Explore the latest technology trends, career opportunities, and the people behind Schunk’s pioneering solutions

Space is a tough environment. Satellite components must withstand extreme temperature changes, vibrations during launch, and function reliably for years without maintenance. This is where silicon carbide (SiC) shows its strengths.  It offers low density, high stiffness, and remains thermally stable under changing conditions. Silicon carbide can also be processed to achieve highly precise optical surfaces, making it the ideal material for applications like satellite mirrors and structural parts in optical systems. 

In industrial heat treatment—such as hardening, sintering, or brazing—energy consumption and process stability are critical performance factors. Workpiece carriers and charging systems significantly influence both. While traditional steel designs often hinder efficiency due to their weight and limited thermal resistance, carbon fiber-reinforced carbon (CFC) charging fixtures offer a proven way to reduce energy input and improve overall process performance.

Careers take very different paths – sometimes straightforward, sometimes with exciting changes of direction. Both can be valuable. Because further development comes from new impulses, fresh experiences, and sometimes a change of perspective – whether within your own team, in a new role, or in a different location.   At Schunk, we offer exactly that: the opportunity to develop within the company – through an internal job change or a temporary assignment to another team or company.   What's so special about this? You remain part of the Schunk Group – and can still discover completely new areas of responsibility.

The electrification of public transport is a decisive step toward greater sustainability. More and more cities are turning to electric buses to reduce emissions and improve air quality. But success depends on charging infrastructure that is fast, reliable, and future-ready—both in depots and at bus stops. This is where the new SLS 104 roof-mounted pantograph from Schunk Transit Systems comes into play. 

Carbon brushes – also known as sliding contacts – play a key role in transferring electric current between rotating and stationary components. They’re an essential part of electric motors and generators, ensuring continuous electrical connection even at high speeds. From power tools to wind turbines, carbon brushes are everywhere. At Schunk, we develop advanced, application-specific carbon brush solutions based on decades of material expertise and in-depth industry know-how.

At Pier 400 in the Port of Los Angeles, one of the world’s busiest container terminals, a new high-performance charging system is now in daily use. In collaboration with Kalmar and APM Terminals, Schunk Transit Systems has implemented two Inverted Pantographs SLS201.401 to support the first fully electric straddle carriers in North America. The system enables automated, high-current charging (up to 1,200A)—ideal for demanding port environments with tight schedules and continuous operation. 

Methane pyrolysis is a promising technology for climate-friendly hydrogen production. However, the extreme conditions inside the reactor place enormous demands on materials and components. In this interview, Felix Schmidt explains how Schunk contributes to making this future technology industrially viable—with advanced materials, coating technologies, and engineering expertise.

At Schunk, leadership skills are not just a skill, but the key to a successful future - both for our employees and for our company. This is precisely where the Schunk Corporate Advanced Management Programme - CAMP for short - comes in: an exclusive further training programme for Schunk colleagues who want to take on management responsibility or specifically develop their leadership skills.

Discovering young talents, fostering them, and actively opening doors to professional life – this is the goal of the Ludwig Schunk Foundation. Through programs like the Deutschlandstipendium and the Ludwig Schunk Awards, it guides students on their journey from university to a successful career entry.

Parasitic shaft currents are among the most common causes of bearing damage in electric drive systems. Inadequate grounding can lead to costly failures – in rail transport, industrial production facilities, and electric mobility alike. The Schunk Group addresses this challenge with a comprehensive portfolio of grounding systems, ranging from traditional grounding contacts to innovative carbon-based solutions.

The semiconductor industry places the highest demands on materials and manufacturing processes. Fused quartz is a key material in this context – it is temperature-resistant, chemically inert, and ultra-pure. This is where SemiMat comes in: the company specializes in the precision manufacturing and repair of quartz components and supplies leading semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. With decades of experience and state-of-the-art cleanroom production, SemiMat offers, among other things, high-precision epitaxy quartz components used in critical semiconductor processes.

Electric vehicles are rapidly gaining momentum, increasing the demand for reliable and efficient technologies. Power modules play a pivotal role in this context, particularly in motor drives and battery charging systems. Dr. Jürgen Reinke, Head of Process Technology at Schunk Sonosystems, and Dr. Urs Bürgi, an expert in automation and precision at Infotech, explain the importance of these technologies and highlight innovations developed in collaboration with Infotech.

The Schunk Group is your innovative partner when it comes to metal injection molding (MIM) at the highest technological level. With over 100 years of material expertise and state-of-the-art MIM technology, we manufacture complex, precise, and series-ready metal components – tailored exactly to the requirements of your industry.

With the RDX1000 LWJ from Pulsar Photonics – a company of the Schunk Group – new benchmarks are being set in the processing of hard and brittle high-performance materials. This innovative system combines laser and waterjet technologies, enabling highly precise cuts in technical ceramics, silicon carbide, and hard metals – faster, more efficiently, and without causing material damage. 

With OptoSight, OptoTech, a company of the Schunk Group, launches a groundbreaking AI-driven software that makes optical manufacturing machines smarter, more efficient, and user-friendly. With this innovation, OptoTech sets new standards in the optical industry. 

With the acquisition of ESK-SIC, the Schunk Group has set a strategic milestone and further strengthened its position in the field of high-performance ceramics and specialty materials. But what does this mean for customers and the technical ceramics industry? We take a look at the background, the synergies and the innovations made possible by this partnership.