SICK NZ Limited

SICK AG: Sensor Intelligence.
In line with its brand claim “Sensor Intelligence.”, the SICK Group focuses on the development, production, and distribution of sensors, systems, and services for industrial automation technology. The company was founded by Dr. Erwin Sick in Vaterstetten near Munich in 1946. Business activities centre on creating added value for customers from a wide range of target industries with intelligent sensor solutions. SICK offers these solutions globally in the form of components, systems including software, or individual services for the business fields of factory automation, logistics automation, and process automation.

BUSINESS FIELDS
The business field factory automation is represented in many industries. In addition to the automotive industry and the field of consumer goods, these include mechanical engineering, electronics and solar industries as well as drive technology. The most important tasks performed by the non-contact sensors and camera systems as well as the encoders and distance measurement systems in this field include controlling manufacturing, packaging, and assembly procedures as well as quality assurance. With special sensors that reliably detect invisible labelling, SICK protects against product and brand piracy, thus making a major contribution to the safety of customers and consumers. In order to safely exclude hazards to employees in the area of hazardous machines, such as robots, SICK products, complete systems and software solutions for safety technology identify and avoid those possible accident hazards. With the help of the bar code, 2D code, and RFID identification technologies as well as volume measurement technology, processes are managed to ensure top-quality end products while at the same time guaranteeing seamless tracking of packaging, an article, or an electronic component.
The logistics automation business field designs and optimizes the entire logistics chain by automating material flows or making sorting, picking, warehousing and transportation processes more efficient, faster, and more reliable. Identifying and directing baggage on transportation and sorting units at airports is one of the areas where solutions from the logistics automation business field are used. Logistics centres, as well as numerous courier, express, parcel and postal service providers, use bar code readers and volume measurement systems from SICK to deliver millions of packages each year quickly and reliably to the recipient’s front door. SICK solutions in the distribution centres of well-known retail groups, clothing companies, automotive manufacturers, or specialist retail chains are also responsible for example for keeping the shelves in retail outlets or boutiques constantly filled and for supplying car salesrooms and garages with supplies and spare parts at short notice. At the same time, the field of mobile automation with autonomous guides vehicles / autonomous guided carts (AGV/AGC) equipped with SICK sensors is also growing more and more. The automation of seaports is another domain in which SICK’s business field logistics automation operates. In this field, laser scanners have proved their worth in preventing cranes from colliding as well as in positioning containers or track monitoring for container transporters. In the field of traffic, SICK sensors are used in toll systems as well as in controlling ventilation and air circulation systems, thus improving air quality and safety in tunnels.

The process automation supplies sensors as well as tailored system solutions and services for analysis and process measurement technology. With a wide range of products for gas analysis, the concentration of a large number of substances in gas mixtures can be measured, continuously. When measuring emissions, they monitor the legally prescribed gas components, accurately record dust and particle emissions and measure volume throughput. For this purpose, SICK offers complete systems that evaluate and store data. Fast measuring in-situ devices are used to control the cleaning of combustion exhaust gases. And, with its ultrasonic technology, SICK is a leader in the precise flow measurement of natural gas in the pipeline distribution network. Other process gases and steam is also measured with high precision. Measurement technology from SICK makes a valuable contribution to resource-saving plant control and emission monitoring in the power plant industry, on ships, in steel and cement plants, in chemical and petrochemical industries, and in the gas industry. SICK thus contributes to the preservation of an environment worth living in.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
In view of the tough competitive environment, continuous investment is needed in research and development (R&D) to retain our leading market position. At SICK, innovation has one central objective, namely to help customers master a complex problem. In this way, our components, system solutions, and services ensure that productivity is raised, flexibility is increased, or resources are effectively used.