Measuring technology specialist SIKORA celebrates 50th anniversary

In 1972, Harald Sikora, a 36-year-old living in Bremen, Germany, invented a non-contact measuring device for the continuous measurement of cable insulation, wall thickness and concentricity during manufacturing. This technology that later established itself as a global standard became the basis for a start-up. From the very beginning, the pursuit of perfection was part of the young electrical engineer’s guiding principle: "There is nothing that cannot be done better. And that works best with clever ideas, passion and an ear for the customer." An attitude that characterizes SIKORA’s culture through today.
On November 1, 1973, with the foundation of Harald Sikora's one-man business, the company's success story began, driven by a multitude of technological advances. 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, which uses line sensors to enable non-contact diameter measurement of wires and cables in the production process, also conquered the market. The company grew, and in 1979, it changed its name to SIKORA INDUSTRIEELEKTRONIK GMBH.

1990s: Growing product portfolio and internationalization
In the 90s, SIKORA added many more products to its portfolio. Among them were X-ray devices for measuring the wall thickness of three-layer medium, high and extra-high voltage cables during the cable production. These devices display the measuring results in fractions of a second and enable the operator to immediately make any needed adjustments. Even today, X-ray measuring devices from SIKORA are part of the industry standard for CV lines. Worldwide, approximately 1,800 devices are installed and ensure reliable quality control. SIKORA meets the global demand for measuring devices from 1991 on and has established a worldwide sales network, with the first representative offices in the USA and China.

2000s: Further diversification
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 measuring devices. They were designed for the measurement of wall thicknesses in core and sheathing lines, which was not previously possible. With the next generation of X-ray measuring systems for the high-voltage cable production, SIKORA gained a market share of approximately 90 percent worldwide in the power cable segment. In 2000, the first subsidiary opened in the USA, followed by China and Italy. Over the next several years, numerous other international locations opened. This success was echoed in the 2002 decision to transform 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. X-ray and laser technologies became standard here as well. In 2009, the entry into the glass fiber market with innovative measuring devices for quality control in the drawing tower began. In addition to the focus on quality, material efficiency and sustainability have become critical over the years. Economic in addition to ecological advantages gain importance in quality control. SIKORA measuring devices assist manufacturers in these endeavors by reducing material and scrap.