Celebrating 20 years of Triaxis®: insights from the team behind the innovation
This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Triaxis®, our 3D magnetic sensor technology. It has revolutionized how our customers can measure movement and position across a wide range of industries. From pedal or steering angle position sensors in (electric) vehicles to joysticks, robots, and wheelchairs. This milestone wouldn’t have been possible without the collective contributions of a talented and dedicated team. Let's explore how one of our most iconic technologies came to life.
The early days of Triaxis®
Christian Schott, Senior Staff Sensor Design Engineer, reflects on the origins of this revolutionary technology: "My journey with Triaxis® began even before I started working at Melexis, back when I was a PhD student at EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, partnering with SENTRON, a tech start-up. Alongside my supervisor Prof. Popovic and colleague Hubert Blanchard, we had this lightbulb moment of combining Hall elements with a thin ferromagnetic layer on top, which opened up a new universe of 3D measurement. Scaling the technology to mass production wasn’t simple, but thanks to the cross-functional collaboration of innovative engineers, Melexis transformed a low-volume solution into a revolutionary product, the technology which we later coined as Triaxis®."
At some point, the team knew that they invented something groundbreaking. Christian recalls: “To test the market’s reaction, we published our work and began participating in trade fairs and discovered that people were enthusiastic about our innovation. People were even queuing up at our booth to talk with us. At that point, we knew this could become something big and it did not come as a surprise when Melexis decided to acquire us.”
The road to success was not without challenges: scaling from handmade prototypes to automotive-grade mass production required ingenuity and teamwork. Marc Biron, CEO of Melexis, reminisces about the importance of cross-functional collaboration during the early years: "One of the best experiences in my career was leading the Triaxis® project team in 2004. It was the largest team in the company’s history at the time, and it taught me the power of teamwork. Today, Melexis continues to emphasize team capabilities over individual abilities for success."
Engineering excellence in action
As Triaxis® evolved, the contributions of experts like Matthieu van Malleghem were instrumental. Now a Principal Data Scientist, Matthieu joined the project during its industrialization and manufacturing phases as a Project Engineer. He fondly remembers the many innovations that were introduced to bring Triaxis® to life: "I contributed to the launch of Triaxis® by tackling challenges like introducing new 200 mm wafer processes, automating calibration methods, and with the integration of new testers, and dedicated handlers. Later, I worked on formalizing calibration processes and led efficiency programs to address capacity constraints. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the scale of production today, with millions of sensors tested and shipped each month."
The journey wasn’t just about technical innovation. For Eric Lahaye, now Product Manager, back then working as an Application Engineer, the work was personal: "I grew up at Melexis alongside Triaxis® technology. My role evolved from testing early prototypes to managing an entire portfolio of products. The best part of my job has always been solving customer challenges and seeing them succeed in production with our solutions. It’s a privilege to work in an environment where mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn."
A legacy of innovation
Over the past two decades, Triaxis® has continued to evolve, incorporating features like magnetic stray field immunity and functional safety to meet the demands of critical applications, such as automotive braking and steering. The technology has also been scaled for efficiency, with the introduction of advanced 3D testing machines that have reduced test times by a factor of five.
Reflecting on the legacy of Triaxis®, Matthieu shares career advice for aspiring engineers: "Don’t overlook positions close to manufacturing. The product exists because of R&D, but producing it at scale comes with unique challenges that teach you about equipment, data science, and problem-solving. These roles offer incredible opportunities for growth."
Vincent Hiligsmann, in charge of Business Innovations, shares the insights he has gained from his experience: “My experience with Triaxis® has taught me that a winning formula for exponential “hockey stick” growth is the right innovative product, protected by strong intellectual property, that addresses genuine market needs at the right time with minimal competition.”
Pushing the boundaries of technology
As we celebrate 20 years of Triaxis®, we honor the innovation and the collaborative spirit that made it possible. From the initial brainstorming sessions in a start-up lab to today’s high-volume production lines, Triaxis® is a testament to what can be achieved when creative minds come together to push the boundaries of technology.
Vincent concludes by reflecting on the key factors that were vital to the tremendous success of Triaxis®: “The unwavering support from a committed, multi-disciplinary team at Melexis (development, process, operations, quality, logistics, legal, sales, application engineering, etc.) was instrumental in our success. Their "do whatever it takes" attitude enabled us to attract and nurture a growing customer base, including early adopters, while effectively fending off competition. This collaborative spirit and dedication were incredibly inspiring and rewarding. What could be better as a testimony, than nearly 3 billion Triaxis® products in the field?"
We are proud of this remarkable milestone. Here's to many more years of innovation and success!
