A manufacturer of ceramics becomes a technological expert
CeramTec-ETEC’s history started 1982. Whereas the company was initially founded in the city of Siegburg under the name of “GEFO Gesellschaft für Energieoptimierung mbH”, it was only some years later that the company started getting involved with ceramic materials: The production of supporting elements for electric components was brought from the company RWI (Rheinisch-Westfälische Isolatorenwerke) to ETEC by Walter Mundorf (†), proprietor of the Mundorf Group of Companies (consisting of a network of petrol stations, a gravel pit and concrete plants, among others), which took place along with ETEC’s reorientation towards a new company strategy. At the same time Walter Mundorf thought of using the highly wear resistant ceramics to protect the company’s concrete mixers from wear. This was exactly the moment when CeramTec-ETEC’s success story in relation with high-performance ceramics started.The technological know-how which had been continuously acquired and enhanced in the field of wear protection was also the basis in the early 90s for new developments of alumina ceramics for ballistic protection. It was only two years later when the serial production of high-performance ceramics started for this new application.
In 1995, ETEC dared the leap to the U.S. and founded ETEC Technical Ceramics Corp. in Fort Garland, Colorado. In 1999, the takeover of DURAWEAR located at Birmingham/Alabama took place. In 1996, ETEC started a joint venture with the company Multotec Wear Linings Ltd. in Johannesburg (RSA) which was the point of departure for a successful strategic partnership between both companies.In 2002, the company was relocated from Siegburg to Lohmar to its new production and administration facilities. In 2004, the ETEC management acquired the Mundorf shares within the scope of a MBO (management buy out). Due to ETEC’s enduring success, as early as in 2006 it became necessary to build a new factory workshop for shipping and assembly activities. Moreover, since 2002 it became repeatedly a necessity to make new investments for the acquisition of additional machines and equipment. The number of staff members has nearly increased threefold between 2002 and 2008 (160). Since November 1, 2008 ETEC is a member of 
CeramTec GmbH, a leading international corporate group doing business in the field of high-performance ceramics, and was renamed to CeramTec-ETEC GmbH.
CeramTec-ETEC’s success history is continuing with numerous new developments, and many new products and applications have been launched into the market - for example, composite systems made of ceramics and PU, or ceramics and metal are giving evidence of these continuous activities. The most outstanding example demonstrating the company’s innovative ability are the inrun track systems with ceramic neps íncorporated of the most important ski jumping hills in Europe.
Business success is not the only reward for the company’s proficiency. In the year 2000, for example, CeramTec-ETEC was listed among the top 100 companies of Northrine- Westfalia. ETEC has furthermore succeeded in obtaining several other awards such as the “Materialica Design Award” (2006 and 2x 2008), the “iF material award” (2007, 2008 and 2009) or the "Innovation Award" bestowed by the Volksbank Bonn Rhein-Sieg, giving testimony of the company’s creativity. The company was also selected by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research to participate in the touring exhibition "expedition materia" ("The world of innovative materials"). Furthermore, CeramTec-ETEC was recently nominated by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology for the Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany 2010 (already for the third time after 2008 and 2009).
Today, CeramTec-ETEC is occupying a leading rank for wear and corrosion protection solutions for many different industrial sectors as well as for ceramic components for ballistic protection.
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[Translate to en:] Gute Leistungen werden nicht nur mit geschäftlichem Erfolg belohnt: So wurde CeramTec-ETEC 2000 in die Liste der TOP 100 Unternehmen in Nordrhein-Westfalen aufgenommen. Zahlreiche Preise wie der Materialica Design+ Technology Award (2006 und 2x 2008), der iF material award (2007, 2008 und 2009) oder der Innovationspreis der Volksbank Bonn Rhein-Sieg zeugen auch von der Kreativität des Unternehmens, das zur Teilnahme an der Wanderausstellung "expedition materia" ("Die Welt der innovativen Materialien") vom Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung ausgewählt wurde. Zuletzt wurde CeramTec-ETEC vom Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie für den Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland 2010 (zum dritten Mal nach 2008 und 2009) nominiert.
CeramTec-ETEC gilt heute als führendes Unternehmen für Verschleiß- und Korrosionsschutzlösungen für unterschiedlichste Industriebereiche sowie bei keramischen Komponenten im ballistischen Schutz.
A modern material with a long history
The word "ceramics" is derived from Ancient Greek. 'Keramos' was the name for clay and also for the products resistant to deformation, produced by means of baking raw clay. Manufacture of ceramics is one of the most traditional cultural techniques of mankind. About 24,000 years ago, semi-sedentary hunters in the area of the Upper Nile seem to have been the first humans who were found to use ceramics. The enormous spreading of ceramic objects is originally attributed to enhanced possibilities of food provisions and supply inventory.
At a very early time, the basic material clay offered incentives for artisan activities. Whether in Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia or China - figurines and bowls are evidence of a very special creativity of the individual cultures. Chinese people were and are still particularly skilled and had a well-known reputation for the manufacture of ceramics. Until today, porcelain from the Middle Kingdom has been considered to be valuable, in great demand and also expensive.
Innovation and high-performance start with ceramic materials
Ceramic materials are frequently classified according to local deposits (e.g. in the German area "Kannebäcker Ländchen"), to the raw materials applied (oxide ceramics and non-oxide ceramics), or according to their intended use (functional ceramics, sanitary ceramics, structural ceramics). They are largely inorganic and fine-grained raw materials, shaped, dried and sintered at more than 900° C, thus obtaining hard and durable objects. If the final product is required to have particularly high physical properties, the raw material is specially processed and sintered at even higher temperatures.
According to DIN V ENV 12212, these high-performance ceramics are defined as a sophisticated and highly efficient material which is mostly non-metallic and inorganic, and which has several well-defined properties. It is impossible to determine exactly when revolutionary developments with ceramic materials and applications have exactly started.
At the latest since those times when porcelain was firstly applied in insulators about some 150 years ago, this type of materials are referred to as technical ceramics. Mostly because of certain excellent material properties such as high hardness, abrasion resistance, low thermal expansion or resistance to corrosion, technical ceramics are applied more and more frequently in many different fields of application.
Ceramic materials have a long tradition in the area of Siegburg. As early as in the Middle Ages, Siegburg was an important centre for ceramic products. The so-called "Siegburger Schnelle", a mug-like drinking vessel, is still today a well-known testimony for those ancient ceramic products. About 25 years ago, ETEC initiated the age of high-performance ceramics also in Siegburg. The first products manufactured by ETEC, among others, were small ceramic tubes for fan wiring for the Volkswagen Beetle. In the field of wear protection, the first applications of high performance ceramics were linings for concrete mixers.
: : Presse
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