「開発魂」その100年

マーレは人々の移動を100年に渡って支え続けてきました。

1920年。狂騒の'20年代の始まりです。チャールズ・リンドバーグが大西洋飛行に成功し、アルバート・アインシュタインがノーベル賞を受賞し、マハトマ・ガンジーが非暴力運動を始め、Deutsche Luft Hansa AGが創業、Nuerburgringがオープン。そして、ドイツ・Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt(シュツットガルト・バートカンシュタット)では、グローバル企業へと育つ種を育て始めようとしていました。ヘルマン・マーレとエルンスト・マーレの兄弟が開発した製品は後に市場を席巻するベストセラーとなり、今日「革新者」として世界に名を馳せる企業の礎となる評価を築いたのです。

現在マーレは従業員約72,000人を擁する世界トップ20の自動車部品サプライヤーとしてその地位を確立し、未来の高効率なモビリティの開拓者としての役割を担っています。マーレは代替駆動の開発及び内燃機関の最適化においても革新的なソリューションを生み出し、世界の新たなスタンダードを創り続けています。

マーレを突き動かすものは何でしょう?それは効率的で、快適な人々の移動を実現したいという思いです。産業界と政治、そして社会との連携を通し、現代の課題に取り組み、その動向に注目していきます。マーレは持続可能なモビリティの創造者です。そして、財団を株主とする企業として、社会的責任を果たしていきます。

今日、そして未来へ。これからの世代、そして次の100年へ。

沿革

1920 年
サクセスストーリーの始まり
ヘルムート・ヒルトがドイツ・シュツットガルトで2ストロークエンジンの開発に成功。営業サポートとしてヘルマン・マーレが1920年12月1日に入社。この日が今日のマーレグループの創業日となっています。
1922年
マーレ兄弟が同じ会社で働く
ヘルマンが勤めた企業は軽合金ピストンの製造を専門とし、それまでの生産実績は4万個、従業員数は200人。技術的な課題に直面した時、ヘルマンの誘いで兄のエルンストがエンジニアとして入社。
1929年
フィルタがピストンの寿命を延ばす
エンジンからの要求が増し、ピストンには高性能化が求められる一方、アスファルト化された路面が少なかった当時は埃塵によるピストンのダメージが深刻化。エルンスト・マーレはエアクリーナとオイルフィルタの開発に着手。
1930年
リングキャリアピストンの誕生
軽合金ピストンに早期から摩耗が発生することは、様々な問題の要因とされながら依然未解決。そのソリューションとして登場したのがエルンスト・マーレが開発したリングキャリアピストン。この技術は現在も幅広く採用されています。
1933年
MAHLEへ改名
1933年、マーレ兄弟は当企業の全株式を取得。1938年には企業の形態をKG(リミテッド・パートナーシップ)に移行し、社名も兄弟の名前にちなんだ「MAHLE」に変更。今もその当時の企業名ロゴデザインを変わらず採用。
1940年
独裁政権。武装。戦争。
生産は「軍需経済下で喫緊となる課題」への対応が中心。従業員数は1944年には外国人や強制労働者を含め6,000人強までに増加。
1945年
終戦後の再構築
MAHLE KGの財産や資産の60%は戦争で損失。エルンスト・マーレはブラジルに移住し、新しいピストン工場を開設。ドイツのマーレではピストンやキャスター付きワゴン、台所用品などの修理を手掛ける。
1964年
社会貢献活動の始まり
マーレ兄弟は企業の財団化を決意。医療と介護、教育と訓練、農業と栄養学などの活動を中心に資金提供を実施。これまでに行なった最大のプロジェクトはドイツ・シュツットガルト近郊の医療機関Filderklinikへの資金援助。
1971年
マーレ兄弟の引退
創業からおよそ50年、マーレ兄弟は引退を決意。在職中に素晴らしい業績を達成:マーレは 6,000人以上の従業員を抱える、売上高4億ドイツマルク超の企業へと発展。
1972年
フィルタ事業の復活
1941年に戦争を理由に生産を中止していたフィルタ事業へ、Knecht Filterwerkeの過半数株式取得を契機に再参入。この頃マーレはシステムプロバイダーとしての地位確立を戦略として打ち出し、フィルタもグループの基幹事業の一つへと成長。
1975年
グローバル化の開始
マーレは世界各地の企業と技術提携を結び、1975年に初の海外自社工場を米国に開設。次いで1978年にブラジルへ進出。
1991年
システムパートナーの道へ
マーレは部品メーカーからシステムやモジュールを手掛ける開発パートナーへと進化。1991年にJ.Wizemann、次いで1994年にPleucoを買収し、ピストン、エンジン部品、フィルタシステムに加えバルブトレインシステムの開発・製造を開始。
1997年
アジアの初生産拠点
1997年にインドで合弁会社を設立。これを皮切りに極東地域への進出が加速。1999年にイズミ工業、2001年にTennexをそれぞれ日本で買収し、マーレは世界最大のフィルタシステムプロバイダーの地位を確立。その後もアジアでのプレゼンス強化を促進。
2000年
業界をリードする企業へ
1990年代はメキシコ、ブラジル、インド、ポーランド、イタリア、韓国、そして日本で新会社の設立や企業買収を加速。その勢いは21世紀突入後も維持。マーレは自動車部品業界でグローバルに活躍するトップ企業の一つとしての地位を確立。
2003年
マーレ初の完全エンジン
マーレは高速回転を実現した直列4気筒エンジンを開発。アルミ材を採用した斬新な構造は、マーレが比類無いエンジン部品・モジュールメーカーであることを印象付ける。
2005年
デモ用ダウンサイジングエンジンの初披露
エンジンメーカーCosworth Technology (現在のMAHLE Powertrain)を買収したその2年後の2007年、マーレのシステム技術を凝縮したダウンサイジングエンジンを発表:排気量を半分に抑えながら出力は(従来の排気量と)同等レベルを維持、そして、CO2排出量は30%低減。
2010 年
MAHLE + Behr = Mehr (ドイツ語で「more」の意味)
エンジン冷却と空調機能の重要性が増す中、Behr が最適なパートナーとして浮上。マーレは同社の株式保有率を徐々に増加。最初の提携プロジェクトとして水冷インタークーラ内蔵のエアインテークモジュールの開発を成功させると、同社の買収による大きな可能性を確信。2013年、従業員17,000人、製造拠点38ヶ所のMAHLE Behrは、ビジネスユニット「サーマルマネージメント事業」を新設。
2013年
新鮮な空気をFCVへ
マーレは燃料電池搭載の量産乗用車向けのサプライヤーとして初めて選定。アジアの大手自動車メーカーにエアインテークモジュールとイオン交換器を供給。以来、燃料電池向け部品・システムに関する技術力を拡大中。
2014 年
生産基盤の更なる強化へ
2014年は生産拠点の建設・開設がピークに。マーレの総生産拠点数は140を超えるまでに拡大。従業員66,000人の約20%がアジアで、そして約30%が南・北米大陸で勤務。
2015 年
「デュアル・ストラテジー」で未来を拓く
内燃エンジンの最適化を追求しつつ、マーレは代替モビリティのコンセプト開発も加速。Letrikaと国産電機の買収でメカトロニクス事業を強化する一方、2017年にはNagares社を買収し自動車エレクトロニクス市場に参入。
2017年
デモ車両「MEET」デビュー
16のテクニカルセンターで6,000人を超える開発エンジニアや技術者が未来のモビリティに向けた革新的ソリューション開発に邁進。「MEET」プロジェクトを通し、マーレは都市型モビリティの一つの形として高効率で電動性、経済性に優れたアイデアを提示。
2019年
電気自動車のスマート給電
マーレの社内スタートアップ企業「chargeBIG」がインテリジェントな給電マネジメントシステムを開発。特に月極駐車場などに最適。既存のインフラを利用できるため、長期工事を不要とし、低コストで実現可能。既に数多くの案件を受注済み。
2020年
新ビジネスユニットの発足
従来のディビジョン「メカトロニクス」、プロフィットセンター「コンプレッサー」、そしてプロフィットセンター「ポンプ」を集約し、新ビジネスユニット「エレクトロニクス&メカトロニクス事業」を発足。従来の内燃機関以外に、ハイブリッド、FCV、EVへの戦略焦点をより一層強化。
1920 年
2020年

マーレの沿革について詳しく知ってみませんか?

MAHLE chronicle

MAHLE Greatest Hits

MAHLE has been shaping mobility for 100 years. In the MAHLE Greatest Hits series, MAHLE’s most acclaimed innovations of the past and present tell their own tales of how they promoted mobility. Then we will also take a glimpse into the future, how upcoming MAHLE innovations will contribute in our quest to shape the future of mobility.

Pistons at MAHLE come also out of 3D printers.

The ring carrier pistion

“I was the key to MAHLE’s success”

“MAHLE’s 100-year success story originates with me! Painstaking research and innovative strength have been permanent fixtures at MAHLE ever since 1920. Pistons were the company’s core business—and I, the patented ring carrier piston, was MAHLE’s first best seller!

My inventor, Ernst Mahle, was a great pioneer. He made sure that I improved the seal in diesel engines and thus reduced the wear and tear they were exposed to. That was the crucial breakthrough that significantly extended the life of an engine. It wasn’t long before I could be found on every road in the world!

Because MAHLE has always driven the mobility of the future, I too have kept on developing. I’ve never been more resilient than I am today. You can find me in vintage cars—and you’ll now also see me coming out of the 3D printers at MAHLE! Its knowledge about me also helps MAHLE to develop new products, such as solutions for alternative drives.”

The battery cooling keeps the temperature of the cell core within the optimal range.

Battery cooling

“I protect batteries for numerous vehicle manufacturers around the globe”

Batteries are one of the keys to the success of e-mobility. But they’re sensitive and need to be kept comfortable at an optimal temperature if they’re to last a long time. That’s why my arrival on the market in 2009 was such great news: I’m the world’s first refrigerant cooling solution for lithium-ion batteries!

My jacket is a cooling plate made of aluminum. There are channels inside me through which the refrigerant evaporates. This keeps the temperature of the cell core within the optimal range. I was installed in a hybrid vehicle first.

Since my world debut, MAHLE has continued to improve my design. These days, I protect batteries for many vehicle manufacturers around the globe. And thanks to immersion cooling, there’s now a new generation of battery systems that allow electric vehicles to be charged much more quickly without causing damage to the cells. With these developments, MAHLE demonstrates its innovative strength in shaping future mobility!

Thanks to TechPRO® Digital ADAS, workshop technicians can calibrate driver assistance systems in just ten minutes.

TechPRO® Digital ADAS

“Thanks to me, workshops can breathe a sigh of relief”

“I’m always on hand during the replacement of a windshield or other parts of a car on which important driving aids are mounted. These days, more and more cars are fitted with radar and cameras. This means that workshops are faced with a big challenge when it comes to resetting driver assistance systems after an accident, for example.

Before MAHLE invented me in 2018, technicians had to position a large, cumbersome panel in front of each car—and there was a different one for every vehicle model. These panels act like opticians, helping to orientate assistance systems so that they can tell up from down and back from front. As a result, calibration used to be a complex process.

When I, TechPRO® Digital ADAS, came on the scene, workshops around the world could finally breathe a sigh of relief! I combined the panels in one digital flat-screen display, which works for almost all manufacturers and models. Thanks to me, workshop technicians can calibrate driver assistance systems in just ten minutes. The number of cars with driver assistance systems will keep on increasing. This means that I’m in high demand—with customers asking for me every day.”

MAHLE MEET is a climate-friendly mobility concept.

MAHLE MEET

“I showcase MAHLE’s innovative strength”

“In the future, a large proportion of the world’s population will live in cities. That means that city cars will be an important element of future mobility. MAHLE has seized this opportunity to develop a mobility concept that is both urban and climate-friendly—me!

My name is MAHLE Efficient Electric Transport, my friends call me MEET. I’m a light, agile vehicle concept with space for two people, and my design integrates MAHLE powertrain and thermal management technologies for e mobility!

From my 48-volt drive unit to my power electronics, efficient heat pump, and surface heaters through to my user interface, I showcase MAHLE’s comprehensive portfolio and innovative strength. I embody MAHLE’s commitment to play an active role in shaping future mobility.”

The intake pipe actuator is first product in the field of mechatronics that MAHLE developed and produced itself.

Intake pipe actuator

“All of MAHLE’s mechatronics activities started with me”

In truth, I am rather plain—nevertheless, I ushered in a new era at MAHLE. MAHLE’s activities in the field of mechatronics started with me, the intake pipe actuator. I’m the first product in this area that MAHLE developed and produced itself.

I make sure that the air column in an engine’s intake section resonates at the right frequency and enters the cylinder smoothly. My housing is lightweight and sturdy, and I work very precisely and quickly: I can open 90 degrees in 200 milliseconds.

Since I went into production in 2005, MAHLE has been steadily advancing in the field of mechatronics. The new Electronics and Mechatronics business unit was created at the start of 2020. This is where MAHLE has pooled all its activities in the segment and is developing the technologies of the future.

The wind tunnel creates temperatures ranging from –30°C to +50°C.

Wind tunnel

“I was a world first”

“When my creator, Manfred Behr, invented me in 1937, people probably didn’t find me outwardly attractive—but when they looked inside, I took their breath away! On the outside, I had the appearance of a modest corrugated iron shed, but inside something completely new was happening: I was a world first—the first wind tunnel anywhere in the automotive industry.

A huge fan with a 2-meter diameter simulated speeds of up to 100 km/h. My success was so groundbreaking that I even optimized the most famous race car of my time.

I’m still around today—and I’ve learned so much since I started out. As MAHLE’s climatic wind tunnel, I’ve been creating temperatures ranging from –30°C to +50°C since the majority acquisition of BEHR (in 2013). I can also simulate the position of the sun at all times of the day and generate speeds of up to 130 km/h, all of which helps MAHLE to develop the mobility of the future.”

Thanks to MAHLE X35, the e-bike is slim, elegant, and sporty.

MAHLE X35

„I gave the bicycle back its identity“

“E-bikes are one of the biggest trends in today’s mobility—there are more and more of them out on the world’s cycle paths and mountain bike trails. But thanks to the way they look, they can almost rob the bicycle of its identity. That’s because large batteries don’t just make e-bikes bulky and heavy, they also change their outward appearance. Then I came along—the MAHLE X35—and gave the bicycle back its identity!

It’s thanks to me that the e-bike is so slim, elegant, and sporty—you would hardly know that I’m a drive system. I offer users an optimum level of support. After all, as I always say, it’s not the maximum but rather the ideal performance that counts!

With my updated MAHLE X35+ compact system, I now weigh just 3.5 kilograms and provide a power output of 250 watts. What’s more, I’m digitally connected too. My app displays the rider’s pulse or how much of my electric power is being used. You’ll find me in models sold by a whole range of well-known international e-bike brands. I’m helping MAHLE play an active role in shaping sustainable mobility!”

The oil filter module is a shining example of the impressive know-how of MAHLE’s filters business segment.

Oil filter module

“I’m a revolution in oil management”

MAHLE’s success story has its origins in pistons and filters. But, in contrast to its pistons business, the company stopped its filter activities in 1941 due to the war. Then, in 1971, MAHLE made its comeback in this product area by taking a significant holding in Knecht Filterwerke.

I am the oil filter module—a shining example of the continued ongoing development work and impressive know-how of MAHLE’s filters business segment! I say that because I’m a revolution in oil management. I have many talents, keeping the engine and the transmission oil in the right temperature range as well as filtering the engine oil, of course. But I’m still lightweight and compact.

I made my debut on the market in 2010 and can be installed in almost any car—even in hybrid vehicles. I demonstrate MAHLE’s innovative strength in the filters business segment!

The onboard charger helps to significantly prolong the life of the battery.

Onboard charger

“I charge electric vehicles quickly anywhere”

For e-mobility to become established on our roads in the long term, it must be possible to charge electric vehicles quickly and in any location. So that this can happen anywhere, MAHLE developed me: the onboard charger.

Thanks to me, electric vehicles can be charged at any power outlet. That’s because I turn alternating current into direct current and manage the charging process. By doing this, I help to significantly prolong the life of the battery. Because I’m robust and have a clever cooling system, I also facilitate short charging times at higher capacities.

I still have a lot more to offer—and MAHLE, an active driving force behind future mobility, is set to unlock this potential. For example, I will be able to help electric cars not only consume energy but also become electricity suppliers using a smart battery.

The air intake module was the first project that MAHLE and BEHR worked on together.

Air intake module with integrated charge air cooling

“I’m the innovative result of outstanding teamwork!”

Together, MAHLE and BEHR are greater than the sum of their parts! I was the first to prove the truth of this maxim. In 2011, I was the first project that MAHLE and BEHR worked on together: the air intake module with integrated indirect charge air cooling.

What’s special about me is that my charge air cooler—produced by BEHR—is integrated directly in the intake pipe—produced by MAHLE. This means that not only do I reduce pressure loss, and therefore boost efficiency, but I also create more installation space and increase cooling capacity.

I’m a major success story! Because I represent an important step forward in the development of modern combustion engines, I’m now the market leader and installed in vehicles around the world. And, thanks to the combined expertise of MAHLE and BEHR, I’m the innovative result of outstanding teamwork!

The high-voltage motor is a sustainable drive concept that is ideal for electric vehicles.

The magnet-free high-voltage motor

“I don’t need any rare earth elements, so I’m very sustainable”

Electric vehicles will be an important part of future mobility. Because they need to be sustainable, suitable for everyday use, and cost-effective, MAHLE developed a drive concept that’s ideal for a wide range of electric vehicle types—me!

I’m the magnet-free high-voltage motor, and I can be used in anything from subcompacts through commercial vehicles. I’m particularly noted for the fact that I get along fine without magnets. That makes me more sustainable, because I don’t need any rare earth elements. What’s more, the way I operate means that electrical current is transmitted with no wear, and I’m also efficient in the partial-load range.

I plan to go into series production very soon, and I’ll be produced by our newly established Electronics and Mechatronics business unit. I’m helping MAHLE play an active role in shaping sustainable e-mobility!

The humidifier receives funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).

Flat membrane humidifier for fuel cell vehicles

“I’m an example of MAHLE’s great innovative strength”

Supplying air to a fuel cell is extremely challenging. That’s because, unlike in a combustion engine, the air also needs to be humid so that the system works smoothly and efficiently. My role as the flat membrane humidifier is to ensure that the moisture content in the air is just right—protecting the fuel cell against damage!

I’m an example of MAHLE’s great innovative strength. I’m compact and robustly built, and I always keep the supply air at the optimum humidity level. I’m so innovative that I even receive funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi)!

MAHLE has been working on my development since 2017, with everything coming together in the fuel cell project house, and I’m set to go into series production in 2023. I’m helping MAHLE play an active role in shaping a key powertrain of the future!

The valve train helps engines to reduce their pollutant emissions.

Valve train system

“I am the lungs of the engine”

“If you were to think about the components in an engine as organs, then I’d be its lungs. That’s because I make sure that the engine breathes in the right amount of fresh air for the combustion process at the right time and breathes the burned air back out again.

I’m the valve train, and I’ve been a key part of the MAHLE portfolio since the acquisition of Wizemann (in 1991) and Pleuco (in 1994). When I joined the company, MAHLE greatly expanded its wide-ranging knowledge base covering all aspects of the engine—and the team has kept on developing me.

I’m very flexible nowadays, and my perfect timing allows me to help engines reduce their pollutant emissions, consume less fuel, and yet still deliver a higher performance.”

The E-compressor is the beating heart of the air conditioning and refrigerant circuit.

創業者であるヘルマン・マーレとエルンスト・マーレは創業当時から、起業家としての長期的理念と社会的関与とを関連づけることの重要性について説いてきました。

マーレグループの配当金は、マーレ財団を通じて様々な社会貢献活動の支援に使われています。また、マーレ自身も積極的な社会的関与を目指すイニシアチブに数多く参加しています。地域に根ざす「友好的な隣人」として、公益に対し責任ある行動をとる事は、マーレの風土に不可欠な特徴となっています。