Alfred della Torre founded “DETO Electronic Systems GmbH” with the vision of developing technical solutions for mobile conveyor systems and making industrial movement processes more efficient and reliable. Specialising in mobile control systems for rail-guided conveyor systems, the Tyrolean company quickly established itself as a leading component manufacturer in the automotive industry, with its largest customers including the system integrator ROFA Industrial Automation AG, as well as many well-known brands from the automotive sector such as BMW, Audi, VW, etc.

DETO has brought on board a powerful strategic partner in the form of German drive technology and automation specialist Lenze AG, establishing the joint venture “Lenze DETO Drive Systems GmbH & Co. KG” – a key gateway for DETO into new areas of the logistics and material handling sector, and a strategic move for Lenze into the automotive sector.

After Lenze’s withdrawal from the automotive sector, DETO continued to operate independently as a Group and shifted its focus to customer-specific industrial product development. This included electric monorail systems for the system integrator ROFA Industrial Automation AG, specialised carpet-cutting machines, and optical reading systems for the conductor rail manufacturer Paul VAHLE GmbH & Co. KG.

VAHLE and DETO identified closer collaboration as an opportunity to offer mechanical and electronic industrial components as complete solutions, leading to the establishment of the joint venture "Vahle DETO GmbH", headquartered in Tyrol, Austria. The merger created a competence centre for conveyor and control technology for mobile transport systems, particularly for use in industrial production environments within the automotive industry. As the collaboration continued to develop, the joint venture was later rebranded as VAHLE Automation GmbH.

As part of the full acquisition, Alfred della Torre sold his shares in VAHLE Automation GmbH and withdrew from the company as planned to pursue new projects. Under the leadership of the DETO founder, VAHLE Automation successfully developed into the innovation and technology centre for automation solutions within the VAHLE Group. Now fully integrated into the parent company, VAHLE continues to operate the subsidiary as an independent entity.

DETO Automation GmbH continues to focus on innovative automation solutions, offering intelligent components for energy transmission, communication and control in the automotive industry and intralogistics. Its Tyrolean headquarters is supported by its German sales company of the same name. Through strategic partnerships with specialised industrial companies such as MICADO Smart Engineering GmbH, STRATUM 9 GmbH and ENRX IPT GmbH, DETO combines innovative technologies, in-depth expertise and efficient services to create a globally unique offering.

DETO Automation GmbH and the ROFA Group are further expanding their long-standing collaboration and formalising it as a strategic technology partnership. Following their first joint projects around 30 years ago, this step represents the natural evolution of a customer relationship that has grown over many years. By joining forces, both companies are combining their respective strengths to drive forward new solutions for automated conveyor technology and industrial material flow systems.