Robotics part of mid-year success for IDS Imaging

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IDS Imaging Development Systems, a leading industrial camera manufacturer, far exceeded industry expectations in the first half of 2023. Instead of the 13% increase in turnover forecast by the VDMA for the machine vision industry, the company generated over 40 million euros, which corresponds to a 49% increase in turnover compared to the same period last year.

“Our order books are well filled and are being worked through at record levels after the pandemic-related bottlenecks,” said IDS managing director Alexander Lewinsky. “We have learned from the supply chain challenges of the past years, optimized production as well as adjusted our supply chains. This makes us a reliable partner for our customers. This is being rewarded by the market, with incoming orders currently 10% higher than planned.”

Robotics partly responsible for success

IDS said the success is based primarily on three pillars. “Firstly, we are observing a 3D segment that continues to grow strongly,” said IDS managing partner Jan Hartmann. “We are seeing a significant increase in demand for high-performance, low-cost models for large-volume applications.”

IDS also sees growth potential in the 2D segment. Cameras with high data rates as well as faster and larger sensors are increasingly in demand, and the new low-cost series also contribute significantly to incoming orders. One of the top topics in the industry in terms of process optimization and thus cost reduction is artificial intelligence (AI). “Digitalization and AI, paired with image processing, are key components for automation and robotics, which are advancing in huge dimensions.”

Hartmann explained the third pillar of the company’s success. “Image processing in combination with AI opens up new fields of application that we urgently need in order to meet global challenges such as a shortage of skilled workers or global warming. Resource-saving applications will inevitably become more and more important. Vision systems can make a decisive contribution here.”

In view of the current gloom in the market, the South German camera manufacturer expects a slowdown in the second half of the year and anticipates overall growth of between 15-20% year-on-year by the end of 2023.

IDS Imaging will be showcasing in booth 316 its cameras for robotics applications at RoboBusiness 2023 (Oct. 18-19 in Santa Clara, Calif.) the leading event for commercial robotics development. There will be 60-plus speakers, 100-plus exhibitors and demos on the expo floor, 10-plus hours of dedicated networking opportunities, the Pitchfire Robotics Startup Competition and more. You can check out the current list of speakers, to which more will be added.

RoboBusiness will be co-located with the Field Robotics Engineering Forum, an event focused on how to successfully develop robots that operate in wide-ranging, outdoor, dynamic environments. Also co-located with RoboBusiness is DeviceTalks West, the premier industry event for medical technology professionals, currently in its ninth year.