A new 50/50 joint venture has been formed by Lufthansa Technik and Pepperl+Fuchs to develop automation solutions for the aviation sector.
The newly formed 3D.aero will be headquartered in the ZAL TechCenter aviation research center in Hamburg-Finkenwerder, Germany, enabling the company to network with others in the industry.
The joint venture will work on workshop and factory automation solutions, and also offer the application of optical measuring devices, digital inspection and image processing applications and related consulting services.
The startup will have flat hierarchies, with a young team comprising mainly Pepperl+Fuchs employees and graduates of the Institute for Aircraft Production Technology at Hamburg University of Technology. 3D.aero’s work will benefit all Lufthansa Technik’s divisions, as well as other companies.
“We are delighted to have won Pepperl+Fuchs, a leading manufacturer of electronic components and sensors for factory and process automation, as a partner,” said Bernhard Krueger-Sprengel, senior vice president of engine services at Lufthansa Technik.
“This will enable us to keep pursuing our Industry 4.0 strategy and use this know-how for our processes and products.”
Pepperl+Fuchs celebrated the move as part of its expansion strategy. “Thanks to this joint venture, we are now able to apply our long-term expertise in industrial automation in the aviation industry as well,” said Dr Gunther Kegel, CEO of Pepperl+Fuchs.
January 31, 2018
