With Walterscheid Welsberg AG’s new manufacturing facility in South Tyrol, Italy, Walterscheid Powertrain Group now claims to have the “world’s most modern plant for the production of Double Universal Joint (DUJ) shafts”.
Walterscheid Powertrain Group describes itself as “a global player in the manufacture of drive-shafts for agricultural and construction machinery”.
Plant manager Andreas Kaufmann explained: “Already now, practically one in every two 4WD tractors in Europe contains two drive-shafts that were manufactured at our previous Bruneck plant.”
The manufacturing operation recently relocated from Bruneck to Welsberg. An empty industrial hall that was acquired from another company allowed for the “optimum integration of the production line”.
The new facility thus complements the GKN Sinter Metals and GKN Driveline plants in Bruneck, which have been located in South Tyrolean Pustertal for some time, as well as the second GKN Sinter Metals plant that was opened in nearby Sand in Taufers in 2017.
The new manufacturing plant in Welsberg reportedly has an impressive production capacity, with an annual production of 600,000 DUJs and 30,000 ‘Mechanics’ cardan shafts.
GKN Driveline
Thanks to the relocation of production of DUJs to the new plant in Welsberg, GKN Driveline will be able to “concentrate entirely” on its role as a competence centre for electro-mobility at its current site in nearby Bruneck and to further develop the ‘ePowertrain’ sector.
In other words, GKN Driveline in Bruneck now focuses on the development and production of components for electric drives and all-wheel-drive transmissions for the automotive sector.
At its new location in Welsberg, Walterscheid Welsberg AG is “dedicated to the development and production of drive-shafts for agricultural and construction machinery”.
