Eaton accelerates manufacturing innovation with a smart factory in Austria

Eaton’s team in Schrems completed a comprehensive smart factory assessment focusing on productivity, quality, and a digital mindset. The plant now has a broad array of integrated Industry 4.0 capabilities, including real-time asset monitoring, autonomous in-line quality checks, computer vision and machine learning, smart material movement, predictive maintenance, advanced energy management, and more.

“I’m delighted our Schrems, Austria, plant has reached smart factory status”, comments Markus Rametsteiner, plant manager, Schrems, Eaton. “We’ve implemented the advanced technologies needed to create smart manufacturing environments—harnessing the power of data, connectivity and intelligence to heighten our productivity, quality and efficiency. By thinking about tomorrow today, we’ve made Schrems a true factory of the future that can keep pace with the relentless market demand driven by global megatrends like energy transition, electrification, and digitalization.”

Employing more than 700 people and boasting highly automated manufacturing capabilities, in-house engineering expertise, and comprehensive on-site training facilities, the Schrems site produces crucial electrical components for the safe transition to a sustainable future. 

“This certification is a major achievement by our Schrems team and demonstrates our tremendous commitment to digital transformation across our manufacturing footprint,” adds Tim Darkes, president, Corporate and Electrical Sector, EMEA, Eaton. “As we continue to build on the powerful smart factory capabilities, accelerating operational excellence in Schrems, and adding significant value for our customers, we’ll also share learnings and best practices across our wider business, ensuring that our whole organization can keep evolving in the right direction at an ever-faster pace”.

Schrems was also recently named an Eaton Model Plant for the fifth time and the fourth consecutive year. Out of more than 200 Eaton plants worldwide, only 15 sites received this award for operational excellence in 2023, based on rigorous performance targets.

Schrems joins Juarez, Mexico, and Changzhou, China, as the company’s two other Eaton smart factories. Two additional plants are also expected to become smart factories by the end of 2024. Learn more about Industry 4.0 at Eaton here.

Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. We make products for the data center, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers manage power ─ today and well into the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we’re accelerating the planet’s transition to renewable energy sources, helping to solve the world’s most urgent power management challenges, and building a more sustainable society for people today and generations to come. 

Eaton was founded in 1911 and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange for more than a century. We reported revenues of $23.2 billion in 2023 and serve customers in more than 160 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

Contact (for journalist enquiries)
Nathalie Lapoirie, +41 78 727 89 66, nathalielapoirie@eaton.com