The year is still 2019, but the world is a different place, with smart homes and automated factories in every city. Almost everything is controlled today by virtual assistants using sensors and actuators. Director Ridley Scott gave us a glimpse of a connected world driven by advanced automation technology, set against a backdrop of smart cities and flying vehicles, through his famous movie, the Blade Runner. Watching the film, it makes us wonder if, what the director envisioned decades ago, is within our grasp. But this goal is not entirely far-fetched for SICK, a provider of smart sensor solutions that has set out to transform various processes ranging from factory automation to logistics automation.

SICK owes its rich history of innovation to Dr. E. H. Erwin Sick, a renowned innovator, who recognized the potential of intelligent electronics and set up his own company back in 1946. In the years that followed, SICK developed into a global provider of intelligent solutions for industrial automation technology. Today, it is one of the world's leading producers of sensors and sensor solutions for industrial applications. From factory automation to logistics automation and process automation, SICK's sensor solutions are creating the foundation for controlling processes securely and efficiently. Headquartered in Waldkirch, Germany, the company ranks among the global technological market leaders. With more than 50 subsidiaries and equity investments as well as numerous agencies, SICK maintains a presence all around the globe. Since the 2019 fiscal year, SICK had more than 10,000 employees worldwide and group revenue of around EUR 1.8 billion.

SICK offers a comprehensive suite of factory automation solutions for a diversified range of industries, including automotive, consumer goods, mechanical engineering, electronics, solar, and drive technology. Its coherent systems, such as the non-contact sensors, camera systems, encoders, and distance measurement equipment, all serve to carry out quality assurance, ensure machine safety, and facilitate seamless control for manufacturing, packaging, and assembly processes.

Especially when it comes to automation and drive technology, SICK's systems are not only precise and reliable but also safely record, monitor, and control movements. Standardized communication interfaces and simple integration into the control environment and the cloud are also imperative. SICK's intelligent sensors easily fit all these specifications, powering a range of robust products designed to take on the challenges presented by the most advanced drive solutions.

Most notable are the building safety and security solutions delivered by SICK. The automated products are designed to protect public buildings, industrial facilities, critical infrastructures, private homes, or material assets from vandalism, theft, terrorism, and intrusion. The sensor-based protective solutions offered by SICK complement the protection provided by guards and mechanical equipment, and are suitable for stationary, portable, and mobile applications. The solutions also take a concentric approach to extend response times, ensuring perimeter protection, object monitoring, and surveillance of building exteriors and interiors.

To further illustrate the capabilities of SICK, we can explore the case study of a Swiss machine builder, BalTec. The company had just upgraded one of its products with servomotors, making it fast and efficient. Their goal was to develop a robust and comprehensive solution, as reflected in the approach they had taken to ensure the best possible machine safety for their product. The company was not willing to make any compromise when it came to safety standards. Not satisfied with merely meeting the safety regulations, the company decided to incorporate state-of-the-art safety features. Their search for such a provider inevitably led them to SICK. The engineers at BalTec decided to use the deTec4 core light curtain, the STR1 transponder safety switch, and the TR10 Lock safety locking device from SICK. The utilization of these devices for access protection enabled the company to provide the highest standard of safety for every variant of the solutions, thus garnering an outstanding reputation in their target market.

Orchestrating a trove of success stories such as this, SICK is set to become an instrumental provider of intelligent sensor solutions in Europe. Through its unique and best-in-class line of innovative and advanced product portfolio, the company is determined to alter the trajectory of automation technology, steering it onto the fast-track of development. Considering that change is the only constant when it comes to technological evolution, SICK is headstrong in establishing the highest quality standards in the manufacturing landscape.