Small, Reliable and Almost Never Mentioned

We have got used to the durable, smooth functioning of all those machines and appliances that make our lives easier and more comfortable. Hardly anybody however really knows that the comfort and safety we more or less take for granted hinges on a small detail, not larger than a coin and almost never mentioned: thermal protectors and temperature limiting switches, PTC sensors, PTC heating ceramics and power varistors protect millions of products against thermal and electrical overload, thus preventing defects and fire and enabling a long service life. Though the scope of applications for these components is virtually unlimited, only handful of European suppliers are able to meet the extremely high standards of quality and precision. One of them is Thermik Gerätebau GmbH at Pforzheim. Serving 2,500 customers worldwide with an impressive variety of 1,800 different articles, the south German company is one of the world leaders in this market segment.

The region around Pforzheim has traditionally been renowned for watch and jewellery making. In addition to precious raw materials, these industries require machines and equipment on the one hand and pre-fabricated metal parts and components on the other. This is the reason why Pforzheim has also become renowned for its know-how in metal working, which has grown over several generations. Machine building and metal working on their part paved the ground for yet another industry that made the name Pforzheim well known in all corners of the globe - the production of thermal protectors and safety switches. Recognising the enormous potential for these small components, Peter Hofsaess founded his company in Pforzheim in 1968. Started out in a market which at that time was already shared out between well-established companies, Thermik over the decades has developed into one of the leaders worldwide. Talking to our magazine, Marcel P. Hofsaess, who together with Ulrika and Denise Hofsaess, took over the management after Peter Hofsaess' untimely death in 1992, elaborated on the secret behind this successful development: „Unlike other players in the branch, we exclusively produce and sell in-house developed products. In the thermal protectors sector, Thermik today ranks as a world leader in product innovation with annually three to four new, patented solutions.“ In many cases, the products are developed in close cooperation with the customers, and more often than not, tailor-made solutions are later on included in the company's catalogue as standard solutions.

The result is a production programme which is second to none in variety and quality standards, encompassing 1,800 different articles. Thermal protectors and temperature limiting switches, PTC sensors, PTC heating ceramics and power varistors carrying the thermik logo are appreciated by leading manufactures of household appliances, electric motors and transformers throughout the world for convincing advantages like thermik 
- small, compact design, which makes them fit almost anywhere;
- resistance to impact and vibration, which is essential for integration in motors etc;
- high sensitivity;
- impregnation resistance;
- snap action through combination of seperate bimetallic and snap action disks;
- excellent long-term stability, absolutely reliable, thousands upon thousands of times.