This year, ifm has won the award “Factory of the year” in the category Excellent Location Safeguarding by Digitalization.

“The appreciation for winning this award is the reward for my team and myself, for the top achievements during the past years.” explains Bernd Hausler, Division Manager Position Sensor Production at ifm group. “The award shows that we are on a good way and up to date, thus the Digital Factory will secure our future success for us and our customers.”

The competition

The competition “Factory of the year” is one of the most prestigious industrial competitions in Europe. The winners of the current benchmark competition are honoured at the Congress of the same name.

More than 2,000 factories have taken part in this benchmark competition since its inception in 1992.

ifm‘s Award

ifm convinced the jury with the concept of the Digital Factory. This project is about comprehensive digitisation of the whole value chain, e.g. by means of data management with big data, “Plug & Produce” production lines and standardised interfaces. The digital factory consists of a comprehensive network made up of different methods, models and tools. Further important approaches of the digital factory are full transparency in the production environment, autonomous and self-organising production units, proactive employee integration and real time interaction with the factory.

At ifm group, the digital factory is already daily common practice with the internal production equipment construction as well as the use of ifm products and solutions like e.g. ifm mate and ifm moneo.

“The concept of the digital factory shows the potential in connecting shop floor and top floor.”, says Bernd Hausler. “This renders our whole ifm range of services experienceable for ourselves and our customers. Especially in current times, it is of highest importance to give our employees and customers an orientation as to how we can grow successfully in security, also in the future".