Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG · Germany

1946

Brothers Wilhelm and Georg Schaeffler, both holders of Ph.D. degrees, found INA in Herzogenaurach.

1948

Handcarts and other products made from wood sell well after the war.

1949

A groundbreaking idea: The needle roller cage, developed by Georg Schaeffler, makes the needle roller bearing a reliable component for industrial applications.

1951

Saar Nadellager oHG is founded in Homburg/Saar as the first German subsidiary.
INA has more than 200 employees.

1952

A breakthrough for the automotive industry: Low-wear INA needle roller bearings replace plain bearings in the transmission of the legendary VW Beetle.

1954

A big hit at its first trade show: INA presents deep-drawn drawn-cup needle roller bearings at the “Deutsche Industriemesse” (industrial trade show) in Hannover.

1954

The soccer team is the first of the new Schaeffler company sports teams.

1955

The first linear guide: INA’s flat cage lays the foundation for the new linear technology division.

The first needle roller bearing catalog is published as a “Practical Guide.”

1956

The first foreign plant: Rolling bearing production for the European market starts in Haguenau, France.

1958

Manufacturing close to the customer: INA follows VW to Brazil and opens a new plant in São Paulo.

1959

INA’s MOTOMAK plant in Ingolstadt works hard on the development of hydraulic valve lash adjustment elements.

1960

The core of vocational training: The first apprentice training shop in Herzogenaurach can accommodate 100 metalworking apprentices.
INA’s plants and subsidiaries employ nearly 6,000 people worldwide.

1965

LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau GmbH is founded in Bühl (with INA as one of the investors).

1967

INA’s drawn cup roller clutches for high indexing frequencies and temperatures.

1969

Entering a new market, North America: INA’s company in Cheraw, South Carolina, is the first bridgehead in the United States.

An innovation for machine tools: Linear recirculating roller bearings allow plain bearing guides to be replaced by roller guides.
INA has over 10,000 employees.

1971

INA is one of the first manufacturers in Europe to supply volume-produced hydraulic valve lash adjustment elements.

1977

INA participates in the European Machine Tool Trade Show from the start.

1979

New expertise: High-precision fineblanking technology is secured after investing in HYDREL AG, Switzerland.