Congratulations on 35 years of Helmholz! Looking back: What was the most significant technological development of your company?

Karsten Eichmüller: The founder of our company, Manfred Helmholz, set up his own business in S5 programming and system commissioning based on his professional experience in the automation industry. In 1988, the company Systeme Helmholz emerged from this, which was active in the S5/S7 environment for many years. In contrast to other companies that started out in a similar way, this path led Helmholz primarily to communication technology. This focus was then transferred from the S5 to the S7 world and continuously expanded.

The technological reorientation of the company began exactly ten years ago with the launch of the TB20 fieldbus I/O system. In our view, the decision to move away from the S7 environment and focus on industrial network and fieldbus technology for the entire automation market is significant for the company's continued success.

The switch portfolio in particular has become a key product pillar - not only in terms of sales, but also in terms of strategic positioning. That is why we are continuously expanding this range, in line with Helmholz's original philosophy.

The WallIEplus Industrial NAT Gateway with Gigabit/Firewall

© Helmholz

Is there an absolute 'bestseller' and what makes it so?

Karsten Eichmüller: The corporate strategy that we have been consistently pursuing since 2016 is based on six product segments that are interlinked in many machine networks and applications. We try to offer our customers added value combined with the simplest possible handling: from an I/0 system to fieldbus couplers and gateways, a complete switch portfolio for the machine network through to remote access via an industrial VPN router solution for data acquisition. One of the special products from this development is the Wall IE - NAT gateway, which was specially developed for the needs of mechanical engineering. Especially with regard to integration into higher-level networks with a focus on network security and cyber security risks, we can already speak of a bestseller here.

In 35 years, it hasn't all been rosy - what do you think was the most difficult time for the company?

Carsten Bokholt: The technological trends in automation - such as multi-protocol solutions, connectivity and open interfaces through to remote maintenance, cyber security and IoT - can be clearly seen in the development of our portfolio. As a medium-sized company, we certainly can't put our technological stamp on the market. But we are agile enough to adapt our portfolio quickly to changing market requirements. This agility has also seen us through past crises without any significant consequences for the entire Helmholz team.

Bureaucratic obstacles are one of the biggest challenges for companies like us. Dealing with a constant stream of new regulations, legal provisions, measures and laws takes up considerable capacity. This precious time is then lacking for new solutions and entrepreneurial concepts, especially for SMEs.

What does the roadmap for the next ten to 15 years look like?

Carsten Bokholt: Network communication is the backbone of today's automation landscape and is becoming increasingly important due to larger data volumes and more extensive networking. We will continue to serve this area with solutions in the future and help our customers to use the technology sensibly and, above all, securely. Our customers should be able to develop their core competencies in the realization of the machine and be able to rely on Helmholz for machine communication.

What technological trends do you see that are or will be important for Helmholz?

Carsten Bokholt: When developing new solutions, we are concentrating on four trends that all relate to data communication in the industrial environment: At the forefront are convergent networks, i.e. hybrid communication of all components in a common network. TSN will play an important role here in the future. Another important trend is Ethernet communication up to the sensor with IO-Link, SPE or APL. OPC UA will be introduced as a standardized solution for vertical data exchange between controllers and the control level in the future. And above all, there is the issue of network security with the newly introduced IEC 62443 standard and the associated components.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge over the next few years, in business and/or technical terms?

Karsten Eichmüller: The shortage of skilled workers, high energy prices, high inflation and a lot of bureaucracy are spoiling the mood, especially for medium-sized companies. The much-cited 'backbone of the German economy' seems to be nothing more than a phrase in political parlance. Many companies are already looking to other locations in order to keep up with the international competition. Helmholz, for example, has had a development site in Croatia for almost ten years, which is currently being expanded for future tasks.