The example of the autonomous walking robot that the Swiss branch of Zollner Elektronik AG is mass-producing for the Zurich-based company Anybotics AG shows that an EMS manufacturer can do more than just assemblies. The robot is used in the maintenance of energy systems, for example.
Anybotics AG is a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, founded in 2016. The basic principles that are essential for an autonomous walking robot have been developed there since 2009. The spin-off then developed them into a platform concept.
Similar to humans, the walking robots can also move independently in rough terrain. This enables them to monitor industrial plants and infrastructures in environments that pose a burden or even a danger to humans. These include facilities in the chemical process industry, offshore platforms and underground mining facilities. Many of these systems have a service life of well over ten years in continuous operation, meaning that a shutdown due to a fault would result in very high costs.
The Anymal basic device includes the functions of walking, orientation in space, communication and basic sensor technology. Specific add-ons can be mounted on it, such as thermal cameras for detecting hotspots, laser scanners for measuring the surroundings with millimeter precision or, in future, a manipulator arm for operating valves or opening doors.
Zollner Electronics GmbH in Hombrechtikon is taking over series production so that the Zurich-based company can concentrate on marketing and product development of the autonomous walking robots.
During production, it has already become clear that the modular concept of the robot can also be used to achieve bundling in procurement and production, as the basic device is the same in all cases and variants are only created in the final step.
This is where the manufacturing partner comes into its own: Through the parent company, it has access to powerful resources in the areas of supply chain, development, industrialization of high-quality mechatronic systems and testing. In view of the complexity of an Anymal system, which consists of more than 400 individual components and many software elements, a great deal of implicit knowledge needs to be transferred from development to production. This is why the close proximity of the two companies based in Switzerland pays off: A lively exchange and short feedback loops are possible.
In addition, the lean manufacturing processes and traceability infrastructures implemented at Zollner Electronics GmbH enable cost-effective production right from the start, even taking into account variants and the traceability of function-critical components. If it is necessary to replace such a component prematurely, traceability makes it easy to identify and manage this in a targeted and cost-saving manner.
Martin Bühlmann, COO of Anybotics, is delighted to have the Swiss branch of Zollner Elektronik AG at his side as a production partner: "The experience we have already gained in the initial stages of the collaboration confirms our decision to work with this production partner. We experience the benefits of geographical proximity in combination with the resources from the parent company on an almost daily basis. We are convinced that the scalability of Zollner's production will be mastered even as volumes grow."
For Walter Pfeiffer, Managing Director of Zollner Electronics GmbH, the two companies complement each other perfectly: "As we are also investing heavily in automation and digitalization within the Zollner Group, we see a large growth market for Anybotics' products."
Zollner, a family-owned company based in Zandt (Bavarian Forest), is considered Europe's market leader in the field of electronics manufacturing services. Founded in 1965, it has developed organically into a global player with over 11,500 employees and 20 locations worldwide. Zollner Elektronik AG offers system solutions that cover the entire product life cycle. Thanks to its experience in the field of development and industrialization, the company is able to manufacture tailor-made marketable products beyond the actual EMS service.
www.anybotics.com
www.zoll ner.de
