series is before the series
Back at his desk, the phone rings: an inquiry. This means a new project is on the horizon – with new challenges and familiar tasks. Nicolai smiles as he hangs up the phone after the call. Be open to new things, stay curious and don't be afraid of making mistakes, is his advice to young colleagues. "Because mistakes are often the best teachers," he says.
He opens an email on his screen with the first CAD data: it's going to be a complex component with ambitious requirements. His eyes light up. "I love these challenges – from the idea to the finished product, from vision to reality. No two days are the same." He scrolls through the requirements. "And the best thing is: with every project, we're helping to make the mobility of the future more sustainable."
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