Stainless steel tubes from Schoeller are used in the automotive industry wherever safety-critical applications and high demands for process stability and series quality converge. They perform central functions in performance- and pressure-critical vehicle components and have been an established part of automotive series production for many years.
After the debut spotlight on the power plant industry at the beginning of the year, this Industry Spotlight focuses on the automotive sector – a key industry with high requirements for series quality, process stability, and delivery reliability. Within this environment, over the past five years, more than 100 million meters of piping have been delivered, including over 10 million rails and around 200 million injector tubes. These figures represent industrial scalability, reproducible quality, and the reliable implementation of complex applications.
Stainless Steel Tubes in the Automotive Sector – Applications and Requirements
Our products are used in vehicles wherever stainless steel tubes must withstand extreme conditions over the long term. They are utilized in almost all applications requiring metallic tube solutions, where alternative materials such as plastic or aluminum reach their technical limits.
A key area of application is fuel systems, including:
- Fuel filler tubes between the fuel cap and the fuel tank
- Low-pressure lines between the tank and the fuel pump
- High-pressure lines between the pump and the rail
- Rails as central components in the high-pressure system
- Injector tubes and glow plug tubes in the engine compartment
Additionally, Schoeller’s welded and drawn stainless steel tubes are used in cooling water systems, as well as in functional vehicle components like headrests, armrests, or specialized applications in sports cars, such as rear spoiler components.
Technical Added Value in Series Production
Stainless steel has proven its reliability in the automotive industry, especially in areas where components must maintain dependability under high thermal, mechanical, and dynamic stress. These tube solutions enable safe use in the engine and exhaust environments, stable pressure control even during dynamic load changes, and reproducible formability through process-reliable heat treatment. The material’s inherent corrosion resistance ensures long-term functionality without additional coatings and with high process reliability in series production.
Schoeller has been a reliable solutions provider for the highest demands for nearly 200 years – and remains a trusted partner in the automotive industry, relied upon by OEMs and suppliers worldwide.