h-kon specialises in the development of assembly and testing technology processes for battery cells, modules and packs. It offers comprehensive solutions in plant construction, including commissioning, maintenance and service, and thus makes a significant contribution to the infrastructure of the energy and transport transition.
 
As part of this cooperation, ARTEC Engineering GmbH will act as a software service provider in automation technology for h-kon. The focus will be on programming PLC control software, robot applications and high-level language applications required for the development of end-of-line testing technologies.
 
The engineers at ARTEC Engineering GmbH rely on technologies such as C#/WPF for desktop applications as well as Angular, TypeScript and web services for web-based applications. Object-relational mappers (e.g. NHibernate) are used for database connections and XML/XSLT via XMPP or MQTT for the connection of third-party systems.
 
With its 11 employees, ARTEC Engineering GmbH ensures the commissioning and supports the preventive maintenance of h-kon's long-standing customers
 
ARTEC has already contributed to h-kon's success by developing a new, flexible user interface. This successful collaboration is now to be further intensified by the new partnership.
 
Roland Arnold, Managing Partner of h-kon, emphasises the need for strategic partnerships in view of current challenges such as procurement bottlenecks, price trends and a shortage of skilled workers: ‘We are in a rapidly growing market with the construction of battery testing technology systems. Strategic partnerships are therefore the logical way to secure and expand our market position.’
 
In return, ARTEC Engineering GmbH benefits from the Schulz Group's extensive network and can utilise numerous synergies in sales. In this way, h-kon is forging closer ties with one of its most important software suppliers and creating additional growth potential for both companies.
 
ARTEC Engineering GmbH has been successfully managed by Thomas Reiter and Bernd Hofmann since 2002, free of bank obligations and independent of external companies. The company serves markets such as electronics manufacturing, measurement and testing technology, laser lithography, chemical supply and special machine construction. The working methods of the successful engineering office and the close ties to employees and customers reflect the spirit of h-kon.
 
Tobias Reiter from ARTEC sees great opportunities in the partnership: ‘The cooperation with h-kon GmbH opens doors to new sales markets for us, across industries and worldwide.’

This southern German equipment supplier, founded in 2006, is one of the leading German companies in the field of the construction and design of assembly systems. For more than four years, h-kon has specialised in areas such as end-of-line test technology for battery modules and lithium-ion battery packs. In line with the continuous improvement in modern battery modules and systems, the related testing technologies and documentation requirements are likewise ever more demanding. 

Wide-ranging expertise and a spirit of innovation 

For Roland Arnold, CEO and joint partner in h-kon, the firm’s cooperation with this US automotive supplier represents much more than just a single order – together, the two companies intend to make an active contribution to sustainable mobility around the globe: “As important system suppliers of concrete, practical solutions, medium-sized companies like us have a key role to play in the mobility transformation. As a driver of innovation, we are making a decisive contribution to the energy transition. That is our mission at h-kon. And it is precisely in that spirit that we will fulfil this new order.” 

This order placed by the US supplier is the second-largest in h-kon’s history. The final test technology is to be delivered to South Carolina in just nine months. “Many of our design engineers have over 15 years of professional experience. This expertise – together with our spirit of innovation – enables us to realise even highly challenging solutions for our customers in a short period of time,” says Roland Arnold. He adds: “We intend to continue to focus on the industries of the future and will concentrate on end-of-line test systems.” 

Since 2020, h-kon has been majority-owned by the Schulz Group, a corporate group active in the technology sector, providing h-kon with access to its wide-ranging expertise in the fields of robotics and digital factory planning. In 2022, h-kon already won a record order with a volume of EUR 7.5 million. h-kon’s success story is now set to continue in 2023.