Sika Innovation Flash

The first major solo exhibition of renowned architect Ole Scheeren has been opened in Karlsruhe, Germany, and presents a spatial experience of his sculptural architecture in large-scale installations in the museum’s tall atria spaces. Sika did support the exhibition with in-kind sponsoring and has delivered a substantial amount of SikaBlock® M450 and SikaBlock® M700N to facilitate the implementation of the exhibition infrastructure.

Sika has made an investment together with PERI – one of the world’s largest manufacturers of formwork and scaffolding – in the Swiss startup Mesh AG, which created the world’s first robot-assisted technology that produces complex reinforced concrete structures without formwork. This investment is yet another example of how Sika is helping to enable automation and digitalization in the construction industry in addition to technology for 3D concrete print and solutions for modular building.

Conservation of the 20th Century Concrete-based Cultural Heritage: Innovative Materials, Procedures and Awareness.

Sika has joined the Association for the Decarbonization of Industry in Zug, Switzerland, founded in June 2022, as a member. The aim of the association is to develop holistic approaches to CO2 reduction in industrial applications. The focus is on improving the economic viability of hydrogen technologies and integrating them into an ecosystem that will holistically and sustainably reduce CO2 emissions in high-temperature industrial processes and logistics with a secure energy supply. In conjunction with new manufacturing processes for hydrogen production, solid, powdered carbon is also being produced, which is to be further developed into a sustainable resource for construction and agriculture.

Sika supported as Platinum Sponsor the scientific conference "Calcined Clays for Sustainable Concrete 2022". With this partnership and the input delivered by the Sika team, the company gave the proof that it is leading the developments in this domain. The conference was hosted by the renowned Technical University of Lausanne (EPFL) and took place from July 5-7, 2022.

Developing future innovation leaders and embracing key change drivers

Sika has joined Alumobility, a non-profit organization focused on proven innovative solutions to advance the adoption of aluminum automotive body sheet, as new member. Together with experts in a variety of joining techniques for aluminum and other metals, Sika will contribute know-how in bonding, sealing, damping and reinforcing for car body structures and components.

In the fourth Technology Outlook of the Swiss Academy of Technical Sciences SATW, experts assess the potential of 45 promising technologies and application areas with a time horizon of three to five years. The top technologies from an economic point of view are the Internet of Things and Connected Machines, but also new ways of mobility.

Urs Burckhardt is appointed as an individual member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW), the most important network of experts for engineering sciences in Switzerland. The membership is awarded to outstanding experts from the fields of education, research, commerce and industry and politics. They are appointed for life.

Is there a fast way to fix fatigue damaged steel bridges?

To comply with the global trend of sustainability Sika is investigating into sustainable options for adhesives and sealants. Sustainable adhesives combine reduced environmental impact, durability and a formulation, which complies with the most stringent global VOC (volatile organic compounds) requirements, where the claim is to get the VOC emission reduced to the minimum.

Sika innovation to replace teak - The new cool-deck technology of SikaFloor® Marine 595 stands for more comfort and sustainability. Sika developed a polyurethane based floor, which comes with the benefit of being a sustainable product as its resins are bio-sourced. At the same time the solution mimics a teak deck.

The world is running out of sand. However, Sika has the solutions to solve this problem in the construction industry. Sand covers much of the earth’s surface, but sand isn’t just sand. In the industrial world, it’s an “aggregate,” a category that includes gravel, crushed stone, and various recycled materials. Natural aggregate is the world’s second most heavily exploited natural resource after water, and for many uses the right kind is scarce or inaccessible.

In the Chinese market, there is an increasing demand for flat roof refurbishment. The reason might be the replacement of old PVC roofs or the refurbishment of old metal roofs.

Sika has launched the new Sikalastic®-701, the latest generation of Polyurethane Liquid Applied Membranes for roofing applications. Sikalastic®-701 has been already presented at various roofing venues and it has been successfully field tested in Spain, Greece, Dubai and Malaysia.

Hybrid construction, combining wood with concrete and/or steel, has become a promising opportunity for sustainable architecture.

New lightweight concepts for reducing CO2 emissions from vehicles and the trend toward electric vehicles are two global trends that call for new vehicle designs. The use of aluminum profiles and castings is particularly increasing in these areas. Castings are often used as so called nodes for joining profiles. In particular, the bonding of these components by means of adhesives presents new technical challenges. Sika has now developed a new adhesive solution for this purpose.

High Performance Toughening Agent: The SmartCore Technology provides exceptional impact resistance designed to withstand dynamic stresses. It allows Sika to formulate SikaPower® two component cold curing epoxies. This bridges the performance gap to one component heat curing epoxy systems traditionally used to bond automotive lightweight structures and the cold curing 2C-epoxy systems used in construction. Markets: Transportation, Wind, General Industry, Agricultural and Construction Vehicles

Highspeed 3-D Printing has become reality: Automated technologies such as 3-D printing, extrusion, the use of artificial intelligence and virtual reality will revolutionize the construction industry - in particular 3-D printing technology is considered a driver for a paradigm shift in concrete industrialization.

Luz Granizo, Core Technology Head Cementitious Systems, and Michael Danzinger, Core Technology Head Concrete Systems, both are working for different kinds of markets and are explaining the Sika approach to generate, steer and develop innovations from a technological and from a market point of view.

Global Trend: Structural Glazing Facades Ulli Müller, Head of Corporate Marketfield Engineering, and Manuel Friedel, Head of Research and Development of Sika’s Silicone adhesives and sealants, are giving insights into the world of Sika high-strength solutions for facades.

Sika is committed to providing reliable watertight solutions for even the most challenging requirements. The vision was to come up with an innovative product that promotes adhesion to fresh concrete without the need for a fleece backing.

In the Sika Acoustic Test facilities Sika Engineers and application experts perform virtual and physical testing, analyze the results and propose solutions that deliver optimal weight-to-performance ratio for each specific application. The Sika Technology Centers have been designed to support the development, validation, and optimization of sealing, damping, bonding and reinforcing products and solutions.

One proof of Sika's successful strategy is the fact, that resources of acquired companies and brands are used as growth platforms. Two excellent examples are the build up of two Global Technology Centers. Following the acquisition of Liquid Plastics and Incorez in the UK in 2009, Sika has continued to invest in its Preston facilities and into the further development of roof waterproofing and internal floor coatings. Sika's aim is to produce technically advanced and environmentally friendly liquid roofing membranes, positioning Sika as a global leader within this field.

Powerflex is a unique adhesive technology combining advantages of both structural- and elastic adhesives. Powerflex makes the new generation SikaForce® adhesives an effective solution for bonding and assembly of lightweight vehicles, fiberglass boats, metal fabrications and virtually any application that requires a strong, reliable bond.