MAHLE strengthens location in St. Michael ob Bleiburg

• MAHLE awards new product for series production to Carinthian location: humidifier for fuel cell vehicles
• Establishment of new automated production lines
• MAHLE invests in comprehensive employee qualification measures, new production lines, and modernization
• Produktion launch in 2029

The MAHLE plant in St. Michael ob Bleiburg will receive a new product for series production. In 2029, production of a humidifier for fuel cell vehicles will launch at the Carinthian facility. Humidifiers are a key component in hydrogen-based fuel cell powertrains. They optimize air regulation and thereby significantly increase efficiency and service life. To prepare the plant for the additional product, comprehensive employee qualification measures will begin in the coming months. Additionally, new automated production lines will be established, and infrastructure and technology in the historic halls will be brought up to state-of-the-art standards. "This is a clear commitment from MAHLE to strengthening the St. Michael location and to ramping up hydrogen technologies for future mobility. With a strong team, cutting-edge manufacturing methods, and strategic partnerships, our plant is setting new benchmarks for sustainable mobility," said Roland Kaimbacher, Head of Simultaneous Engineering at MAHLE in St. Michael.

The decision to choose St. Michael as the production site was based on its comprehensive process expertise, particularly in the areas of welding, adhesive bonding, injection molding, and media technology. "Our team has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to successfully implement new technologies," said Kaimbacher. "That's why we are deliberately investing in the continued development of our employees to build a highly qualified expert team for hydrogen technology and secure valuable know-how for MAHLE."

The heart of the humidifier – the so-called stacker – is also manufactured directly on-site. By layering individual parts on top of one another and bonding them together, a multi-layered component is created that, due to its structure, regulates air humidity and airflow in fuel cell vehicles. This is followed by frame assembly, Seite 2 von 3 leak testing, and pre-assembly and final assembly. All injection-molded parts are produced directly at the facility – for the first time using high-temperature injection molding, a technology for high-performance plastics that are particularly heat?resistant, dimensionally stable, and chemically resistant.

St. Michael ob Bleiburg has been a MAHLE plant since 1999. Currently, approximately 1,300 employees work there. The facility is one of the leading plants within the MAHLE Group in the area of thermal management and filter systems and, with its own apprenticeship academy, is also one of the largest training companies in Lower Carinthia.

Contact persons for MAHLE communications:
Benjamin Haas
Spokesperson
Phone: +49 173 319 7151
E-mail: Contact by email

Kerstin Lau
Head of Media Relations
Phone: +49 173 6180 956
E-mail: Contact by email