Innovative Solutions Across Industry: A Conversation with PT ifm electronic Indonesia

Ching Fum Ywee, President Director

1. ifm Indonesia recently had an opening ceremony in August 2023. How does ifm electronics navigate challenges related to different regulations and standards in various regions?

ifm electronic has been gradually establishing sales and technical subsidiaries since 1970. Today, ifm’s customers are supported by independent sales companies or trade partners in more than 165 countries. In Asia, ifm set up its own sales office in Japan in the early 1970s.

This move would be seen as an ambitious step for a European-based sensor company, considering the untapped market and the different and new regulations and standards there. One of the key success factors in handling this challenge is to have a team consisting of ifm’s senior and experienced management members, along with locally recruited managers and staff.

Each team member plays a crucial role in understanding the local regulations and standards while crosschecking with ifm’s internal guidelines and best practices. Additionally, they base their decisions on ifm’s philosophy. Another important aspect is engaging an international consulting company with a strong establishment in local countries, which offers legal advice and consultation to ifm.

ifm Indonesia team

2. ifm electronic specializes in developing innovative Industry 4.0 solutions. How does the company cater to the needs of the industry? What are the product focus and innovative solutions?

The goal of ifm is to make our customers more successful with state-of-the-art technology. We strive to make innovative technologies available to all our customers, which we call ‘Technology for Everyone’. Our product development focuses on smart design, excellent user-friendliness, sustainability, and the highest quality, all at an excellent price/performance ratio.

With 50 years of experience in industrial manufacturing digitalization, ifm stands out as a specialist in automation technology. We provide concrete and step-by-step support to our customers, offering scalable and simple solutions. ifm caters to companies of all sizes and industries, providing products, services, and software that cover the entire journey from sensor parameter setting to the

smart factory. Our commitment includes making production processes transparent by enhancing plant efficiency, avoiding standstills, and optimizing processes.

To facilitate the implementation of Industry 4.0, ifm has introduced ‘The IIoT-Toolkit’. This toolkit enables a continuous flow of information from the shop floor (machine infrastructure) to the top floor (IT infrastructure). It empowers our customers to access data related to machine states, required maintenance, productivity enhancement opportunities, energy-saving options, and much more.

Another innovation from ifm is the Moneo software, serving as an IIoT platform for industry and production. Moneo seamlessly integrates operational technology with information technology. The sensor data generated in production plants can be easily read and processed, serving as a foundation for sustainable corporate decisions. Moneo offers a modular structure, including a basic software package and applications such as condition monitoring and IO-Link sensor parameter setting. This flexibility allows us to tailor-make software solutions to meet individual requirements.

3. How does the company adapt its products and strategies for different sectors?

ifm is an automation company that provides solutions for various industries, including food & beverage, automotive, mobile machines, water, port & ship automation, mining, and steel. Each industry requires tailored solutions, specific applications, and expertise related to its processes and systems. For instance: In the food & beverage industry, ifm offers products with hygienic housing design, high ingress resistance (up to protection class IP68 and IP69K), as well as high-temperature resistance. These products are also protected against aggressive agents used in high-pressure cleaning.

In the automotive industry, ifm delivers innovative technology for automating and digitalizing plants and processes. This includes sensors to monitor process media, safety sensors for machine and personnel protection, and vision sensors for position detection and identifying product defects.

Jhon Afri Cryman, National Sales Manager

The key focus for ifm remains on understanding customers’ pain points and helping them achieve their key performance indicators (KPIs), minimize downtime, and reduce waste in their processes.

4. Services and products from ifm help to protect the environment worldwide and reduce CO2 emissions, how is this reflected in the company›s business practices and product development?

ifm contributes to improving the living and working conditions of our customers. Our products, services, and software not only protect the environment worldwide but also help reduce CO2 emissions, energy consumption, and material usage. In our business practices, ifm has been externally certified and validated according to EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) since 2020.

EMAS is based on the European Eco Audit Regulation EC No. 1221/2009 and encompasses all the requirements of international standards ISO14001, going even beyond them in certain areas. For instance, EMAS provides the advantage of legal certainty through verification by environmental auditors. EMAS-certified organizations are also obligated to publish an environmental statement with specified minimum content, including a description of their environmental activities and ecological performance indicators.

In terms of product development, ifm has created various products such as pressure, flow, and temperature sensors. These sensors find applications in compressed air monitoring systems, leakage detection systems, and energy management systems. Additionally, ifm has developed IO-Link technology, which simplifies wiring systems, and the Moneo software, designed for easy monitoring. These hardware and software innovations empower our customers to streamline their management processes.

5. Any recent successful projects or partnerships that highlight the company’s innovative solutions for B2B in automation that you would like to share with us?

ifm has many success stories from projects with global companies. One of the success stories that we also share on the ifm website is the sustainable plant transformation at Danone. ifm collaborated with Danone and Boccard to address the challenge of replacing milk used in the production process with plant-based alternatives, aiming for a more sustainable plant.

ifm’s involvement from the early stages of setting up the new plant ensures maximum proximity to the plant manufacturer and the end customer. This enables seamless cooperation and innovative solutions. The new plant was set up simultaneously with the dismantling of the old one, taking into account the complete integration of the mechanical, electrical, and automation areas. This reflects the urgency and commitment to this sustainable transition. Discover how the integration of IO-Link technology, pressure, and temperature sensors, along with AS-i safety systems, streamlined the

entire process.

Management Team, PT ifm electronic Indonesia

As a new feature, IO-Link was integrated into the plant, allowing all digital values to be retrieved from the sensors, and the control valves to be operated digitally. It also offers simplified diagnostics, sensor fault reporting, and optimized maintenance procedures. The cooperation between ifm, Danone, and Boccard enables close contacts, technical solutions, and fast reactions. By choosing ifm’s products with the latest high-end technologies, Danone and Boccard are building a forward-looking and sustainable plant for the coming decades.