May 3 2016
Based on its recent analysis of the vision sensors industry, Frost & Sullivan recognizes ifm efector, inc., (ifm) with the 2015 Global Frost & Sullivan Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award. Supported by its in-house customer service facility, operational excellence, and highly efficient sales and engineering team, ifm has successfully rolled out superior vision sensor products and accompanying services that strongly underscore its entrepreneurial excellence in the global vision sensors market.
ifm efector receives the 2015 Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award.
ifm's futuristic technology sensors have found wide application across diverse industry verticals, including automotive, machinery building, and food and beverage, cementing its position in the vision sensors industry. Its extensive range of vision sensors, comprising efector dualis inspection sensors or contour sensors, efector dualis pixel counters, and 3D image sensors, showcases its unmatched capabilities in error-proofing and inspection applications in manufacturing.
"ifm has developed vision sensors that not only feature complementary metal-oxide-based semiconductors, but are also pre-loaded with best-in-class algorithms. These algorithms aid the flawless functioning of frequently used error-proofing applications, without requiring their integration with expensive vision systems," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Dr. Rajender Thusu. "Consequently, the contour sensors promptly detect the predefined shape of an object, compare it with similar shapes, and enable perfect replication."
While contour sensors and pixel counters can inspect the size, shape, and area occupancy of an object from a 2D standpoint, there is intensifying demand for 3D dimensioning systems for 100 percent dimensional accuracy, without any color and light interferences. This has prompted ifm to introduce the O3D Smart Sensors in its line of visual sensors. These smart sensors are standalone devices in the 3D sensors market, as they have the flexibility to configure as per the case sizes, have a set-up time of less than two minutes, offer automatic switching between recipes, and ensure availability of both digital and Ethernet outputs.
ifm focuses on simplifying the high-end technologies incorporated in its products to facilitate greater ease of use, as well as ease of integration or replacement of these sensors. To simplify the installation process of its sensors, the company launched an 'On-site Application Support' initiative, wherein its sales engineers visit customer locations for the seamless installation of its sensors. Furthermore, owing to a widening customer base (currently 115,000 customers), the company has expanded its local support network to more than 70 nations globally.
Significantly, ifm functions as a one-stop shop for customers with its proprietary industrial network products (controllers, gateways, modules, wiring accessories), carrier and product identification systems (transponders, radio frequency identification (RFID) read/write head, multicode readers for 1D and 2D codes), and machine health monitoring systems for real-time maintenance.
"ifm's 2D and 3D vision sensors boast high-quality hardware, robust performance, and unmatched accuracy in error-proofing and product inspection, at highly competitive prices," noted Dr. Thusu. "While competing solutions cause customers to incur additional expenditure to ensure seamless interoperability of the sensors with their applications, ifm achieves this by offering its high-performance products at fixed prices."
Additionally, ifm's products meet the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2008 quality certification standard, which confirms that its sensors are devoid of any material or structural defects. For its overall leadership in the vision sensors industry, Frost & Sullivan is pleased to present ifm with the 2015 Global Frost & Sullivan Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated excellence in devising a strong growth strategy and robustly implementing it. The recipient has shown strength in terms of innovation in products and technologies, leadership in customer value, as well as speed in response to market needs. In short, the award looks at the emerging market players in the industry and recognizes their best practices that are positioned for future growth excellence.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.