German plant and machinery engineering group Siempelkamp has acquired the SicoScan measurement technology from Electronic Wood Systems (EWS) in Hameln, Germany.
The move follows the Kronospan Group’s acquisition of a majority stake in measuring-electronics manufacturer EWS – reported by industry publication EUWID.
Siempelkamp said its move will safeguard and directly control its core technology assets following the structural changes at its former partner.
As a result, Siempelkamp will take over production, worldwide sales and service, and research and development (R&D) for the entire SicoScan product line, manufacturing the systems in-house to its established quality standards.
EWS will continue to operate independently for its direct customers, remaining their contact for products, service, maintenance and installation.
The company will continue to offer and distribute its wider product portfolio globally.
Support for SicoScan systems already installed in the field has been integrated into Siempelkamp’s global service network with immediate effect.
Customers using the “Prod-IQ” process control system will retain exclusive control over remote access permissions and connections to the programmable logic controller.
This acquisition is part of an organisational realignment already under way, stating it establishes clear lines of responsibility and secures long-term development of the SicoScan range.
The company plans to focus on enhancing existing measurement technology products and pursuing innovations.
Among the systems now fully under Siempelkamp’s control is the SicoScan NEO, which provides high-resolution analysis of basis weight distribution and detects foreign particles directly after the prepress.
Siempelkamp said this capability underpins its closed-loop “adaptive spreading” system, allowing consistent spreading precision automatically without human intervention.
Initially successful in the MDF sector, Siempelkamp is now expanding the application to OSB and particleboard industries.
