ek robotics celebrates 60 years of automated transport solutions

The family-owned company ek robotics relies on 60 years of expertise in the development of automated transport solutions and realizes optimal material flows for efficient intralogistics in almost every industry. With this long company history and comprehensive expertise, ek robotics GmbH is inextricably linked to driverless transport systems and innovative automation technologies.

(Pressebox: Rosengarten / Nenndorf) Through inventiveness and a willingness to progress: With the presentation of one of the first driverless transport vehicles in 1963, through the development of the first automated series of industrial trucks to today’s innovative high-tech transport robotics, the history of driverless transport systems (FTS) is closely intertwined with the company history of ek robotics GmbH. The owner-managed family business is the global leading manufacturer and integrator of driverless transport systems for production and warehouse logistics. The corporate group employs over 300 people at five international locations and, through the business integration of Indumat GmbH & Co KG from Reutlingen, is one of the pioneers in the FTS industry.

For 60 years now, ek robotics has focused on the automation and efficiency of internal material flows using the most advanced robotic technology. “The foundation of our expertise is our numerous FTS experts. They bring decades of experience to the company and set new benchmarks in the automation industry with their innovative developments,” says Andreas J. Böttner, who has been the CEO of ek robotics since 2018.

The new headquarters of ek robotics GmbH in Hamburg

Over 12,000 vehicles installed in around 1,500 systems

The high-tech company for transport robotics has installed over 12,000 vehicles in more than 1,500 systems worldwide during its success story and has significantly shaped the technological development of driverless transport systems over the past decades – formerly under the name E&K Automation. “In recent decades, we have evolved from a small engineering office for process automation to a high-tech company for transport robotics, and we have been showcasing this since July 2021 with our new brand appearance. Our roots lie in industrial automation, but transport robotics, the autonomous and automated transport with robots, is what we do today. ek robotics stands for an endless variety of solutions and represents that we offer each of our customers the absolutely best transport solution for any task,” says Böttner.

Enduring passion for transport robotics

To this day, the corporate culture introduced by founders Dieter Eilers and Jürgen Kirf is characterized by an enduring passion for transport robotics, flat hierarchies, and tireless inventiveness. The success story continues even after more than six decades: at the end of 2023, ek robotics will move into the new production and innovation center with over 10,000 square meters of usable space in the Hamburg district of Veddel, thereby addressing the company’s growth for the coming decades in the automation industry.

Photos: © ek robotics