Infineon and Vorwerk Join Forces to Weave the Future

Jul 15, 2003 | Market News

Munich, July 15, 2003 – Carpets with woven-in “intelligence” could soon be produced on the looms of Vorwerk. The company’s carpet plant in Hameln has signed a cooperation agreement with Infineon Technologies. The two companies are joining forces on the development of a marketable solution and plan to present an initial prototype by the end of 2004.

In May of this year, Infineon first presented the concept for the integration of microelectronics in textile surfaces, which makes it possible to create floor coverings with a self-organizing network of robust chips. Vorwerk is the first partner from the textile industry who will work with Infineon to further develop this concept into a solution that enhances the Technology Lifestyle of individuals.

Custom floor solutions for every building



The enabling technology presented by Infineon makes it possible to embed sensor functions, such as monitors for pressure, temperature or vibration, directly into woven fabric materials. This permits the use of the intelligent fabrics as motion or fire sensors or for the control of air-conditioning and alarm systems. Woven-in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can also convert the textiles into versatile signs or advertising media. This makes the technology a perfect match for custom floor solutions in the large and small objects business as offered by Vorwerk Teppichwerke. The Vorwerk group with 46,400 employees and expert advisors in over 50 countries is the world’s leading direct-selling provider of high-end household appliances. The family-owned business achieved total revenues of 1.57 billion euros in 2002.

“With Vorwerk, we won a major provider from the domain of textile floor solutions as a partner,” comments Dr. Werner Weber from the emerging technology research department at Infineon. “Vorwerk’s proven industry expertise and our own semiconductor know-how are the best prerequisites for the ability to offer innovative Technology Lifestyle Solutions. We will now engage in a joint research project to create initial functional demonstrators, which are then bound to find their way from the lab into textile production as quickly as possible.”

Rolf Schaal, President of Vorwerk Teppichwerke also welcomes the cooperation: “With this partnership, we take completely new paths in the carpet industry. Innovation has a long tradition at Vorwerk. It has always been our strength to predict changing customer needs and market conditions and to respond to them quickly. We firmly believe that the integration of microelectronics with textiles is another significant step in this direction.”

About Infineon



Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions for the automotive and industrial sectors, for applications in the wired communications markets, secure mobile solutions as well as memory products. With a global presence, Infineon operates in the US from San Jose, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore and in Japan from Tokyo. In fiscal year 2002 (ending September), the company achieved sales of Euro 5.21 billion with about 30,400 employees worldwide. Infineon is listed on the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX). Further information is available at www.infineon.com.

For inquiries to Vorwerk:
Thomas Weber
Head of marketing
Tel.: +49 5151/103 372
Internet: http://www.vorwerk-teppich.de

Information Number

INFCOM200307.106

Press Photos

  • Infineon and Vorwerk Join Forces to Weave the Future
    Infineon and Vorwerk Join Forces to Weave the Future
    Carpet 2

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    Carpet 2

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  • Infineon and Vorwerk Join Forces to Weave the Future
    Infineon and Vorwerk Join Forces to Weave the Future
    Carpet 1

    JPG | 249 kb | 1535 x 1063 px

    Carpet 1

    JPG | 12 kb | 160 x 111 px