A Success Story of Global Harmonization, Operational Efficiency, and Strategic Vision for the Future

SICK Kft. Hungary stands as a testament to manufacturing excellence in Eastern Europe. As the largest production site in the SICK concern, this Hungarian facility has successfully transformed its manufacturing operations through the strategic implementation of Koh Young inspection systems. With over 800 employees producing more than 15 million units annually across 1,500 different products, ranging from magnetic sensors to complex scanners with over 700 different components, the facility required inspection solutions that could match their extraordinary scale, complexity, and ambitious quality standards.

The Strategic Decision: Choosing Excellence Through Collaboration

The decision to implement Koh Young technology emerged from extensive internal discussions and careful evaluation of global best practices within the SICK organization. “Within the SICK world, we discussed the experiences with these machines and we decided on Koh Young machines,” explains Imre Vido, Managing Director of SICK Kft. Hungary, whose leadership has been instrumental in driving the facility’s technological advancement.

This decision was not made in isolation but rather as part of a comprehensive strategy for global alignment and operational excellence. “We would like to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our processes, and for this reason we try to harmonize the structures, the machines between us, so that means we can use the best practices from each other. That is another reason we selected Koh Young Machines,” Vido emphasizes, highlighting the collaborative approach that defines SICK’s global manufacturing strategy.

The harmonization strategy proves particularly powerful given the different economic contexts of SICK’s operations. “We are here in Hungary in a so-called low-cost country, and our German production is a high-cost country. Independent from that, we have common goals for our processes,” Vido explains, underscoring how Koh Young technology serves as a unifying platform that transcends geographical and economic boundaries.

Exceptional Implementation: A Model for Success

The rollout of Koh Young’s SPI systems at SICK Kft. Hungary has exceeded all expectations, demonstrating the value of both the technology itself and the collaborative approach to implementation. “We decided to install SPIs from Koh Young last year, and we started with four machines, and we really have a very good experience with the these,” reports Imre Kiss, Head of Operations, who oversees production of the facility’s vast product portfolio including semi-finished products for internal use and other SICK units worldwide.

The smooth implementation process stands as a model for successful technology adoption in complex manufacturing environments. “In the startup phase with the first four SPIs, the start was also very effective because we have a lot of programs from Germany and also support, so it’s really really a good start,” Kiss emphasizes. This rapid deployment was facilitated by the existing knowledge base within the SICK organization, where German facilities had already successfully implemented seven production lines with Koh Young SPIs and AOIs.

“We had our own experiences with SPI machines and we had the exchange of information about best practices with our German colleagues,” Kiss notes, highlighting how the combination of local expertise and global knowledge sharing accelerated the implementation timeline and enhanced the overall success of the project.

Transformative Operational Impact: Redefining Manufacturing Efficiency

The impact of Koh Young technology on SICK Kft. Hungary’s operations has been nothing short of transformative, particularly in addressing one of manufacturing’s most persistent challenges: throughput time. “It’s very important the time, the throughput time, because if we have a manual visual inspection after the SMT process, it takes more time, sometimes some days after the SMT process. So with the inline SPIs, we can massively reduce the throughput time,” Kiss explains, quantifying a dramatic improvement in production flow.

This reduction in throughput time represents just one dimension of the operational improvements achieved. The technology has fundamentally changed how SICK approaches quality control, moving from reactive to proactive inspection processes. “With the inline SPIs and AOIs, we only have to check a small percentage of the final product manually,” Kiss notes, representing a paradigm shift in quality assurance methodology.

Beyond pure efficiency gains, the Koh Young systems support SICK’s broader strategic objectives. “One of the most important goals for us besides increasing efficiency and effectiveness, is to increase flexibility. We try to build up systems for that, we try to build up production lines for this goal and the machines from Koh Young support all these goals,” Vido explains. This flexibility proves crucial for a facility producing over 3,000 different product variants with an annual output of approximately €160 million.

Proven Partnership: Leveraging Global Synergies

The success of Koh Young implementation at SICK Kft. Hungary exemplifies the power of strategic partnerships that span multiple facilities and leverage collective expertise. “We discussed the topics with the colleagues in Germany because SICK also has seven production lines in Germany with the Koh Young SPIs and also AOIs,” Kiss shares, illustrating the depth of integration between facilities.

This collaboration extends beyond mere information sharing to include practical operational benefits. “We also have some parallel productions for the higher energy products we produce in Hungary and also in Germany, and of course, we can share the best practices and also the programs, and it will be very useful for us,” Kiss explains. This program sharing capability significantly reduces setup times for new products and ensures consistent quality standards across all SICK facilities.

Ambitious Expansion Plans: Building for the Future

Based on their overwhelmingly positive experience, SICK Kft. Hungary has committed to a comprehensive expansion of their Koh Young implementation. “We will also start in Hungary to install the inline Koh Young AOIs, and step by step we will extend the capacity of the SPI systems and also the AOI,” Kiss confirms, outlining a phased approach to technology adoption.

The vision for expansion is both ambitious and methodical. “Step by step we would like to increase or extend each line, each assembly line with SPI and also inline AOIs. So with this process we will reduce the production cost and also reduce the throughput times,” Kiss explains. This systematic approach ensures that each implementation phase builds upon previous successes while maintaining operational stability.

“Koh Young SPI and AOI have a very good cooperation, collaboration, and we can improve our pick and place process and also manufacturing processes,” Kiss adds, emphasizing the holistic improvement in manufacturing capabilities that the technology enables.

Securing the Next Three Decades of Excellence

As SICK Kft. Hungary celebrates its 30th anniversary, the company views its investment in Koh Young technology as foundational for continued success. “We are very happy to celebrate our 30th anniversary, and of course one of the biggest milestones is to open our fully automated storage system,” says Vido, placing the Koh Young implementation within the context of broader automation initiatives.

The significance of these technological investments cannot be overstated. “I think that is not really typical in Hungary to have that level of automation and that intelligent systems,” Vido notes with evident pride. This positions SICK Kft. Hungary as a leader in manufacturing innovation within the region.

Looking toward the future, Vido expresses complete confidence in the strategic decisions made: “I think we can make sure our next 30 years future with these systems, with these machines, with these solutions.” This long-term perspective underscores the strategic nature of the Koh Young partnership, viewing it not as a mere equipment purchase but as an investment in sustainable competitive advantage.

The collaboration between SICK Kft. Hungary and Koh Young exemplifies how advanced inspection technology, combined with global best practice sharing, strong technical support, and visionary leadership, can drive manufacturing excellence across diverse product portfolios and production environments. As SICK continues to expand its Koh Young implementation, the company stands poised to set new standards for manufacturing excellence in Eastern Europe and beyond.