Creating the optimum environment forhumans and machines as a leading company of HMI
offerings lean toward special vehicles, such as construction
and agricultural machinery, and various products serving thematerial handling and new mobility industries. Roughly 75% of
APEM’s sales are from customized products, which are foundat work in many different industries since they are tailored toeach customer’s needs. This focus on customizing products fora wide range of applications is underpinned by APEM’s superb
design and development capabilities, generating high-quality
products that robustly perform under challenging environmentalconditions. We are working to produce even greater synergies
between IDEC and APEM by optimizing manufacturing, sales,and logistics centers to lower costs and streamline operations,exchanging talent, and localizing sales strategies.

FA-centric markets

Semiconductors

Machine tools

Robotics

Special vehicles, new mobilities,
material handling, etc.

Material handling

AutomotiveAGV/AMR

Agriculturalmachinery

Business Strategy

Since 1958 when we began sales of industrial switches, wehave supplied diverse HMI products supporting human-machineinteractions. Our products and the years of design and quality
enhancements we have made to them have enabled us to build
P.6 When France’s APEM joined
up a strong market share.
our Group in 2017, our lineup expanded with not only moreindustrial switches, but also new offerings such as joysticks, LED
indicators, and keyboards. In a world where an enormous arrayof products are needed to serve different regions, applications,and settings, we are enjoying the strong synergy generated by
the combination of IDEC’s and APEM’s diverse product featuresand sales channels.
Whereas IDEC focuses mainly on suppling standard
products to factory automation (FA)-centric markets, APEM’sConstruction
machineryFoundation For Value
CreationDeveloping next-generation HMI products
to realize HMI-X

Smart RFID reader“KW2D series”

Touchless switch

Operator interface“HG2J series”

Data

Panel solutions

IDEC Report 2023

Safety commander“HT4P series”

GovernanceSeeking to become the world’s No.1 leader in HMI, the IDEC Groupdevelops products that respond to new needs emerging in the global
market. Today, environments where people and machines work
together are changing. Under HMI-X [Transformation], a new concept
we put forward in 2022, we are aiming to optimize those environmentsby bringing greater interactivity to machine control. To do this, wehave been launching new products—such as smart RFID readers for
managing machine access and operation logs, safety commanders
that can be attached to tablets used at manufacturing sites toensure worker safety, and touchless switches that address needs forcontactless solutions—and have been expanding the lineup of APEM
products to better serve diverse customer needs.
In order for us to continue growing in a landscape where megatrends
and market changes are transforming customer needs in many ways,
we must develop next-generation HMI products that offer new features.
Going forward, we will continue creating new HMI products to further
grow our business and help realize safety, ANSHIN, and well-being.

Value Creation Story

Priority business measures

Introduction

HMI (Human-Machine Interface)

Switch components

Joysticks

HMI (Human-Machine Interface)27

Introduction

HMI (Human-Machine Interface)
Team Member’s Message

Adding safety functions tomanufacturing site tablets

Touchless switches to reduce riskin environments where switches
are operated by many people
In 2022, we marketed a touchless switch that can be used indoors
and outdoors, as one response to the need for contactless operationof switches operated by many people. This product helps to preventthe spread of infectious diseases and provides a touchless solution forhygiene management in food processing, prevention of worker fatigue
due to frequent switch operation, and many other purposes.

Customized remote controls
based on decades of know-how

Leader’s Message

Remote controls enable safer and faster operation of robots and heavymachinery such as cranes and hoists. APEM has built up strong knowhow in this area through decades of developing customized remotecontrols to support diverse industries, including material handling,agriculture, and construction. The company’s approach to design isfounded on the following considerations: ow can the necessary functions beH
provided in an optimal form?

2 ow can the most ergonomic solutionH
be designed?

3

 hat is the most optimal and safest
Wmethod of connecting the productwith the application it supports?

4 ow can the product be designed toH
withstand the impact of falls, and toprevent unintended operations?

APEM panel solution projects thataim for greater customer satisfaction

Hanh Lin
Project Leader for Panel Solutions
APEM SAS (France)

My duties can be largely divided into three scopes. First,
in the project planning stage I respond to the customer’s
request for a quotation, clarify the customer’s needs, anddetermine the project cost. Once the project begins, I
handle its management, including coordinating with therelevant personnel at APEM and tracking the project’s
progress toward the completion of product development.
Lastly, I handle marketing duties such as managing theprice and margin, providing training, taking part in theunit’s promotional events, and appearing in promotional
videos. As I do so, I work to increase customer satisfactionand expand the panel solutions business.

Data

1

Our touchless switch uses precision sensor technologythat can sense a person’s palm even when wearing
gloves. As developers, we were also keen about theproduct’s look. Since it is intended for use in not only
industrial settings, but also public facilities and otherplaces where it will be seen by many people, we opted
for a simple but stylish design that would blend in withthe surroundings.
We were particular about the details. For example,
we explored different lens structures to keep the lightring clearly visible despite its thin profile.

Governance

IDEC Report 2023

Touchless switch

Foundation For Value
Creation

Joystick“XP series”

The “XP series” is a new lineup of midsize joysticks developed in the UK thatare compact and robust. They featurehigh environmental tolerance, withdust and water resistance backed by
an IP67 rating, and are suitable forboth indoor and outdoor applications.
They are combined with various other
APEM products to offer multifunctional
solutions and customizable options.
Two types of handles are available,
making it possible to design products
tailored to each customer’s needs.
The selection of functions and handles
will be expanded in 2023.

Junior Associate
HMI & Panel Product Development Department
IDEC CORPORATIONBusiness Strategy

Mid-size joysticks that serve
diverse customer needs andoffer high environmental
tolerance

Tatsumi Nakamura

Value Creation Story

Safety commander“HT4P series”

High-performance but cheap off-theshelf tablet devices are now often
used as control terminals for robots
at manufacturing sites. Tablets usednear hazardous spots need to beequipped with safety devices such as
an emergency-stop switch, and they
are also required from the standpointof safety standards.
To serve this need, we globallymarket safety commander productsthat can be simply attached to diverse
tablets to provide safety functions. In
October 2022, we released the “HT4Pseries”, which incorporates new features
such as wired LAN connectivity.

A fusion of advanced sensor
technology with a stylish design

Remote control

HMI (Human-Machine Interface)28