Since 1947, Weicon has been producing especially products for the industry in Germany. The range of products includes special adhesives and sealants, technical sprays and high-performance assembly pastes and greases for all areas of industry – from production over repair up to maintenance. Another field of activity is the development, sales and distribution of stripping tools.
The company headquarters is located in Muenster, Germany. Weicon has subsidiaries in Dubai, Canada, Turkey, Romania, South Africa, Singapore, the Czech Republic, Spain and Italy. The company is represented by partners in more than 120 countries all over the world.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Weicon: With its special products, Weicon helps to solve tasks and problems in almost all manufacturing processes. Our products are used everywhere.
The extensive range of more than 400 special products enables our company to offer solutions for smooth production, maintenance and repair processes.
Our adhesives and sealants represent the most extensive part of our product range. Whether one-component, two-component or elastic – the adhesives contribute to the functionality of the whole, both in gigantic dimensions and in the most filigree constructions. For example, our products are used both on oil drilling platforms and in spectacle frames.
Our technical sprays are suitable for all conceivable working areas. Whether for cleaning and degreasing, for care, for coating, for dissolving and separating, for protection or for lubrication – the numerous spray products make a valuable contribution in many different work processes.
Assembly pastes from Weicon are special protective, release and lubricating agents for highly stressed parts in many different industrial sectors. Especially at high temperatures, they make their contribution to smooth processes.
Due to their special composition, our high-performance greases ensure maximum power transmission with minimum friction and minimum wear. The greases were developed to meet these high requirements. They also make their contribution to supporting numerous work processes.
In addition to the chemo-technical products, we develop, produce and sell an extensive range of stripping tools. These include cable knifes, wire strippers, multi-functional strippers and tools for special applications. The Weicon tools were developed for precise, fast and safe stripping of all common types of cable. The dismantling tools are specially designed to meet the needs of professional users, are used in both trade and industry and are also suitable for private use.
E.E: What’s the news for 2020 about new products?
Weicon: This year, we offer two new kits for quick repairs – one for pipes and one for belts. The Belt Repair-Kit is a 2-component polyurethane system for the fast repair and coating of rubber surfaces e.g. rubber belts in the mining industry.
The Pipe Repair-Kit comprises one Repair Stick Steel and a special repair tape made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic. The kit can be processed without any additional tools and is used for the reliable and permanent sealing of cracks and leaks.
Easy-Mix S 50 yellow is another new product. It is a highly reactive casting compound, which can also be used as an adhesive due to its high adhesive strength and fast cure. It can be used in electrical engineering for protecting electronic components, semiconductors and building components.
Our Aluminium Minute Adhesive is a two-component epoxy adhesive that is particularly suitable for bonding aluminium and other light metals. It can be used for filling cracks and holes on aluminium housings, for example, and for repairing light alloy wheels.
This year, we launched two very special cyanoacrylate adhesives that are suitable for applications in extreme conditions.
We have also developed a new stripping tool. The Precision Wire Stripper S allows the fast, safe and precise stripping of thin conductors and wires between 0.12 mm and 0.8 mm. The wire stripper has received the Red Dot Award 2020 for product design.
E.E: What are the ranges of traded products?
Weicon: Our products cover all ranges in industrial production. Whether it is construction, repair or maintenance – Weicon products can be used everywhere. We develop our products for the industry but then can also be used in crafts and for DIY applications.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
Weicon: Our products can be used in all industries in which manufacturing processes as well as maintenance and repairs are carried out. Whether in metal construction, wood processing, plastics production or in the maritime sector – our products can be found and used everywhere.
Due to Corona, some industries are in a very bad situation and others can hardly satisfy the demand. We are fortunate that we are independent of any particular industry and that our products are always needed.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
Weicon: It is difficult to make statements about market trends in the current tense situation in which the world economy finds itself.
This year, the spread of the coronavirus means that a large number of trade fairs is cancelled – worldwide. The lack of exchange with potential customers and the missed opportunity to present new products is a great challenge, especially for the B2B sector.
Normally we present our company at more than 40 events every year. That these events cannot take place in view of the current circumstances is more than understandable but also a great pity.
So, we worked on a solution and started a virtual showroom. This virtual alternative can be used very comfortably without any risk and without effort.
This gives us the opportunity to present our new products to the interested public and to support our customers with online trainings.
And in general, we took care of our digital content. Improving of data quality plays an essential role for our e-commerce activities.
Our products are presented in the best possible way and that is an advantage for our trade partners too.
We have learned that the crisis brings new opportunities despite all the limitations. We live in a digitalized world and with our virtual instruments and the e-commerce we want to make the best of it.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
Weicon: As adhesive specialists, we of course have a commitment to further develop and improve adhesive technology. This year we present two new cyanoacrylate adhesives developed for extreme conditions. VA 180 HT is high temperature resistant up to 180 °C and the VA 200 HR has a very high moisture resistance. This covers two areas that are actually the weak points of super glues – moisture and high temperatures. Our new adhesives are suitable for applications where normal cyanoacrylates cannot be used.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2020?
Weicon: We hope that a vaccine will be developed as soon as possible so that life and the economy can recover and normalize. We would be very happy if we could get back up to full speed next year – be it at trade fairs or at our customers’ premises with on-site consulting and product training.