luK’s success story

Over the last five decades, LuK has established itself within the Schaeffler Group as the technology leader in the field of vehicle drive train systems and components.

It all started in 1965 when the company developed a diaphragm spring clutch with a release system – which to this day remains a groundbreaking innovation and just one of the many to have come from LuK.

The diaphragm spring clutch is the beginning of luK’s success story. Beginning in the mid-1960s, it increasingly replaces the coil spring clutch. Engines with higher torques overtax existing technology. Starting in spring 1965, LuK supplies diaphragm spring clutches to Volkswagen for the “Type 3” mid-size model. This makes this company from Bühl the first European high-volume manufacturer of diaphragm spring clutches.

LuK was the first manufacturer in Europe to successfully develop a dual mass flywheel (DMF) for high-volume production as early as 1985.  The DMF allows driving in fuel-efficient operating points with increased vibration damping and resulting comfort.  Operating an engine at an ideal speed and load makes a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.

A very significant increase in vibration damping was achieved in 2008 by integrating a centrifugal pendulum-type absorber. Isolation levels of more than 90 percent are achieved by using the spring mass system of the DMF in combination with the centrifugal pendulum-type absorber.