The South German industrial camera manufacturer IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH was able to far exceed industry expectations in the first half of 2023. Instead of the 13 percent increase in turnover forecast by the VDMA for the machine vision industry, the company generated over 40 million euros, which corresponds to a 49 percent increase in turnover compared to the same period last year.
In view of the current gloom in the market, the Obersulm-based camera manufacturer expects a slowdown in the second half of the year and anticipates overall growth of between 15 and 20 per cent year-on-year by the end of 2023. “Our order books are well filled and are being worked through at record levels after the pandemic-related bottlenecks,” explains IDS Managing Director Alexander Lewinsky. “We have learned from the supply chain challenges of the past years, optimised 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 per cent higher than planned.”
The success is based primarily on three pillars. “Firstly, we are observing a 3D segment that continues to grow strongly”, explains IDS Managing Partner Jan Hartmann. “We are seeing a significant increase in demand for high-performance, low-cost models for large-volume applications.” The German company 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 optimisation and thus cost reduction is artificial intelligence (AI). “Digitalisation and AI, paired with image processing, are key components for automation and robotics, which are advancing in huge dimensions,” Jan Hartmann explains 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.”
Managing Partner Jan Hartmann is certain: “Image processing, especially in interaction with AI, is an enabler technology for digital transformation and thus of great importance for the future. User-friendliness and simple integration are key issues here.”
To this end, IDS is expanding its AI vision commitment, taking advantage of the market calm for strategic projects and thus setting the course for a successful second half of the financial year.
