autosenCompact controller

What distinguishes minion® from other solutions?

Alexander Knörle: The minion® is a small, wireless, modular sensor platform for monitoring machines. The data collected by the sensor is transmitted via mobile communications, the battery lasts a very long time, and the modular design means that additional sensors can be added in the future. The market launch took place in fall 2024 with the vibration sensor. The system scores points with its unique combination and interface.

What role did the time factor play in the project?

Alexander Knörle: The minion® is a real innovation – and that naturally means things have to move very quickly. Everyone wants to be first on the market. We really sprinted ahead at autosen and ifm and brought 1zu1 on board as a reliable and experienced partner. This enabled us to reduce the time from development to series production to around two years. Normally, a project like this takes much longer.

How did the process proceed until series production?

Alexander Knörle: Immediately after the A-sample on the circuit board, we had a housing made for the B-sample in 3D printing in the winter of 2022. 1zu1 supplied us with first-class SLS components. With the insights gained from the prototype, we moved on to finalizing the product. Due to time constraints, we wanted a reliable partner nearby for series production using injection molding. After our positive experience with 3D printing and our visit to their premises, 1zu1 was the logical choice. Our decision proved to be the right one: we had the first components in our hands after just a few weeks.

What were the requirements for the parts besides the delivery date?

Dario Loss: Appearance and accuracy of fit. The minion consists of three elements and a total of eight plastic parts. They must harmonize perfectly with each other when installed. The components have different surfaces, including high-gloss structures that extend over several parts. This means that no injection point must be visible. The mobile communications gateway in the middle requires a multi-component part with overmolded light guides for LEDs. Both the tool and the process require the highest precision. In order to achieve the desired quality, we created sample tools in advance to explore the feasibility.

What else had to be considered on the development side?

Alexander Knörle: The material must be suitable for outdoor use and the assembled product must be waterproof and dustproof. To achieve this, we weld some parts using lasers or ultrasound. 1zu1 also had a suitable solution in stock for this. We injection molded a sample part, checked the mold separation, and inspected the appearance. The result was perfect right from the start.

How did 1zu1 help with the implementation?

Dario Loss: When designing the parts, we were able to contribute our experience with complex geometries and optimize details even before the tools were built. A major advantage was our early involvement in the project. Since we had already manufactured the 3D-printed components for the prototype, we were already very close to series production in terms of functionality. The third advantage was and is our geographical proximity. We met in person several times and clarified the next steps quickly and easily.

What happens next?

Alexander Knörle: The minion® is modular. So there will be one or two more extensions to follow. 1zu1 is definitely in pole position for this. They have impressively proven that they can meet all requirements – and in a very short time.

Dario Loss: There is no limit to the number of units. The first few thousand have already been delivered. We can easily scale up.
 

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In conversation: Alexander Knörle is a mechanical engineer at ifm and responsible for the mechanical development of the minion® from autosen. Dario Loss from 1zu1 accompanied the project in tooling and injection molding at 1zu1 until it was ready for series production. Joshua Köb conducted the interview.

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