Variable oil pumps from SHW adjust the flow rate to the oil requirements for the respective engine speed and temperature range of the engine. They do this either by moving the pump wheels towards each other axially or, in the case of a vane pump, by adjusting the adjustment ring in the pump housing. If the engine needs less oil, the flow rate of the pump reduces accordingly. This makes them different to fixed displacement oil pumps.

SHW develops and produces various models of variable oil pumps, such as regulated pumps, the external gear pumps or vane pumps. In this way they address the requirements of the various types of engine. In addition, oil pumps can be combined with vacuum pumps and/or balancer shafts.

A map-controlled oil pump is a special form of a variable oil pump that possesses an electromagnetic control valve. The map stores the target pressure values that the pump should attain. These values are based on the operating parameters of the combustion engine. At the same time, the map-controlled pump is networked to the engine control unit on-board the vehicle. In this way it can set the engine oil pressure to the required setting regardless of its current operating condition. The oil flow is regulated by the electromagnetic control valve.

The automobile industry is pursuing the goal of reducing vehicle fuel consumption. This is related to legal requirements to avoid air pollution and reduce CO2 emissions. Leverage for improvement can be found in further optimisation of the transmission and electrifying the powertrain.

With regard to automated manual transmissions, dual-clutch and fully automatic transmissions, the trend is clearly towards auxiliary electric transmission oil pumps. These offer substantial savings due to their start-stop function and coasting concepts. For the first generation of these pumps, the engine only stopped when the vehicle stopped moving. In extended start-stop systems, the engine is also cut out while the car rolls to a stop, such as before a red light. The start-stop coasting function turns the engine off as soon as the foot is taken off the gas pedal. Combined with sat-nav systems, further fuel savings are possible when, for example, the engine is automatically turned off upon entering an urban area. This prolongs the time the engine is turned off and lowers fuel consumption.

Electrically driven pumps are used in the electrified powertrains found in plug-in hybrids (PHEV) or purely electric powertrains (BEV). Depending on the powertrain concept, they are used to change gear and lubricate the transmission as well as to cool and lubricate electric traction motors. SHW has the right e-pumps in its programme for all of these applications. E-pumps comprise a hydraulic component (the pump itself), an electric motor and a control unit with software. The scope of the control unit depends on the specific application, e.g. whether sensors are needed or not, and the degree of integration in higher-level on-board controls, such as the transmission control unit.

The subsidiary, Lust Hybrid-Technik GmbH brings to the Group its expertise in semiconductors and complements the many years of expertise of SHW in developing and assembling integrated e-pumps. As a result, SHW occupies a strong position in the market for electromobility.

Automatic transmissions have already enjoyed particularly rapid growth for many years. Transmission oil pumps for automatic transmissions are generally powered by the combustion engine. They provide sufficient oil for gear changing and starting elements, to lubricate the gear wheels and to cool the transmission.

Either as internal  gear pumps, external gear pumps or as two-stroke vane pumps, SHW has transmission oil pumps in its portfolio for automatic transmissions, dual-clutch, CVT and hybrid transmissions. SHW transmission oil pumps display very high efficiency.    

SHW was the first company worldwide to develop a variable engine oil pump and vacuum pump as one assembly and place this in the sump of the engine to save space.

Modern vehicles with hydraulic braking systems are equipped with brake boosters. Brake boosters reduce the effort required by the driver to push the brake pedal. This effect is generated by a vacuum in the brake booster. In gasoline engines without direct fuel injection the required vacuum is generated by the engine directly. Due to their design, engines with direct fuel injection cannot create the necessary vacuum. In these cases a vacuum pump is used.

The oil/vacuum pumps from SHW feature high suction and low driving torque. They can be integrated in the engine individually.
Engines with a small number of cylinders can be made to run more smoothly by integrating the balancer shaft in the tandem pump.

In addition to sintered parts for camshaft phasers, SHW also produces entire camshaft phaser assemblies. The camshaft is a component of the valve assembly of an engine. Its task is to open and close the valves at the right time and at the right sequence to control the gas exchange. In addition, camshaft phasers can determine the point in time when the intake or exhaust valves are opened and closed to therefore adjust them to the load currently experienced by the engine. This improves the performance and torque of the engine, saving fuel in the process.

Camshaft phasers are very common in gasoline engines. They can also improve the performance and torque curves of diesel engines as well, leading to further fuel savings. However, the timing must be adjusted more rapidly for diesel engines to obtain better fuel consumption and improved performance.