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2023/11/13

Inductive Charging System Obtains ISO Certificate

It is now possible to automate transport processes with automated guided vehicles (AGV) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in cleanrooms – thanks to Wiferion’s etaLINK 3000 inductive charging system. The energy solution has been certified for ISO Class 4 by the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation (IPA). The safe use of transport robots in highly sensitive production environments is thus possible now for the first time.

In semi-conductor production, in the pharmaceutical industry or in medical technology – the automation of sensitive transport tasks by AGV and AMR in cleanrooms is gaining ground. In higher ISO cleanroom classes in particular, however, the systems have until now reached their limits because of the mechanical battery charging functions. Charging processes with sliding contacts always create copper abrasion. The particles disperse in the production environment and, in extreme cases, can damage whole batches of valuable semi-conductor substrates (wafers) or contaminate medications. Almost all the major robot manufacturers therefore opt for contact-free power transfer using Wiferion’s etaLINK 3000 system. “Our wireless charging solution is encapsulated and does not require mechanical contacts. Particle abrasion and contamination of the production environment are thus almost impossible", states Julian Seume, former CSO of Wiferion and now director of the PULS Wireless Business Unit. Certification by the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation (IPA) now also provides users officially with the assurance that the charging process does not pose a risk to their production. The inductive charging system was tested under specific test conditions according to ISO 14644-1 and certified for use in ISO Class 4 cleanrooms. “With this award, we are laying the foundations for ensuring that mobile transport robotics can also be used in sensitive areas. We feel that there is great potential here and are already engaged in meaningful discussions for expanding this segment further", comments Julian Seume.

About Wiferion

Wiferion is a pioneer and technological leader in the wireless power supply of mobile robots (AGV/AMR) and forklifts. The inductive charging systems in the etaLINK family eliminate unnecessary machine downtimes and increase fleet efficiency by up to 32% in the long term. As an independent Business Unit based in Freiburg, Wiferion has been part of PULS GmbH since 2023. With its takeover by the market leader in DIN rail power supplies, Wiferion is moving into the next phase of its global scaling. Merging the two companies has created huge synergies that will benefit Wiferion’s customers. The PULS Group, with 1,700 employees, has its own modern production sites in the Czech Republic, China and Germany, a worldwide distribution network and longstanding customers in the fields of intralogistics and production. New product concepts can be realized even more quickly by the PULS development team, which numbers over 100 people. In addition, customers benefit from improved application support and service.

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