Corporate news

Smart Farming: Commercial Vehicle Manufacturer Uses Pressure Solution from First Sensor

- Use in new generation of innovative combine harvesters

- 2,000 machines to be equipped in 2019

First Sensor AG, a developer and manufacturer of standard products and customer-specific sensor solutions in the growth market of sensor technology, is expanding its activities in the area of smart farming and is supplying an internationally active manufacturer of commercial and special-purpose vehicles with customer-specific ultra-low pressure sensors. In a new generation of innovative combine harvesters, they monitor the pressure on the threshing sieve in order to improve threshing and increase the efficiency of harvesting. The key customer wants to optimize 2,000 machines with the solution this year and has already announced a higher number of orders for the coming year.

"Through this collaboration with our key customer, we are systematically expanding our market share in the area of commercial and special-purpose vehicles in line with our mobility strategy and also expanding our presence in the growing application area of smart farming. We are not only counting on the growth driver pressure, but are also unlocking potential for the use of cameras and sensor fusion for the introduction of partially and fully automated driving," explains Dr. Dirk Rothweiler, CEO of First Sensor AG. According to experts, with an average annual growth rate of 12.61%, the global market for agricultural technology will reach a size of $19.86 billion in 2026. In the financial year 2018, First Sensor generated EUR40.2 million with applications in the Mobility target market. Here, commercial and special-purpose vehicles account for a share of 20%.

"Agricultural and farming machines are drivers of innovation in the context of mobile work machines. They have a high potential for automation and increases in efficiency become visible immediately. This market therefore offers us interesting opportunities to expand our value-added share," highlighted Wilhelm Prinz von Hessen, Vice President of Mobility at First Sensor AG. The customer-specific sensor module is being developed and produced by First Sensor Mobility GmbH in Dresden. It uses LDE ultra-low pressure sensors that are built as components at the Canadian First Sensor site in Montreal. LDE sensors cover the smallest pressure ranges starting from 0.25 millibars. Due to the integration of the flow channel at the sensor chip level, they have very high pneumatic resistances. They are also very robust in dealing with dust-laden air and withstand vibrations and shock loads. Besides LiDAR and cameras, pressure sensor technology is a growth driver for First Sensor. Last year, the company generated 40% of its sales in the area of pressure.

About First Sensor AG
Founded as a technology start-up in the early 1990s, today, First Sensor is a global player in sensor technology. Based on our know-how in chip design and production as well as microelectronic packaging, standard sensors and customer-specific sensor solutions are developed in the fields of photonics, pressure and advanced electronics for the ever-growing demand in key applications for the target markets of Industrial, Medical and Mobility. The strategy is aimed at profitable growth and focuses on key customers and products, forward integration and strengthening our international presence. First Sensor has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 1999 [Prime Standard Ι WKN: 720190 Ι ISIN DE0007201907 Ι SIS]. Further information: www.first-sensor.com.

Disclaimer
Statements in this report relating to future developments are based on a prudent estimate of future events. Actual events of the company may deviate significantly from planned events, as they depend on a large number of market and economic factors, some of which are outside of the company's control.

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