Vahle GmbH & Co. KG
About us
AUTOMATION IN MOTION
Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG is a globally leading provider of system solutions for mobile industrial applications. The company develops and manufactures innovative technologies for energy and data transmission as well as automation – ranging from conductor rails and positioning systems to data transmission solutions, control systems, and digital services such as condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.
VAHLE solutions are used across a wide range of industries, including intralogistics, automotive, crane technology, port logistics, and many other industrial sectors. With a high level of in-house production in Germany, a global sales and service network, and a strong focus on innovation, VAHLE supports its customers in implementing efficient and future-proof automation concepts.
Products & services
Control system VCS1
Automated conveyor systems are essential in today’s automotive production. Electric monorail systems (EMS) are proven transport solutions for material flow in manufacturing and assembly, making them ideal for intralogistics and automotive applications. To ensure precise positioning, a reliable control system is required. The VAHLE VCS1 control system meets all demands for connecting conveyor technology. It supports various communication methods between stationary and mobile components, including half-wave and rail bus. With a power class up to 1.5 kW and multiple interface options, VCS1 is suitable for diverse applications. It offers integrated functions for positioning and distance control. Function libraries allow easy integration into plant PLCs for process and diagnostic data communication. Drive parameters are configured via VAHLE’s intuitive in-house software. All parameters and vehicle data are stored on an externally accessible data plug, enabling fast replacement without reconfiguration. Additional components include an electronic magnetic field detector for EMS systems, detecting magnet polarity and movement direction. Status and operating data are shown on a built-in graphic display. For setup and diagnostics, an infrared remote control is available. Optional modules such as curve block and separation block controls enhance safety and prevent voltage carry-over at conductor transitions. Combined with VAHLE’s energy supply (vPOWER), positioning (vPOS), and data transmission (vCOM) modules, VCS1 is available as a complete system solution for efficient and future-ready conveyor automation.
Modular controls VCSX
Electric monorail systems are suitable for a wide variety of transport tasks in production and logistics processes and are used across all industries. Complex conveyor systems are implemented by means of branching and merging elements (e.g. switches) as well as vertical transfer devices, lifting stations or hoists. The VAHLE VCSX control series is ideally suited for use in these applications due to its modular and configurable construction kit concept, consisting of variously combinable options in housing sizes, power class combinations, data transmission types, encoder support and I/O connection, and can be easily adapted to the respective requirements. VAHLE's many years of experience in the industries relevant to these applications have made it possible to define precisely fitting standard designs. This also allows short delivery times to be realized. The modular design concept also allows simple retrofitting and thus the greatest possible compatibility with existing systems, especially complete modernization (system retrofit). In conjunction with the safe VCS-SMG-SAFE drive control system, even complex, safety-related requirements can be solved quickly and easily. Data transmission with the stationary plant PLC is carried out via the PROFINET / PROFIsafe profile using slotted waveguides. Data transmission via the rail bus (PCB) is also possible, which further increases the efficiency and flexibility of the control system. Status and operating information is shown on the integrated display. For setup operation and simple diagnostic tasks, the VCSX multi-axis controller has a specially developed infrared remote control. Combined with the modules for energy supply (vPOWER), positioning (vPOS) and data transmission (vCOM), the VCSX control system is also available as a system solution.
Safe application control VCS-SMG-SAFE
Modern intralogistics and automotive production systems are highly automated and demand flexible, safe solutions. Functional safety is essential—not only to protect personnel but also to prevent production disruptions. The TÜV-certified VCS-SMG-SAFE application controller enables easy implementation of safety functions in combination with the VCSX drive controller. Preconfigured safety logic tailored to the application is included from the factory, allowing full control and monitoring of drive systems via VCS-SMG-SAFE. Safety functions such as SLS (Safely Limited Speed) and SPOS (Safe Position) can be easily realized for electric monorail systems. Local adaptation of system parameters is straightforward, eliminating complex PLC programming. Data exchange is limited to process and diagnostic data. The system includes a safe input for manual/automatic switching and supports both HTL and SSI encoder interfaces. Communication with the plant PLC and VCSX drive controller is handled via the proven PROFIsafe protocol. Data transmission between stationary and mobile components uses the highly reliable SMGM slotted waveguide system. Combined with modules for drive control (vDRIVE), power supply (vPOWER), positioning (vPOS), and data transmission (vCOM), VCS-SMG-SAFE is part of VAHLE’s complete system solution for safe and efficient automation.
Slotted Microwave Guide Mini (SMGM)
Digitization is increasingly shaping workflows and infrastructure in production halls and large handling centers. The Internet of Things (IoT), which allows machines to communicate autonomously and be operated remotely, opens up new possibilities. In modern production, steadily growing amounts of data are generated for control and diagnostics. While this data is often sent via conductor lines with low transmission rates for simple transport tasks of mobile applications, this communication method is no longer possible today for more complex applications due to the necessary data rates. To make this possible, large volumes of data must be transmitted quickly and without interference. This applies even in free-radio environments where complex planning is required to make the most of limited free-radio frequencies. The SMGM (Slotted Microwave Guide Mini) data communication system, which was specially developed for these applications and environments, enables the integration of absolutely interference-free data transmission. It is also specially designed to meet the increasing requirements of Industry 4.0. Communication takes place in a shielded aluminum profile, the so-called slotted microwave guide, so that no interference or any influence on other communication systems in the environment need to be taken into account. The plug and play solution can be easily integrated into all common EMS profiles and systems without extensive configurations and due to its compact design. By combining it with the modules for energy supply (vPOWER), positioning (vPOS) and drive control (vDRIVE), it is available as a system solution. Also available is the SMG Service Tool, which allows users to analyze and, if necessary, adapt the system.
Smart Collector
Predictive Maintenance powered by VAHLE Unplanned system failures often have unpleasant consequences. If the automated conveyor systems in modern production lines come to a standstill, nothing works anymore. The result is often a loss of sales, which can skyrocket to unimaginable heights if troubleshooting is time-consuming and tedious. To solve this problem, VAHLE has developed the Smart Collector. The world's first intelligent current collector uses special sensor technology to record its linear and rotary movements and passes this data on to the Main Unit, where it is evaluated using the Intelligent Dynamic Anomaly Analysis (IDAA) method. In this way, the entire conductor rail system is monitored during operation. For this purpose, the current collector arms of the Smart Collector are equipped with neodymium magnets. By measuring their magnetic fields without contact, the sensors register even the smallest changes in the flow of movement caused by wear of the conductor system. This allows anomalies to be detected at an early stage, maintenance cycles to be optimally scheduled and thus the availability and productivity of the entire plant to be significantly increased. The Smart Collector was specially developed for electric monorail systems (EMS) and automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), but can also be used in other types of plant. To this end, the smart system is compatible with various VAHLE conductor systems as well as data transmission and positioning solutions.