The Essen-based business has been a pioneering force in automation and digitalisation technology since its foundation in 1969, specialising in developing and making sensors, controllers, software and systems.
During a momentous 12-month period – which saw CorPower Ocean deploying its first commercial scale device in northern Portugal – ifm has strongly contributed to operations, helping reduce time to market for clean, renewable wave energy.
CorPower Ocean relies on a global supply chain for products, materials and services. As such, strategic suppliers are continuously evaluated and rated in six main categories.
This includes; Quality, Responsiveness, Cost Competitiveness, Cost Reduction Initiatives, Lead-times and Delivery Performance.
CorPower Ocean Senior Procurement & Quality Engineer Thomas Lindahl said ifm had been selected for the prestigious annual company award specifically for providing outstanding support with component deliveries and on-site service at short notice.
“It is with great pleasure that we announce ifm as our Supplier of the Year for 2023,” he said. “This was a crucially important period in CorPower Ocean’s journey which resulted in the successful deployment of our first full-scale device, following many years of research, design and development. Throughout this period, we worked very closely with ifm to design bespoke components and select the right processes involving sensors, controls and software. This ensured a synchronized approach with CorPower Ocean’s integration and electric team. ifm’s products were also delivered directly to CorPower Ocean’s launchpad facility in northern Portugal on many occasions with short lead times, also ensuring all necessary knowledge was transferred on-site to support work during operation.”
Following the C4 deployment, ifm’s sensors and controls began performing a key function, as the system underwent commissioning, with operational modes gradually verified. Rapid progress continued with the C4 exporting power to the grid. In addition, the C4 demonstrated its capacity to make autonomous transitioning between different machine states according to ocean conditions, which are monitored by onboard sensors and control systems.
As winter descended, CorPower Ocean successfully verified its C4 ‘Survival Mode’ after weathering a series of record-breaking storms along the Portuguese coast. The C4 system was monitored from a control centre in Stockholm where reliable operation was confirmed with motion and loads well within design limits.
Fredrik Dahlström, Account Manager Industry at ifm said ” Ifm electronic is extremely grateful for the award of Supplier of the Year. We are looking forward with great motivation to help CorPower Ocean achieve even more success in the future.”
Today, ifm is a second-generation family-run group with more than 9,000 employees. It combines internationality and innovative strength of a growing group of companies with the flexibility and close customer contact of a medium-sized company.
While CorPower Ocean benefits from key supply chain partners around the globe, its unique mobile factory cell concept allows for high volumes of on-site fabrication, ensuring strong engagement with local supply chains, and rapid roll-out of wave energy devices.
