Company Anniversary of SIKO GmbH

60 Years of Pioneering Sensor Technology and Positioning Systems

This year, SIKO GmbH, the specialist in sensors and positioning systems, looks back on 60 years of eventful history. Since its beginnings with handwheels with position indicators, a lot has happened for the company headquartered in Buchenbach, Germany. SIKO is one of the best-known manufacturers in the field of angle and length measuring systems and has developed into a global player, offering pioneering sensor and positioning systems for industry and mechanical engineering. SIKO has five subsidiaries around the world, employing 250 people, 200 of whom are based in Germany. SIKO products are sold in over 30 countries – from the world-famous “SIKO counter,” a mechanical position indicator, to magnetic encoders and modern draw-wire encoders for hydraulic cylinders. At the same time, the company is committed to its regional roots and in 2020 opened another location in Bad Krozingen, not far from its headquarters, for electronics production and sales/marketing.

The fact that the company is where it is now is due to the history of willingness within the company to think “outside the box” and to initiate innovative projects at the right time.

It all began when the company’s founder Günther Wandres decided to become independent in 1963, selling the drive technology company that he had managed until then. He took over a small product group from the previous company, handwheels with position indicators, which were mainly used for speed control on continuously variable transmissions. He also carried out construction orders and took over an industrial agency for geared motors, from which the name SIKO was born: Süddeutsches Industrie Kontor (South German Industrial Office) Dr. Ing. G. Wandres.

Production grew and soon required more space, resulting in the company adding more production rooms in Unteribental from 1964 onwards. In 1971, the company finally moved to a new production facility in neighboring Buchenbach.

New Products: Electronic Measuring Solutions

The product portfolio continued to develop from the mid-1970s. After the success of the mechanical position indicators, digital position indicators were introduced to the market, which for the first time enabled readings to be taken to the nearest tenth of a millimeter. In addition, the company increasingly devoted itself to developing electronic measuring systems for path and angle measurement, for example, with the first geared potentiometers at the end of the 1970s and the first optoelectronic hollow shaft encoder in 1982. At the beginning of the 1990s, under the aegis of the new managing director Horst Wandres, the youngest son of the SIKO founder, linear measuring systems found their way into the product portfolio. In addition to draw-wire encoders, it was primarily linear measuring systems using a magnetic measuring principle that went on to become the segment with the highest turnover. Horst Wandres received support in 1996 when his sister Ursula Wandres joined the company as HR Manager and played a major role in shaping the family character of the company.

The Age of Automation and New Markets

The age of automation at SIKO began with the introduction of the positioning drives product division in 2001. The compact drives for automated axle adjustment thus paved the way for Industry 4.0-capable sensor and positioning systems.

The expansion of technical know-how was also accompanied by market expansion. Founded in 1980, the subsidiary in the USA was followed in 2001 by another subsidiary in Italy, and in 2005 by a subsidiary in Shanghai resulting from the industry-wide relocation of European production sites to Asia. The subsidiary in Switzerland, which is responsible for the development and production of the MagLine encoder systems, was added in 2008. Thanks to the successful development of the Chinese market, another sales office was established in Singapore in 2013 to mark the company’s 50th anniversary.

Setting the Course for the Future

SIKO has now positioned itself for the future with three business divisions and an additional German production and administration site in Bad Krozingen. In the field of “Mobile Automation,” SIKO relies on robust sensors that are suitable for the harsh operating conditions of mobile machines. “Changeover Solutions” are positioning systems for mechanical engineering, which are primarily in demand in the packaging, pharmaceutical, and woodworking industries. “MagLine Motorfeedback” offers encoders for drive technology such as linear motors and torque motors, as well as for use in robotics applications such as cobots.

Sven Wischnewski, Managing Director of SIKO GmbH since 2014, is largely responsible for setting the course in recent years. Today, members of the Wandres family are active in the background as shareholders, but they are no longer involved in the operational business. For Sven Wischnewski, it is important to emphasize that the company’s success has been driven by the commitment of its employees, who have contributed to the growth of the company in various ways over the years, resulting in innovative products that take into account the advancing digitalization of industrial production.

Profile of SIKO GmbH

• Manufacturer of sensors and positioning systems
• Worldwide distribution with subsidiaries in Switzerland, Italy, China, Singapore, and the USA
• Founded in 1963 
• 250 employees worldwide, 200 employees at locations in Germany
• Supplier and development partner to industry and engineering