Pepperl+Fuchs

Pepperl+Fuchs SE is a German multinational company headquartered in Mannheim, Germany. The company manufactures electronic products for fabrication and process automation. It is specialised in sensor manufacturing, such as sensors used in automatic doors in elevators, encoders, AS interfaces, RFID systems, barcode solutions, and explosion protection, as well as components for the automotive industry, and plant engineering.

In 2022, the company's revenue exceeded €1 billion for the first time.

As of April 2024, the company had approximately 6,850 employees worldwide, with more than 40 foreign subsidiaries on six continents, and manufacturing facilities in Germany, USA, Singapore, Hungary, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

History
Pepperl+Fuchs was founded in 1945 by Walter Pepperl and Ludwig Fuchs in Mannheim. The company initially operated as a workship for repairing radio equipment while simultaneously manufacturing transformers. By 1948, Pepperl+Fuchs had expanded to produce other electronics, leading to the development of the first inductive proximity switch, an electronic device capable of measuring the position of objects and commonly used in packaging and filling systems, in 1958. Alongside this, Pepperl+Fuchs also created the first transistor amplifier with an intrinsically safe control circuit.

Increasing demand for the proximity switch prompted Pepperl+Fuchs to expand its focus into areas such as sensing technology, intrinsic safety, and explosion protection technology, Starting in the 1970s, the company established subsidiaries for production and sales in countries including China, India, Indonesia, Italy, Singapore, Hungary, and the United States. During this period, Pepperl+Fuchs transitioned from a general partnership into a GmbH & Co. KG.

In 1987, the two founders retired from the management team and the legal form of the company was changed to a limited liability entity.

Initially based in Mannheim-Sandhofen, the headquarters of Pepperl+Fuchs moved to Schönau in 1971. In Germany, the company also operates in Neuhausen ob Eck, where all of its rotary encoders are designed and manufactured. In Asia, production occurs in various locations, including Vietnam.

Since 2000, Pepperl+Fuchs has expanded through several acquisitions, increasing its turnover to over 500 million DM. Acquisitions included Visolux from Berlic, Elcon from Milan, and the proximity switches and photoelectric sensors division from Honeywell International. In 2010, Pepperl+Fuchs further expanded by acquiring Siemens' proximity switch business, enhancing its capabilities in ultrasonic sensor technology.

In 2019, Pepperl+Fuchs Comtrol partnered with Callisto Integration, in the manufacturing industry.

In 2019, Pepperl+Fuchs changed its legal structure from Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (GmbH) to Aktiengesellschaft (AG) and again in 2020 to Societas Europea (SE).

In 2023, the company attained IEC 62443-4-1 cybersecurity certification.

As of April 2024, the company had approximately 6,850 employees worldwide, with more than 40 foreign subsidiaries on six continents, and manufacturing facilities in Germany, USA, Singapore, Hungary, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Products
Pepperl+Fuchs manufactures, among other things, contactless sensors, rotary encoders, counters, switching units, converters, fieldbus components and systems, data light barriers, identification systems, safety barriers, and image processing products.

The company categorises its portfolio into industrial sensors and process interfaces for factory and process automation.

Additionally, Pepperl+Fuchs provides system solutions for process automation in potentially explosive atmospheres, developed in Solution Engineering Centres located in Bühl and other locations.

The acquisition of ecom instruments GmbH expanded its portfolio to include explosion-protected products in mobile computing, communication, measurement and calibration technology, and hand lamps.

Pepperl+Fuchs operates a European warehouse in Mannheim and logistics centres in America and Asia, with a Global Distribution Centre established in Singapore.

Divisions
The Factory Automation division is a manufacturer of industrial sensors designed to address specific market needs on a global basis. It makes a range of inductive, capacitive, photoelectric, and ultrasonic sensors as well as identification systems, barcode and camera systems, rotary encoders, position measurement systems, cordsets, and other accessories.

The Process Automation division is a manufacturer of explosion protection products. It makes a range of intrinsic safety barriers, signal conditioners, remote I/O systems, HART interface solutions, surge protection, HMI systems, electrical explosion protection equipment, purge and pressurization systems, power supplies, and level measurement.

Mergers & Acquisitions
In 2010 the company acquired the proximity sensor business of Siemens.

In 2021 Pepperl+Fuchs acquired the Finnish company, Aava Mobile Oy, expanding its reach in the industrial tablet computer and smartphone industry.

Cooperation & Sponsorships
Pepperl+Fuchs is actively involved in the Smart Factory initiative, collaborating with the Technical University of Kaiserslautern and other partners to advance automation and manufacturing technologies.

In May 2024 Pepperl+Fuchs signed a contract agreeing to partner with the Mannheim TECHNOSEUM to set up a student laboratory, centred on STEM programs and sensor technology.