Schaeffler marks 8 billionth finger follower and 160 millionth HEMI roller tappet
Schaeffler is celebrating 30 years of finger follower production in Homburg with its eight billionth part, and 25 years of HEMI roller tappet output in Hirschaid with 160 million units.
- 8 billion
- 160 million
- 30
- 25
What Happened
Schaeffler is celebrating production anniversaries for two precision engine components at its plants in Homburg and Hirschaid. In Homburg, the eight billionth finger follower rolled off the line in the component's 30th production year. In Hirschaid, the company has produced 160 million roller tappets for the HEMI engine over 25 years. The parts remain relevant as Schaeffler says it continues optimizing components for efficient combustion engines used in hybrid powertrains.
HEMI stands for 'hemispherical' and refers to combustion engines with hemispherical combustion chambers, where the valves in the cylinder head face each other at an angle. Schaeffler says this design ensures optimal fuel flow and particularly efficient combustion. The HEMI roller tappet was developed specifically for engines with selective cylinder deactivation to reduce fuel consumption.
Homburg plant begins producing finger followers for valve trains.
Hirschaid plant begins producing roller tappets for the HEMI engine.
Ingolstadt plant starts supporting HEMI roller tappet production because of increased demand.
Schaeffler announces the production milestones.
“We are proud to have achieved both a production and a product anniversary with these two precision components, with service lives of more than a quarter of a century. My heartfelt thanks go to all employees in Hirschaid and Homburg. Their committed efforts made these milestones possible. They are part of these success stories.”
- Produced at Homburg since 1996.
- Used in conventional combustion engines, hybrid drives and range-extender applications.
- Originated from friction optimization of the traditional bucket tappet.
- Converts the camshaft's rotary motion into an exact, low-loss valve lift.
- Influences fuel consumption and emissions, and extends engine life.
- Enables variable valve lifts and cylinder deactivation with consistent high quality in mass production.
The roller tappet transmits valve lift and compensates valve clearance precisely and play-free, holding it permanently at zero millimeters using oil pressure. It also compensates mechanical wear and thermal expansion. When a cylinder is to be deactivated, the switchable tappet is unlocked within milliseconds by hydraulic pressure, keeping the engine valve closed. In the deactivated state it performs a 'lost motion hub'. Unlike conventional roller tappets, this version uses a hydraulically actuated mechanical locking mechanism controlled by the engine management system.
Hirschaid covers the entire value chain for the HEMI roller tappet, supported by the Schaeffler plants in Homburg, Lahr and Brasov. The component is especially popular in North America, where a comeback of the V8 engine has led to increased customer call-offs. From August 2026, the Schaeffler plant in Ingolstadt will support production because of the higher customer demand.
Why this matters
These milestones show that combustion engines — including hybrids — still depend on precision mass-produced parts even as the industry shifts to software-driven, autonomous and electrified mobility. The HEMI roller tappet helps cut fuel consumption through cylinder deactivation, and stronger North American V8 demand is now affecting Schaeffler's own plants: from August 2026, Ingolstadt joins production to meet customer call-offs. The long-running output a…
Terms in This Story
- Schlepphebel
- German for 'finger follower'; a valve-train component that converts camshaft rotation into valve lift with low friction.
- Rollenstößel
- German for 'roller tappet'; a valve-train component with a roller that transmits valve lift and maintains zero valve clearance.
- HEMI
- Short for 'hemispherical'; a combustion-chamber design in which the top of the cylinder is dome-shaped.
- Lost Motion Hub
- A movement path of a switchable tappet during cylinder deactivation, where the tappet follows the cam but the valve stays closed.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.