EuroWire May 2023

Corporate News

The first Sikora company building

The headquarters of Sikora AG in Bremen

Measuring technology specialist celebrates 50 th anniversary

plastic pellets, marking its entry into the plastics industry. In the tube, pipe and hose market, a millimetre wave-based measuring system for plastic pipes was introduced. The company continued to grow, and in 2019 opened a new four-storey building in Bremen, Germany, for production, R&D and other employees to have spacious and creative working environments. Within 50 years, the one-man operation has grown into a globally active manu facturer and supplier of measurement, control and inspection technologies. With the help of its measuring systems, manufacturers can save plastic material, making production more economical and simultaneously protecting the environ ment. The company states that by using its measuring devices, up to five million fewer tons of carbon dioxide are released annually, because less plastic material is produced. “I am very proud and humbled by how the company has developed over the 50 years,” said Harald Sikora. “Then, as now, the secret of Sikora’s success is characterised by innovations that always keep the customer one step ahead in the market; our passion for the products and the consistent focus of all activities are on the customers.” Sikora AG www.sikora.net

The success of the X-ray measuring system for CV lines was the basis for the development of an advanced new series of X-ray devices for the measurement of wall thicknesses in core and sheathing lines. With the next generation of X-ray measuring systems for high-voltage cable production, Sikora gained a market share of approximately 90 per cent worldwide in the power cable segment. In 2000, the company’s first subsidiary opened in the USA, followed by China and Italy. In the following years, numerous other international locations opened. In 2002, the decision was made to trans- form Sikora Industrieelektronik GmbH into the stock corporation Sikora AG. Since 2004, Sikora has applied the experience gained in the cable industry to the hose, pipe and tube market, where X-ray and laser technologies also became standard. In 2009, the company entered the glass fibre market with measuring devices for quality control in the drawing tower. The extended product portfolio and an increase in employees were influential in the 2011 decision to construct a new building for R&D and service at the headquarters. At the same time, in line with the succession plan, the company was divided into two business segments: Sikora Holding GmbH & Co KG and Sikora AG. For the first time, Sikora launched a system for the inspection and sorting of

Sikora is looking back on its company history as it celebrates its 50 th anniver- sary this year. Since 1973, it has been developing and producing measuring and control technology to increase customers’ productivity. In 1972, Harald Sikora invented a non contact measuring device for the continu ous measurement of cable insulation, wall thickness and concentricity during manu facturing. This technology became the basis for a start-up. On 1 November 1973, Mr Sikora founded his one-man business. An inductive measuring method for power cables that measures the position of the cable, the so-called sag, made the company well known in the high voltage cable industry. Laser technology, using line sensors to enable non-contact diameter measurement of wires and cables in the production process, also gained popularity. The company grew, and in 1979 changed its name to Sikora Industrieelektronik GmbH. In the 1990s, Sikora added many more products to its portfolio, including X-ray devices for measuring the wall thickness of three-layer medium, high and extra high voltage cables during production. These devices display the measuring results in fractions of a second and enable the operator to immediately make any needed adjustments. Worldwide, approximately 1,800 devices are installed to ensure reliable quality control.

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May 2023