Milestones in SIKORA history
| 1972 | Development of the first non-contact measurement device for continuous measurement of insulation wall thickness and concentricity at the cable production |
| 1973 | Foundation of the one-man company HARALD SIKORA in Bremen |
| 1974 | Development of the first non-contact position sensor "sag control" for CV lines by Harald Sikora |
| 1975 | First employees recruited |
| 1979 | Commutation of the one-man company HARALD SIKORA into SIKORA INDUSTRIEELEKTRONIK GMBH. In 1996 Harry Prunk becomes the third partner of the GmbH. |
| 1980s | Usage of early CCD linear sensors (similar to todays sensors used for digital cameras) for diameter measurement of a wire or cable during the production process. This method could determine product size by evaluating the illuminated pixels adjacent to a shadow cast on the array. |
| 1990s | Delivery of the first X-RAY 8000 for wall thickness measurement of multilayered medium, high and extra high voltage cables directly after the extruder crosshead in a CV tube of up to 200m length. By implementing a well engineered mechanical design and revolutionary measurement analysis software, the measured data is displayed in a split second, without any need for calibrating or entering material absorption factors. |
| 1991 | Setting up of a representative office in Connecticut/ USA and China |
| 1997 | Setting up of a representative office in Turkey |
| 1998 | Setting up of a representative office in Ukraine |
| 2000 | Commutation of the representative office in the USA into a branch office located in Peachtree City, Georgia
The success of the X-RAY 8000 is transferred to a modern series of measurement devices, the X-RAY 2000 system, designed for wire and cable jacketing and insulating lines. This system meets the industry’s need for a reliable solution to measure the wall thickness, which has not been possible with alternative technologies in the past. Its success is not only shown by the number of units sold in the wire and cable industry, but also by the units sold in other industries like hose and tube. |
| 2001 | Commutation of the representative office in Ukraine into a branch office |
| 2002 | Commutation of the SIKORA INDUSTRIEELEKTRONIK GMBH into the SIKORA AG stock company. The previous managers Harald Sikora and Harry Prunk are elected into the executive board. The supervising board consists of Wolfgang van Hettinga, Martin Siemer and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Sikora. Mr. Wolfgang van Hettinga takes the chair for 5 years. The new legal form sets the cornerstone for a long-term continuance of the company. The supervisory board ensures economic success and consistency for the future. |
| 2004 | Setting up of representative offices in India and Korea |
| 2005 | Commutation of the representative office in China into a branch office
Setting up of a branch office in Italy |
| 2006 | Setting up of a representative office in Russia
Construction of a new building for R&D at Bremen headquarters |
| 2007 | Induction and acquisition of the new building.
Development of the X-RAY 8000 NXT. With this version of the X-RAY 8000 NXT, multi sensor detectors are used as receivers for the X-ray signal. The SIKORA MultiSensor Technology in combination with the high speed scanners assures reliable and precise measurements of medium, high and extra high voltage cables, even if the cable should vibrate or bounce due to production conditions. Commutation of the representative office in India into a branch office Commutation of the representative office in Russia into a branch office Leasing of new business premises for the purchasing department |
| 2008 | Rotative change in the supervisory board: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Sikora becomes chairman, Wolfgang van Hettinga and Martin Siemer stay in the board.
Commutation of the representative office in Korea into a branch office Setting up of a service office in Egypt The SIKORA AG ranks 18th among the 100 future medium-sized world market leaders in Germany. Under the title"“Exclusive ranking of the fastest growing medium-sized companies – Germans upcoming world champions“ Prof. Venohr made the evaluation for the German newspaper and magazines Handelsblatt and Wirtschaftswoche. |
| 2009 | Setting up of a branch office in Turkey
Setting up of a branch office in France Setting up of a branch office in Japan Harald Sikora and Harry Prunk are awarded "Entrepreneur of the year 2009" |