Shining Partnership in the Industry 4.0 – DIANA illuminates Tünkers AGVs

In their conversation, Björn Meyer from Tünkers and Michael Davies from DIANA recall the early days of their collaboration. The initial connection was sparked by a standard M8 connector.

For a long time, Tünkers had been using self-made lighting solutions on their AGVs. However, this was not a sustainable solution, as LED quality can vary significantly—differences that are not always immediately visible. To ensure reliability, Tünkers sought out a specialist. While researching suitable providers, Björn Meyer came across the DIANA website - where he spotted his preferred M8 connector on one of their luminaires.

"That was the trigger for me to reach out to DIANA," Meyer recalls.

Michael Davies adds, "We immediately saw the potential for an exciting collaboration. Tünkers' requirements were a perfect match for our expertise in industrial LED lighting."

Since Tünkers' Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are used in the production halls of major automotive companies like Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz, and Ford, the lights must meet both functional and safety-related criteria.

This also challenged our commitment to quality: The task was to design a luminaire that would fit in the very limited space of the AGVs while ensuring maximum light homogeneity and a high protection rating.

The DIANA team got to work and developed individually addressable LED light strips that signal the vehicles' direction of travel using white and red light. Additionally, a blue underbody lighting system can alert people to the presence of the AGV, and special blinking signals are used to indicate error states.

In modern industrial automation, the visible communication of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) plays a key role in making processes more efficient.

Through clear and easily recognizable signals, operational states and potential malfunctions become immediately visible, enabling faster reactions and reducing downtime.

Additionally, it allows for simple remote monitoring of the systems, making control and management from a distance easier, ensuring smooth and reliable production.

At the same time, optical communication significantly enhances safety by providing employees with intuitive guidance and signaling potential hazards early.

DIANA possesses extensive expertise and products to implement high-quality LED signaling solutions.

However, the path to the perfect signaling solution was not without its obstacles. For example, a miscalculation in the 3D design presented the team with an unexpected challenge. Michael Davies recalls:

"With complex projects, there are always surprises. We saw the situation as an opportunity to demonstrate our flexibility and customer service," says Davies. "We responded on the same day, analyzed the issue within our development team, and were able to quickly present an improved solution."

This responsiveness and commitment to perfection left a lasting impression on Tünkers and laid the foundation for a trusted partnership.

Right from the start, DIANA set the usual high production standards. The LED lights, manufactured with a solid aluminum housing and impact-resistant diffuser, provide the AGVs with uniform and intense lighting. This is recessed into the vehicle housing and can easily withstand the harsh conditions in the production halls.

The collaboration between DIANA and Tünkers has developed into a real success story. DIANA LED lights are now an integral part of many different Tünkers AGVs and make a significant contribution to safety and efficiency in the production halls of major car manufacturers.

“With DIANA, we have found a partner that not only supplies high-quality products, but also offers the service and flexibility that we need in the fast-moving automotive industry. The cooperation was reliable and professional right from the start,” emphasizes Björn Meyer.

The success of these projects lays the foundation for further innovative collaboration in order to open up additional business areas.

Michael Davies is optimistic about the future: “The challenges of Industry 4.0 demand innovative solutions. We look forward to working together with Tünkers to master these challenges.”

This success story shows how outstanding products can be made even more outstanding through targeted collaboration between specialists with their expertise, which is reflected in the clearly visible value of the overall product. A great signal effect to the public.

Further information on Tünkers Maschinenbau GmbH can be found here.

At DIANA, we always have an interest in the lighting challenges of the industry - please feel free to contact us.

Would you like to get to know other projects of our Customized LED Solutions beforehand? Discover more of our success stories right under this article.