Internationally active: stable turnover in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Innovative: high demand for AirCube and EXCube

Interconnected: KickOff at IndustryFusion

Far-sighted: Onboarding for 26 new employees

Coesfeld, January 2022. "After the particularly challenging year 2020, we as an internationally active manufacturer of special systems benefited last year from the more optimistic economic mood, which was noticeable for us through a greater willingness to invest on the part of companies, especially in the area of large-scale projects and special plant construction," says TEKA Managing Director Simon Telöken, looking back contentedly and he adds: "In handling the projects, we were able to count internationally on our established dealer network and lived customer proximity with high service quality." For maintaining contact with dealers and customers, TEKA relied on learned digital tools, as in 2020, wherever quarantine or travel restrictions made on-site support difficult and international industry trade fairs could not take place. The personal exchange with German trade partners could be cultivated in many cases through workshops at the Weseke Communication Centre. Thus TEKA closed the year 2021 once again at a stable turnover level.

The plant manufacturer, which has been well-known for over 25 years, especially in the metalworking industry, is known for its dynamism in product developments and is often regarded as an innovation leader. In 2021, two new products were launched internationally. Just last December, the family-owned company presented a new generation of filter technology with the AirCube under the motto "Smart Filtering". The AirCube product promise is to be more efficient, more sustainable and, above all, smarter than all filter units currently available on the market. The intelligent system enables resource-saving work and at the same time offers more efficiency in extraction and filtering. Its intelligent technology offers greater process reliability for high-quality products. With different power ratings - 5.5 kW, 7,5 kW and 11 kW - the digitalised filter and extraction technology can thus also move into small and medium-sized companies. The AirCube meets the Ready-To-Go standards of the IBN 4.0 association. It extends service lives and can, for example, independently decide whether to use exhaust or recirculating air in Smart Factory operation. It saves compressed air and electricity, reduces energy costs and CO₂ emissions and can be automatically controlled depending on the process. Especially because the AirCube is delivered smart and ready to plug in, the company expects strong sales impulses here.

A few months earlier, TEKA launched the EXCube, a special system that offers more safety when handling explosive materials. "Here we were definitely able to close a gap in the market and do more for the health protection of workers," says Simon Telöken. As a highly efficient filter unit, the EXCube is especially suitable for the safe and effective separation of explosive dusts of dust explosion class ST 1 (Kst < 200 bar*m/s with a minimum ignition energy of > 10 mJ, a firing rate <= 2 and a maximum explosion overpressure pmax = 9 bar) during processing. After only one year of development, the unit was introduced to the market as a series product and is mainly used for aluminium cutting. TEKA recorded an equally high demand in the area of its established central units, such as the FILTERCUBE.

As a medium-sized company, TEKA is extremely flexible at its new headquarters in Coesfeld and offers a high vertical range of manufacture. "The supply shortages eased somewhat for us in 2021. We are looking at a relatively solid purchasing situation with largely plannable purchase prices. The situation looks tense when it comes to purchasing electrical parts," reports Mr Telöken.

TEKA is a partner of the first hour in the IndustryFusion Foundation, which pursues the goal of securing Europe's digital sovereignty and competitiveness through intelligent connection of the manufacturing industry. So TEKA is actively involved in the further development of the open-source Ilot networking solution Industry-Fusion, first presented in 2021, which can be used for the networking of Smart Factories and Smart Products. "The AirCube is just the beginning. We are convinced that, together with partners, we can develop strong digital solutions for the industry towards the Smart Factory," emphasises Simon Telöken.

For about a year now, TEKA has been operating from its headquarters in Coesfeld by merging all its divisions there. All production and administrative processes converge on the 12,000 square metre site in a process-optimised manner. "At our headquarters, we are constantly adapting to the situational requirements of the pandemic situation, e.g. through new room structures. At the same time, digital working, home office and remote customer service remain learned culture." With an optimistic view of further corporate growth, TEKA also set the course through personnel growth last year. In 2021 alone, 23 new employees were hired in the areas of sheet metal working, IT, engineering, construction, warehousing, electrical production, assembly, work preparation and marketing, as well as three apprentices.

Caption (Headquarters): At its headquarters in Coesfeld, TEKA adapts flexibly to the situational requirements of the pandemic. With staff growth, the course was set for the future.

Caption (TEKA management): TEKA Managing Director Simon Telöken (l.) looks back with satisfaction on a dynamic and innovative 2021 business year with stable turnover.