NEUBEUERN, GERMANY — The ZEISS Industrial Metrology business group is accelerating its entry into the "Optical 3D Digitization" sector through the planned acquisition of a majority interest in Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH, a company headquartered in Neubeuern near Rosenheim in southern Germany.

Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH is one of the world's leading providers of systems for digitization with optical 3D sensors and in surface inspection on car body and sheet metal parts. Established on the market for over 25 years and with a global workforce of more than 200 people, the company has a broad spectrum of competencies in photogrammetry and laser scanning which are featured in products of the COMET and T-Scan series with an extensive installed base. In addition to these mobile systems, the ABIS surface inspection systems and the COMET sensors are also installed with robots as complete solutions. Extensive software products and services round off the offering and offer customers reliability and major benefits over many years.

Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH is the world's leading supplier of interferometric tire inspection systems. These products of the INTACT series guarantee nondestructive testing and quality control by using shearography and are used worldwide for car/truck/aerospace and F1 tire inspection.

In the field of car body metrology ZEISS Industrial Metrology presented the new, extremely fast ZEISS EAGLE EYE II triangulation laser scanner for its horizontal measuring machines of the PRO series last year. It has already proven its excellence in several benchmark studies. This development was jointly implemented by ZEISS and Steinbichler and demonstrates the many years of close collaboration and outstanding capabilities of the two companies.

The interaction of the Steinbichler portfolio with the ZEISS software line, such as the ZEISS PiWeb platform and the surface measuring programs, will generate synergies and potential that we will be able to offer through the ZEISS global distribution and service organization for the benefit of our customers in the future.

"This will further strengthen the ZEISS Industrial Metrology business group in the field of optical measuring technology, promote digitization and position it as a solutions provider in the area of quality processes in car body production. In the future, ZEISS will therefore cover the entire process from the CAD data model and digitization right up to car body shell inspection," said Rainer Ohnheiser, head of the industrial metrology business group. Marcus Steinbichler, managing partner of Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH, adds: "The competencies and positioning of the two companies are the perfect match. Access to the ZEISS global distribution and service organization will enable us to reach even more customers and address additional, new sectors."

Subject to the approval of the authorities, the transaction is due to be finalized by mid-summer this year. The company's headquarters will remain in Neubeuern, and Marcus Steinbichler will also head the new company as its managing director over the long term.

For more information, visit www.steinbichler.com.