Eberspaecher breaks ground for new PTC ceramics plant

The Eberspaecher Group today had the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction work on the new development building and production plant of Eberspaecher catem Hermsdorf GmbH & Co. KG. The products from Thuringia act as the core technology for heating comfort in electric and hybrid vehicles worldwide.

The ceramics are key components of electrical heaters used e.g. in electric and hybrid vehicles. “We are deliberately investing in the mobility of tomorrow. Heating comfort in the latest vehicles based on expertise from Thuringia,” said Dr. Joerg Schernikau, COO Climate Control Systems.

PTC ceramics for high-voltage vehicle heaters.

Global supplies
The ceramics are manufactured in comprehensive production steps ranging from raw material to granulates, sintered products and all the way to the printed and separated plates. From Hermsdorf, the PTC ceramics are delivered to Eberspaecher plants in the Suedpfalz region in Germany, as well as in Poland and China. There, they are installed as central components in air and water heaters for automotive applications. Eberspaecher then supplies the finished low-voltage and high-voltage electrical heaters to production lines at virtually every global automobile manufacturer.

New jobs and expansion potential
Since the July 2016 takeover by Eberspaecher of the production plant of Paul Rauschert Steinbach GmbH in Hermsdorf, approximately 80 employees are active at the site. They plan to put the new plant into operation in November 2018.

In view of the anticipated growth of forward-looking technology, the company plans up to 150 further jobs, especially in production-related areas of the ceramic industry as well as in the fields of mechatronics and material sciences. The site offers sufficient space for future expansion.

Eberspaecher catem Hermsdorf GmbH & Co. KG is a subsidiary of the Eberspaecher Group. Since 2010, the Eberspaecher product portfolio includes high-voltage PTC heaters. More than 800,000 hybrid and electric vehicles already use this technology from the world market leader. The high-performance PTC elements (Positive Temperature Coefficient) deliver a high heat output from low surface temperatures of the heating elements. They are also extremely reliable and inherently safe