Automation company Pilz establishes Business Unit Rail - “First choice for a safe, digital infrastructure”

The automation company Pilz is expanding its offer for the railways and, by establishing the Business Unit Rail, is pressing ahead with its global railway activities. With solutions for a safe, digital infrastructure, Pilz's intention is to help play an active role in shaping the future of rail transport.

Industry-proven automation solutions from Pilz are already used in classic railway applications such as points controllers or level crossings, as well as in the interfaces between industrial and railway applications. By establishing the Business Unit Rail, Pilz is continuing to expand its activities in the rail industry. 

Compressive offer for the railway of the future
The expert in safe automation solutions is focussing more heavily on the rail industry and, with the separate business unit, is creating more internal resources to expand its portfolio and application engineering, specifically tailored to the railways. Digital solutions develop through the merging of industrial automation and railway technology: thanks to open interfaces and commercial off-the-shelf solutions – in other words standardised products – Pilz's intention is to help replace proprietary applications. What's more, in future Pilz will take its expertise in machinery safety and health and safety regulations and transfer it to plant facilities for rail transport, such as workshops or depots. 

Industry-proven solutions
“Our industry-proven automation solutions already satisfy the requirements of the rail industry in full! With the newly created Business Unit, we want to play an active role in shaping the future of the railways. We want to be the first choice for a safe, digital infrastructure, on and alongside the track”, explains Sebastian Lüke, Head of Business Unit Rail. 
Sebastian Lüke took on the formation of the Business Unit Rail from the start and now leads the international team, which is based at the head office in Ostfildern. The renowned railway expert Michael Fohrer will work with the Business Unit, bringing his experience as former President of the German Railway Industry Association VDB (Verband der Bahnindustrie in Deutschland e.V.) and his expertise from 13 years of management responsibility at Bombardier Transportation. 
In his view, Pilz is taking exactly the right step: “Industry went down the digitalisation route much earlier. The strengths and experiences that Pilz was able to gain in industrial applications are ideally suited to the extensive requirements of railway technology. And the open interfaces and standardised Pilz solutions offer huge potential for replacing existing proprietary railway applications”, Fohrer is keen to emphasise.

In the service of safety 
Over and above the automation solutions, the automation company's expertise also feeds into railway-specific services such as project planning and project management, programming, documentation and support within the approval process. Expertise in the areas of machinery safety and health and safety regulations is also in demand for the installations on the railway operators' premises. Railway operators benefit from this comprehensive, one-stop railway portfolio.

Pilz at Innotrans
Pilz will be exhibiting its innovative solutions in Berlin from 20-23 September 2022, at the international trade fair for transport technology, Innotrans (Hall 27, Stand 550).