SICK has acquired, with effect from October 1, MICAS’ industrial business. In the future, SICK will be able to offer collision prevention systems with radar sensors.
SICK AG, Waldkirch, has acquired, effective October 1, 2014, the industrial radar sensor business of MICAS AG, Oelsnitz, and thus expanded its technology portfolio for port applications, mines and heavy industry. In a so-called asset deal, SICK has purchased MICAS’ entire technical know-how for the production of industrial radar sensors as well as the associated customer data. This acquisition takes SICK another step forward on its growth path. Radar sensors are used primarily for collision prevention in ports and open-pit mines. In the future, MICAS will focus on its main business segment, Building Automation, offering sensors for sanitary installations, kitchens and heating systems as well as light sensors.
With the acquired technology, SICK, a leading manufacturer of intelligent sensors and sensor solutions for the factory, logistics and process automation, has supplemented its broad portfolio of intelligent sensor solutions. The purchase of the industrial radar sensors from MICAS provides SICK with access to technology that, hitherto, has not been available in the SICK Group. Radar sensors can reliably detect large objects even in adverse weather conditions or despite significant pollution. They are used to prevent collisions and measure distances in large and mobile systems such as gantry cranes and ship-to-shore cranes in ports and booms of open pit excavators and dump trucks in the mining industry. In addition to the widely used optical time-of-flight technology, SICK gets immediate access to another proven technology thanks to the deal with MICAS. SICK also plans to use the RAS 400 industrial radar sensors from MICAS to open up further areas of application.
MICAS is selling its industrial business because the “Industrial Radar Sensors” segment, which serves mainly port and mine operators, cannot be sustainably developed without a globally operating sales organization. MICAS has therefore decided to focus on its core business of building automation. The asset deal includes only the transfer of know-how for industrial applications and the associated customer data, the entire staff and production equipment will remain at the Saxon SME.
SICK is one of the world’s leading producers of sensors and sensor solutions for industrial applications. Founded in 1946 by Dr.-Ing. e. h. Erwin Sick, the company with headquarters in Waldkirch im Breisgau near Freiburg ranks among the technological market leaders. With more than 50 subsidiaries and equity investments as well as numerous representative offices, SICK maintains a presence around the globe. In the fiscal year 2013, SICK had more than 6,500 employees worldwide and achieved Group sales of EUR 1,009.5 million. Further information on SICK is available on the Internet at www.sick.com or at +49 7681 202-3148.
MICAS AG stands for innovative, individual and high-quality sensor and electronic products for building automation. Since its inception in 2000, MICAS AG has developed into an internationally operating, medium-sized market leader in the area of customized sensor solutions “made in Germany”.