Discover LEM, a pioneer in electrical measurement that is at the forefront of technological innovation
Playing an essential role the electrification of our world and the transition to a sustainable future, LEM is a market leader in providing innovative and high-quality solutions for measuring electrical parameters. Its core products, namely current and voltage sensors, are used in a broad range of applications, from automation and traction to renewable energy, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. LEM’s strategy involves leveraging the strengths of its core business to develop opportunities in existing and new markets with new applications. With production plants in Beijing, Tokyo, Penang, Geneva, and Sofia, as well as regional sales offices near its customers, the company offers a seamless service around the globe. Uwe Gerber, Senior Vice President of Operations, sheds light on LEM’s role in decarbonizing the planet.
“Founded in 1972 purely as a current, voltage and electrical measurement sensor company, LEM’s product portfolio encompasses everything needed to support electrification. Measuring electrical parameters is essential for transitioning to a more sustainable future through electrification. This is where LEM comes into play, helping its customers reduce their carbon emissions and ultimately benefiting the environment. Consequently, LEM is heavily invested in making the world carbon neutral by enabling the decarbonization of various types of businesses,” he begins.
“Our components and solutions are valuable in multiple segments, such as traction and electric vehicles (EV), where we enable the transition from combustion to electric engines. Vehicles require multiple electrical measurement points because different systems in the vehicle need to be monitored. However, our work goes beyond power sensing for the car, as we also need to conduct power detection and measurement for the EV charging infrastructure. Additionally, our expertise in current and voltage sensing technologies is vital in the solar and wind energy sector, as well as for battery storage and heat pumps. These installations are only possible with electrical measurement components that ensure that the systems are optimized, reliable and safe. This highlights the importance of our work in helping the world become carbon neutral.”
Solely focused on the production of current and voltage sensing components and solutions LEM boasts an impressive production output, as quantified by Uwe: “Across the wide scope of applications for our products, we produce a total of nearly 100 million sensors per year with each application requiring different production volumes. For example, within the traction industry, specifically for railway businesses and companies conducting test benches, we are producing and delivering just 50-to-60 units of highly complex sensors per year. On the other hand, we also have medium-volume production for example in the EV market, where we manufacture around 500,000 sensors per year. Meanwhile, for applications requiring the highest production volume, we produce 15 million sensors annually. I believe our wide range of production volumes, from 50 pieces to 15 million pieces depending on the application, demonstrates our versatility and commitment to our customers,” he continues.
To support its diverse customer base across the world, LEM has recently invested in a new manufacturing plant in Penang, Malaysia, thereby expanding its presence in the Asian continent. “By establishing a presence in Malaysia, we have bolstered our resilience and reduced our dependence on China. While our main manufacturing plant, where we still produce the majority of our products, is still in China, trading in the country is becoming increasingly uncertain due to the geopolitical situation. Tariffs imposed by the US government on goods imported from China are making matters more difficult and could get worse in the future.
“Furthermore, the pandemic was another factor in our decision to expand in Malaysia, as it caused the entire supply chain to be disrupted several times. This led to the realization that we could no longer rely solely on manufacturing and growing in China while delivering to all our customers worldwide from there. Therefore, we conducted an intensive search to find the most suitable new location for our manufacturing outside of China, considering several countries in South-East-Asia and ultimately settled on the Penang area in Malaysia. Alongside this, we also devised a plan to build a state-of-the-art plant in Malaysia, incorporating good process flows and lean manufacturing principles, which are key to adding value in every step of the process and serving our customers in the best possible way,” Uwe explains.
Alongside efficient manufacturing practices, LEM strives to stay at the forefront of innovation and technology to enhance its capabilities. “A fundamental principle for success in adopting technologies and innovation, is to consider the entire operational value chain, including manufacturing, storage, core suppliers and customers. From there, we need to implement the appropriate applications, such as automated processes for high-volume production, and integrate our processes with our new ERP system, As a result our plant in Penang is probably one of the few production plants where you will not find a fork lift, all our goods are ‘on wheels’ and getting transported by automated guided vehicles (AGVs),” Uwe states. “When it comes to artificial intelligence, LEM uses Automated Optical Inspections (AOI) comparing every single part with some reference pictures to ensure quality on the highest level. Artificial Intelligence is used to permanently select the best possible reference pictures,” he ends.
LEM’s dedication to innovation, technology, and sustainability makes it perfectly equipped to keep empowering industries globally through high-quality electrical measurement solutions.