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With our network of production sites, service points, warehouses and consultants, we support all major car manufacturers worldwide. Around 2/3 of all cars are equipped with OKE products. Our portfolio includes plastic components, hybrid components and assemblies for all areas and very different requirements. Our variety of manufacturing processes and materials offers a great deal of scope for trying out completely new ideas.
In addition to standard plastics, we also process metals, composites, fibres, additives and materials specially developed for the application to achieve the strength, impact resistance, accuracy and stability required in road traffic or to create a high-quality appearance.
We minimise the time and effort required for design validations through 3D printing processes, prototype tools, laser technology and simulations. Our functional samples and prototypes enable rapid iteration.
In parallel with the development of autonomous driving, the interior is also evolving. Since the driver’s attention is no longer completely focused on the road, the interior is becoming more of a focal point. A study by McKinsey also confirms that interior design, connectivity features and comfort are gaining importance in the purchase decision.” (McKinsey&Company: The Future of Interior in Automotive. September 7, 2021)
Our products help make the experience more enjoyable in a variety of ways: Trims and panels provide a high-quality look with a pleasant feel, foamed products improve acoustics, interior lighting can be adjusted for different activities, function-integrated surfaces provide better wettability, bondability, adhesion properties or tribological properties, hybrid components are lighter and bring a long service life. The scope for function integration is very large due to our variety of material combinations.
With the further development of autonomous driving, ergonomic developments of seats and postures are also possible. Swivel and swivel seats, new armrests and backrests and even more individually adjustable configurations are possible. Our product portfolio includes profiles for fastening, for making contours, padding and joining them. We also offer a variety of tried and tested solutions for moving elements.
We produce components for vehicle exteriors in almost any size. From large underbody parts to fine fasteners, we supply filigree and complex components such as fascias, body and structural components for a wide range of applications, as well as particularly resilient, impact-resistant, UV-resistant and weatherproof products that withstand even high temperatures and offer an attractive design. Our body add-on components also provide surfaces that optimize various finishing processes such as grinding, polishing, coating and painting.
We assemble function-integrated assemblies inline or in downstream operations. We also join functional and decorative metal parts, reflectors, sealing and damping elements, and a wide range of very different electrical components in a partially to fully automated process. We support the developers for the best combination of lightweight construction, appearance, robustness and functionality.
We also produce components for all aspects of the drive system. Depending on the application, the use of engineering plastics, material combinations and modern technologies enables us to realize benefits such as weight reductions, a reduction in components and assembly processes through function integration, improved NVH performance (NVH= noise, vibration, harshness) and cost savings.
Our Powertrain business includes fluid and thermal management, components for control and regulation, and components for noise and vibration reduction. In no other area are multi-component technology and assemblies used more frequently: seals, threads and the combination with high-performance plastics are part of almost every component in this area, but automated and demanding quality tests are also part of our business!
Whether extrusion or injection moulding: We know how to join two or more materials inline in a force- and/or form-fitting manner. We provide covers and components for automotive electronics with circumferential seals, we save high-quality cover materials by using textile complementary materials for our profiles, and we process fibers and metallic elements directly in the tool or in mostly fully automated downstream processes. The variety of technologies, machines and plants of almost any size, as well as our many years of experience, opens up scope for analysis of added value potential, for functional integration and stable processes. Versatility stands out: Our injection moulding competence centres produce multi-component components weighing from a few grams to 9.5 kilograms.
A good example of the interplay of different processes is our product for Air Ride suspension. The air spring cover is assembled from two components in the hot gas process, each of which has an individual DMC code. In this way, important production parameters are still comprehensible even after years. Each air spring cover is checked by a gas test before delivery. We leave nothing to chance!
Plastic pipes for the tailgate of vehicles are required in very different sizes. Because they are needed from simple small cars to large luxury saloons. The system consists of three pipes (drive, torsion and output) with thin wall thicknesses, which must interlock precisely. In addition, the demands on the surface are high!
We produce the length variants particularly efficiently by means of intermediate storage and elongation of the base products. After fully automated tool removal, the injection moulds are temporarily stored until they are completely cooled down. A separate downstream process unit for each of the pipes then takes care of the lengthening and chamfering. The result: A perfect interplay of the three components and a playfully easy implementation of stepless length variants thanks to an efficient process without additional tool inserts!