LK Samyang, Schneider to develop industrial lens

[Courtesy of LK Samyang]

South Korean optics company LK Samyang announced on Monday that it signed a strategic partnership agreement with German lens manufacturer Schneider. The duo will collaborate on the development, production, and sales of machine vision and other industrial lenses. Schneider, founded in 1913 in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, initially focused on photographic and cinematic lenses and has since become a dominant player in the industrial lens market, operating in over 60 countries worldwide.

“This partnership combines Schneider’s optical technology with LK Samyang’s accumulated expertise in autofocus and aspherical lens technologies,” LK Samyang CEO Koo Bon-wook said.

Autofocus technology allows cameras and lenses to automatically focus, enabling even novice users to capture sharp images easily.

The two companies plan to establish a joint venture, tentatively named ‘LK Schneider,’ in the first quarter of 2025. LK Samyang will provide production facilities and support software development and system integration based on its autofocus technology. Schneider will contribute its expertise in optical design, development, technical consulting, and patent support.

The joint venture aims to develop and commercialize custom optical modules and will manage sales in the Korean market. It also intends to serve as a strategic base for production and expansion into the Asian market, including China. The primary focus of the joint venture will be machine vision lenses, which are extensively used in quality inspection across various industries, including semiconductors, displays, and secondary batteries.

LK Samyang aims to leverage its advanced camera lens technology to increase the revenue share from new business areas, aiming for it to make a 60 percent contribution to total sales by 2030.