Schaeffler AG was, according to Wikipedia, founded in 1946 by brothers Wilhelm and Georg Schaeffler in Herzogenaurach, where the company remains headquartered today. Schaeffler makes rolling-element bearings for automotive, aerospace and industrial applications and owns the brands INA, FAG and LuK. The shares trade on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the ticker SHA.
Component and function
Schaeffler has substantially expanded its linear-motion business through the acquisition of the Ewellix Group. According to market sources, Ewellix is a market leader in electromechanical actuators and lifting columns as well as ball and roller screws and linear guides — products used in robotics, medical technology and mobile machinery. Schaeffler thereby bundles linear guides, ball and roller screws and electromechanical actuators into one large linear-motion group. For humanoid robots, Schaeffler names rotary and linear actuators such as ball and planetary roller screw assemblies as key components for robot joints.
Role in the value chain
Schaeffler is a broadly positioned component supplier and does not build complete robots. The Ewellix acquisition specifically strengthens electromechanical motion systems that replace hydraulic and pneumatic solutions.
Key figures
For fiscal year 2025 — the first full year after integrating Vitesco — Schaeffler reported group revenue of roughly €23.5 billion (pro-forma prior year about €24.3 billion) and employed around 111,000 people at the end of 2025; the controlling owner is the Schaeffler family. The Ewellix acquisition was valued at roughly €582 million according to trade press.
Market position
Schaeffler is among the world's leading bearing makers and, with Ewellix, is expanding its position in electromechanical linear motion. Its business is cyclical and follows the cycles of the automotive and manufacturing industries.
Robotics as a growth field
With Ewellix, Schaeffler specifically addresses the trends of drive electrification, efficiency and automation/robotics. As a supplier of key components, Schaeffler competes with other linear-motion and bearing makers.
Opportunities and risks
With Ewellix, Schaeffler is deliberately building a large linear-motion business, addressing the electrification of drives — the replacement of hydraulic and pneumatic systems by electromechanical actuation. For robotics, including humanoid systems, the company names ball and planetary roller screws and rotary actuators as key components for joints. Opportunities arise from automation, efficiency and the humanoid trend; risks lie in pronounced dependence on the cyclical automotive business, the integration of large acquisitions and transformation pressure in drivetrain technology. As a broadly positioned supplier, Schaeffler must balance precision, scale and cost and competes with specialized linear-motion providers. For investors, Schaeffler is thus a transformation play whose linear-motion build-out via Ewellix represents a targeted bet on electromechanical automation and the humanoid trend.
This profile is a neutral description and is not investment advice.