Schaeffler, a German automotive and industrial supplier, has signed a multi-year strategic partnership agreement with IBM to accelerate the connectivity of its operations and customer solutions using IBM Watson’s cognitive intelligence and insights from the IoT.

Schaeffler manufactures millions of precision-engineered products that help to keep the world's machines moving, including components for automotive clutch systems, hybrid engines and industrial bearings in wind turbines.

“This is an era of unprecedented industrial transformation defined by factories, machines and parts capable of self-assessing, triggering actions and exchanging information with each other, and with the people who manufacture and maintain them,” said Harriet Green, General Manager, IBM Watson IoT. “Schaeffler is leading the way and literally redefining approaches for designing, producing and maintaining machines – making them safer and more reliable.”

Schaeffler’s said its goal is to build virtual models representing entire industrial systems enabling new approaches to product design, manufacturing and post-sales services. Tapping the connectivity and analytics capabilities of IBM's Watson IoT platform, Schaeffler will analyze huge amounts of data from millions of sensors and devices across its operations and provide insight to help it to be more flexible, make faster decisions and optimize the performance of equipment in the field. 

“Our goal is to be the world's leading manufacturer of cognitive solutions which keep the world moving,” said Dr. Peter Gutzmer, CTO and Deputy CEO, Schaeffler “We are entering an age where parts can monitor and evaluate their own performance and even order their own replacement when necessary. Schaeffler is a world leader in product development and manufacturing, IBM in hybrid cloud and cognitive computing; through this partnership we are ushering the new industrial era.”