Pilz GmbH & Co. KG
Encyclopedia
Pilz GmbH & Co. KG is a company working in the field of safe automation technology , with complete solutions for safety and control technology.
In addition to its headquarters in Ostfildern
, Germany
, Pilz is represented by subsidiaries and branch offices in a total of 26 countries worldwide and currently employs 1400 staff.
and mercury relays. The focus in the electronics sector shifted to progressive miniaturisation; Pilz specialised predominantly in relays, control systems and, most of all, timers. The first subsidiaries were founded in 1968 in Austria
, France
and Switzerland
. Programmable logic controllers were added to the product range. In 1970 Pilz developed a norm for 35 mm series mounting, which later became an industry standard, thus becoming the first manufacturer of DIN electronic relays.
In 1987 Pilz developed the "PNOZ", the world’s most widely used emergency stop relay. In the 1990s the company continued its international expansion in Europe
, North America
and Asia
. In 1994 the first subsidiary outside of Europe was established in the USA . This was followed in 1997 by Asia with Japan
, and 1998 South America
with Brazil
. The Pilz quality management system is certified to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008. According to the company’s statistics it currently invests 18 per cent of turnover in research and development. The result is product innovations such as the safe, open fieldbus system SafetyBUS p
in 1999, the freely configurable "PNOZmulti" safety relay in 2002 and the safe camera system "SafetyEYE" for three-dimensional zone monitoring in 2006. In 2009 Pilz was awarded the TOP 100 seal of quality as one of the top 100 most innovative companies in Germany. 2009 also saw the development of the PNOZmultiMini and the automation system PSS 4000.
Sensors
Pilz sensors guarantee that machinery and complex plants can be used efficiently while still complying with standards intended to protect man and machine. The product portfolio covers the whole range of safety requirements, whether the application is on covers, flaps, rolling doors, safety gates, cams, electrosensitive protective devices or for position detection.
Control technology
Control technology from Pilz includes components and systems for standard and safety. The individual components that make up the automation solutions are totally compatible – and so guaranteed to be cost effective.
Motion control (Automation)
Pilz motion control (PMC) offers complete drive technology as part of the Pilz engineering solution. PMC offers customers overall solutions for automating their machinery, from operation via the controller through to the movement of highly dynamic drives, including all safety aspects.
Operator and visualisation systems
As a solution supplier, Pilz offers products from the fields of control and communication as well as sensor technology. Systems that can be used to visualise and influence the process serve as a link between operator and machine. When an error occurs, diagnostics on the plant and machinery have a special role to play.
Software
Pilz offers software solutions for automation. Solutions are available for design, programming, configuration and commissioning.
Consulting and engineering:
Training:
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, Great Britain, USA, Canada, Brazil, Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, India.
In addition to its headquarters in Ostfildern
Ostfildern
Ostfildern is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located approx. 8 km southeast of Stuttgart...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Pilz is represented by subsidiaries and branch offices in a total of 26 countries worldwide and currently employs 1400 staff.
History
Entrepreneur Hermann Pilz founded a glass-blowing business in Esslingen in 1948. In the early post-war years the company focused on the manufacture of glass apparatus for medical technologyMedical technology
Medical Technology encompasses a wide range of healthcare products and is used to diagnose, monitor or treat diseases or medical conditions affecting humans. Such technologies are intended to improve the quality of healthcare delivered through earlier diagnosis, less invasive treatment options and...
and mercury relays. The focus in the electronics sector shifted to progressive miniaturisation; Pilz specialised predominantly in relays, control systems and, most of all, timers. The first subsidiaries were founded in 1968 in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Programmable logic controllers were added to the product range. In 1970 Pilz developed a norm for 35 mm series mounting, which later became an industry standard, thus becoming the first manufacturer of DIN electronic relays.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. In 1994 the first subsidiary outside of Europe was established in the USA . This was followed in 1997 by Asia with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and 1998 South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
with Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The Pilz quality management system is certified to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008. According to the company’s statistics it currently invests 18 per cent of turnover in research and development. The result is product innovations such as the safe, open fieldbus system SafetyBUS p
SafetyBUS p
SafetyBUS p is a standard for safe field bus communication within factory automation. It meets SIL level SIL 3 according to IEC 61508 and safety category Cat. 4 of EN 954-1- Origins :...
in 1999, the freely configurable "PNOZmulti" safety relay in 2002 and the safe camera system "SafetyEYE" for three-dimensional zone monitoring in 2006. In 2009 Pilz was awarded the TOP 100 seal of quality as one of the top 100 most innovative companies in Germany. 2009 also saw the development of the PNOZmultiMini and the automation system PSS 4000.
Company structure
Renate Pilz has been the Managing Partner since 1994; together with her daughter Susanne Kunschert and her son Thomas Pilz, they form the management board of a company that now operates worldwide.Products
The product range of Pilz GmbH & Co. KG includes:Sensors
Pilz sensors guarantee that machinery and complex plants can be used efficiently while still complying with standards intended to protect man and machine. The product portfolio covers the whole range of safety requirements, whether the application is on covers, flaps, rolling doors, safety gates, cams, electrosensitive protective devices or for position detection.
- Devices for position monitoring
- Safety switches
- Safety gate systems
- Optoelectronic protective devices
- Safe camera systems
Control technology
Control technology from Pilz includes components and systems for standard and safety. The individual components that make up the automation solutions are totally compatible – and so guaranteed to be cost effective.
- Line inspection devices
- Relays for electrical safety
- Relays for functional safety
- Configurable control systems
- Compact programmable control systems
- Modular programmable control systems
- Decentralised periphery
Motion control (Automation)
Pilz motion control (PMC) offers complete drive technology as part of the Pilz engineering solution. PMC offers customers overall solutions for automating their machinery, from operation via the controller through to the movement of highly dynamic drives, including all safety aspects.
- Control systems
- Servo amplifiers
- Motors
- Software
Operator and visualisation systems
As a solution supplier, Pilz offers products from the fields of control and communication as well as sensor technology. Systems that can be used to visualise and influence the process serve as a link between operator and machine. When an error occurs, diagnostics on the plant and machinery have a special role to play.
- Control / signal devices
- Operator terminals
Software
Pilz offers software solutions for automation. Solutions are available for design, programming, configuration and commissioning.
- System software and tools
- Application software
Automation system PSS 4000
The automation system PSS 4000 consists of various hardware and software components, plus the real-time Ethernet SafetyNET p and corresponding network components. They are closely compatible, providing the overall solution for automation projects.- Control systems
- I/O modules
- Network components
- Software editors
Services
Pilz GmbH & Co. KG provides services related to the machine lifecycle as part of CE-marking. It undertakes product training and runs courses on compliance with the complex system of national and international standards and directives. Some of these are held in conjunction with TÜV Nord.Consulting and engineering:
- Risk assessmentRisk assessmentRisk assessment is a step in a risk management procedure. Risk assessment is the determination of quantitative or qualitative value of risk related to a concrete situation and a recognized threat...
- Safety concept
- Safety validation
- Safety design
- System implementation
- CE services
- International compliance services
- Plant assessment
- Inspection of ESPE
Training:
- Seminars
- Product courses
Industries
Some of the industries in which Pilz is represented:- Packaging technology
- Automotive
- Metal processing
- Wind energyWind energyWind energy is the kinetic energy of air in motion; see also wind power.Total wind energy flowing through an imaginary area A during the time t is:E = ½ m v2 = ½ v 2...
- Burner management
- Handling technology
- TransportTransportTransport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
- LogisticsLogisticsLogistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
- Steel and aluminium
- Semiconductor industry
- Plastics and rubber
Locations
Pilz GmbH & Co. KG has locations in 27 countries and more than 13 sales partners. Pilz has subsidiaries in the following countries:Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, Great Britain, USA, Canada, Brazil, Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, India.
Certifications
- Quality management standard DIN EN ISO 9001:2008
- DAkkS
- EcoprofitEcoProfitECOPROFIT was developed in 1991 in Graz, Austria by the Environmental Office of the City of Graz and Graz University of Technology....
Memberships
- Safety Network International e.V.Safety Network International e.V.Safety Network International e. V. is a user organisation in form of a German eingetragener Verein . As such the organisation is registered at the Amtsgericht Esslingen, Germany. The location of the organisation is Ostfildern, Germany- Origination :Safety Network International e. V. has been...
- German engineering association
- Association for the electrical and electronics industry
- German railway industry association