Siemens Envisions a Future of Effortless Machine Vision Integration Through Strategic Partnerships

(IN BRIEF) Siemens has entered into two significant partnerships with leading companies in machine vision and industrial image processing, Basler AG and MVTec Software GmbH. These collaborations aim to simplify the integration of machine vision applications into existing automation technology, providing plug-and-play solutions that combine hardware and software components. Machine vision technology improves production quality control but has historically been complex and costly to integrate. Siemens’ partnerships with Basler and MVTec aim to reduce this complexity, enabling customers to seamlessly incorporate machine vision solutions into their machinery and systems. These collaborations offer standardized interfaces, user-friendly applications, and the potential for AI-driven quality control, revolutionizing industrial automation processes.

(PRESS RELEASE) NUREMBERG, 15-Nov-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Siemens AG (ETR: SIE), a German multinational conglomerate and Europe’s largest industrial manufacturing company, is set to transform the world of industrial image processing and machine vision through two strategic partnerships with industry giants, Basler AG and MVTec Software GmbH. These independent collaborations aim to provide customers with seamless integration of machine vision applications into their existing automation technology, offering plug-and-play solutions that combine hardware and software components.

Machine vision technology is a game-changer in enhancing production quality control, reducing errors, saving time, and lowering operational costs. However, the integration of cameras into automation systems has historically been a complex and costly process, requiring specialized expertise to match compatible components. This has often resulted in isolated, standalone systems. By harnessing Siemens’ expertise in industrial automation and digitalization and teaming up with Basler and MVTec, this complexity is reduced, making it easier for customers to incorporate machine vision solutions into their machinery and systems.

Rainer Brehm, CEO Factory Automation at Siemens, highlighted the significance of these partnerships, saying, “Together with our new partners in the open Siemens Xcelerator ecosystem, we’re integrating machine vision into automation. This helps with many tasks, for example when it comes to difficult quality control or to reduce errors and thus defects in industrial production, or to react to the shortage of skilled workers. In doing so, we are taking an important step towards an adaptable, sustainable production and increasingly autonomous production processes,”

Standardizing Visual Inspection Infrastructure with Basler: Basler AG, a leading provider of advanced computer vision products, has collaborated with Siemens to create a seamless interface that allows the integration of Basler’s hardware portfolio throughout Siemens’ automation systems. This interface eliminates the typical challenges and errors associated with connecting cameras to automation systems. The partnership’s first product, the “Basler Vision Connector” app, simplifies the connection between Basler cameras and Siemens Industrial Edge. The same interface will also be used for an upcoming S7-1500 technology module, enabling direct connections between Basler cameras and the Simatic S7-1500 system for both conventional and AI-based machine vision applications. This standardized infrastructure offers end-to-end solutions to customers, facilitating the use of AI models in industrial environments.

Dr. Dietmar Ley, CEO of Basler AG, emphasized the benefits of this collaboration, stating, “Our collaboration will enable us to offer customers pre-tested application scenarios and aligned product portfolio options to choose from, as well as to develop solutions that can help them significantly reduce their time-to-market.”

End-to-End Anomaly Detection for Visual Inspection with MVTec: MVTec Software GmbH, a leading provider of hardware-independent software for machine vision, is introducing the “Anomaly Detection for Visual Inspection” app to Siemens Industrial Edge. This application empowers customers to use artificial intelligence (AI) for detecting structural and logical defects on objects, thereby enhancing component quality. The app is user-friendly and doesn’t require extensive programming or in-depth machine vision knowledge. By utilizing this app, customers can eliminate the need for third-party standalone solutions.

Dr. Olaf Munkelt, Managing Director of MVTec, highlighted the advantages of the partnership, saying, “By combining the Siemens Industrial Edge Ecosystem and MVTec’s machine vision expertise, customers can easily leverage the power of AI-driven software apps for visual inspection,”

These strategic partnerships represent a significant leap forward in simplifying the integration of machine vision technologies into industrial automation, enabling more efficient and effective quality control processes while reducing complexity and costs for customers.

For more information on Industrial Edge please see:
https://www.siemens.com/industrial-edge
For more information on the TM NPU please see:
https://www.siemens.com/TM-NPU
For more information on Siemens at SPS 2023 please see: https://press.siemens.com/global/de/feature/siemens-sps-nuernberg-2023

Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI’s unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies. Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 72,000 employees internationally.

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, the company creates technology with purpose adding real value for customers. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers its customers to transform their industries and markets, helping them to transform the everyday for billions of people. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a globally leading medical technology provider shaping the future of healthcare. In addition, Siemens holds a minority stake in Siemens Energy, a global leader in the transmission and generation of electrical power.
In fiscal 2022, which ended on September 30, 2022, the Siemens Group generated revenue of €72.0 billion and net income of €4.4 billion. As of September 30, 2022, the company employed around 311,000 people worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.

Media contact:

Laura Egger
Siemens AG
+49 152 58963051
laura.egger@siemens.com

SOURCE: Siemens