BMHR 2016
30 \
World Cement
WORLD CEMENT INTERVIEW
Factory Automation
Our factory automation department covers all sensor
tasks that are required for automatic manufacturing in
any factory. The purpose is to count, classify, position or
define the shapes of all products and to determine the
relevant position details. It also provides industrial safety
in the factories. SICK offers solutions for the prevention of
accidents and protection of human being with its special
sensors and systems.
Logistics Automation
Our logistics automation department serves for designing
and optimising the systems to be used in the logistics
and distribution operations. In those business sites where
the flow of materials should be automated or where
classification, definition and storage operations should
be more efficient, faster and reliable, SICK offers the
best solution possible for the automation of the logistics
departments.
Process Automation
Our process automation department covers gas and dust
analysis systems in the industrial facilities, mass flow rate
measurement system as well as gas and dust sensors in
order to control the ventilation in the tunnels. The aim here
is to increase productivity by enabling continuous control
with the help of measurements to be performed in all
phases of the process and to offer environmentally friendly
solutions by meeting the regulatory requirements relating
to the measurement of gas and dust emissions. SICK
process automation department supports the users with its
extensive experience and innovative approach that enables
our customers to select the most suitable technology.
Q.
The industry must have been very
different when the company was
founded. How have things developed?
A.
SICK started business with dust measurement
analysers. During the years the requirements
for CEMS increased and several gas components
like SO
2
, CO and NO
X
have been added. Today SICK offers
the complete package for CEMS measurement, dust
measurement, flow measurement and gas measurement.
For gas measurement SICK is unique in offering cold dry-,
hot wet extractive systems and in situ analysers for the
requested gas components. Beside the CEMS measurement,
today SICK also has a good reputation in the cement
market for various process measurement applications.
Q.
How do you see the market for
level measurement and monitoring
systems, particularly in the cement
industry? Can you comment on geographical
trends?
A.
Africa and South East Asia are the markets
with biggest growth potential for the Cement
Industry. Former countries of the Soviet Union
and India also have big growth potential.
Q.
Can you talk about some of your
early projects, and how these
compare to projects now?
A.
When we started our business in the cement
industry we were asked only for a single dust
measurement analyser. Only a few competitors
were active in the market. Competition increased,
prices for analysers dropped due to automation and
globalization, so today SICK offers a wide spectrum of
emission monitoring and process monitoring analysers for
the cement industry.
Q.
SICK has offices around the world.
How did this expansion occur – i.e.
where did it begin and when and
how has it expanded?
A.
At the beginning of the 70s, the company began
to expand internationally. The first subsidiary was
founded in France in 1972, which was quickly
followed by a sales company in the USA in 1975. Increasing
globalisation led to various developments, including the
founding of subsidiaries in Spain, Finland, and Singapore.
It was also during this period that Erwin Sick Engineering
GmbH (based in Dresden) was founded, along with a new
production site in Hungary. Thanks to globalisation, the
company continued to grow. Development and production
facilities were set up in Singapore, Malaysia, and the USA
to provide better support for customers based in Asia and
America.
Q.
What is the ownership structure
today and does this have any
bearing on the way the company
operates?
