Schaeffler launches repair solution with pulley decoupler from the INA brand

As the only supplier in the independent aftermarket, Schaeffler is now offering for the first time a repair solution with pulley decoupler for the auxiliary drive. This INA repair solution will initially be offered for BMW vehicles with 1.5-liter and 3-cylinder gasoline engines (like the BMW 3 Series) and should also be available for certain vehicles from Opel and Volvo by the end of the year.

For additional vibration damping in the auxiliary drive, Schaeffler’s pulley decoupler, which has been in OE mass production since 2013, is now available for the first time as a component of its INA FEAD KITs. “With this, we are the first company on the market to offer garages a suitable repair solution,” says Christian Kos, Head of Engine & Chassis, Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket. “The launch of the pulley decoupler represents a logical further development in our product portfolio for servicing the ever-more complex auxiliary drive.”

The auxiliary drive long ago developed from a simple belt drive into a complex system. Increasing demands for comfort – like air conditioning, power-assisted steering, or start-stop systems – and vehicle trends like hybridization or downsizing have led to a much higher load on all components of the accessory drive. For instance, fewer cylinders, when running at low engine speeds with smaller displacement, cause much higher rotational irregularities and vibrations. The pulley decoupler, with arc springs and integrated torsion vibration damper, not only reduces vibrations and rotational irregularities in the auxiliary drive, it also helps – due to lower frictional losses – to dramatically reduce fuel consumption by up to two percent and CO2 emissions.

The INA FEAD KIT portfolio, with over 200 different repair solutions, has all the components necessary for professional servicing of the complete auxiliary drive system. Every KIT contains poly V-belts, guide and tensioner pulleys, along with all accessory parts required for installation. Depending on vehicle type and use, the KIT can also contain an overrunning alternator pulley (OAP), a torsion vibration damper (TVD), a pulley decoupler or a water pump.