Technologies Build Synergies—Pepperl+Fuchs and Kollmorgen Automation AB Help Automated Guided Vehicles Find Their Way

Having great partners by your side is key to sustainable automation solutions. This holds even truer in the era of Industry 4.0, with the new levels of collaboration and teamwork that it requires. When Pepperl+Fuchs launched the R2000 2-D laser scanner (also known as 2-D LiDAR sensors) at the Scanautomatic exhibition in Sweden in 2012, it turned out to be the starting point for a long-lasting and fruitful partnership fully in line with Industry 4.0.

Kollmorgen Automation AB, specialists in the development of controllers and software, approached Pepperl+Fuchs at the trade fair and were immediately drawn to the benefits of this device. “As an expert in vehicle control solutions, we always want to provide the latest vehicle types with state-of-the-art navigation solutions. At that time, we were looking for a partner who was an innovator in the field of sensor technology, and the benefits of the R2000 sounded promising to us,” says Markus Johansson, General Manager at Kollmorgen Automation AB. “So we were very curious to find out what we could achieve together.”

The specific goal was to find a solution that could be the “eyes” for their sophisticated automated guided vehicles. Given this, Kollmorgen quickly made a decision after taking a close look at the advantages of the R2000 laser scanner: extremely precise measurements and short response times, detection of tiny objects from one millimeter and up, and its 360° all-round visibility made it a perfect match for their needs. So they contacted Pepperl+Fuchs again after the trade fair to start a collaboration, and they jointly developed an enhanced version of the laser scanner called LS2000. With the combination of the LS2000 as a navigation sensor and Kollmorgen’s CVC600 vehicle controller, users can now navigate via reflectors, natural objects, or natural navigation with reflectors added where necessary. This integrated solution gives automated guided vehicles everything they need to make fast and precise movements, creating new ways for companies to improve efficiency in material handling and warehousing, with a short payback period.

“We’ve been collaborating for four years now, and we are still proud of the final product solution that Kollmorgen and Pepperl+Fuchs established together,” states Arno Hagemann, Business Development Manager at Pepperl+Fuchs. “There is more to come,” promises Hagemann.

Both parties aspire to strengthen the relationship and are already looking into new technologies in order to stay competitive and grow their market share.