From 8 to 12 September, we have welcomed partners, customers and industry professionals at Automechanika Frankfurt 2026. It was a week of intensive meetings and open conversations, and of two important announcements: VANATEC™, The New Benchmark in Timing Chain Technology, and our new Engine Parts product line.
Automechanika Frankfurt is the world’s leading trade fair for the automotive aftermarket, and once again HEPU® took its place among the market leaders. For us, the fair is more than a showcase. It is where we meet the partners we work with every day, hear what the market needs and show where we are heading.
The results of the week speak for themselves:
Behind each of these numbers are real conversations with distributors, wholesalers and workshops from across Europe and beyond. We discussed availability, portfolio development, technical support and the next steps of our cooperation.
The highlight of the week was the presentation of VANATEC™, HEPU®’s own technology for hardening timing chain pins with vanadium diffusion.
The chain pin is the most heavily loaded point of the chain drive, and its wear is the main cause of chain elongation. VANATEC™ targets exactly this point. In 800-hour testing, chains with VANATEC™ pins showed 0.136% elongation, compared with 0.269% for pins treated with standard carbonitriding. That is roughly twice the wear resistance.
This result is reflected in our warranty. HEPU® timing kits featuring the VANATEC™ chain are covered by an extended warranty of 6 years or 120,000 km.
VANATEC™ will soon be available in selected HEPU® timing chain kits.
Frankfurt was also the place where we introduced our partners to a brand-new HEPU® product line: Engine Parts.
For decades, HEPU® has built its expertise around two systems: cooling and timing. Engine Parts takes this system thinking further, into the structural, sealing and ventilation components that enclose and protect the engine. The planned range covers:
Each part is designed for OE-correct fit, mapped to the exact engine and built to stay stable under heat, oil vapour and vibration.
For our partners, the new line is a natural extension of repairs already in demand: timing covers alongside timing kits, oil sumps alongside oil pumps, cylinder head covers and breather hoses alongside cooling and ventilation service. More of the job, from one manufacturer.
HEPU® Engine Parts will be available from October in the HEPU® catalogue and via TecDoc.
