What Sonicam does

Sonicam SAS is a French industrial machinery manufacturer founded in 1976 and headquartered in Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The company designs and fabricates specialized equipment for the maintenance of moulds, plungers, and neck rings used in hollow glass container production, organized into three product categories: cleaning and polishing (laser cleaning, tribofinition, abrasive polishing, manual polishing systems), measure and control (3D scanning, mould and bottle volume measurement), and welding and maintenance (micro-plasma welding, drilling, grinding, induction heating, and articulated lifting). Notable technical features include Industry 4.0-compliant measurement systems with Siemens electronics and remote access, micro-plasma welding with 100% filler metal yield, and non-aggressive tribofinition polishing using ceramic and porcelain chips. Sonicam claims its equipment is installed in at least three of four glassworks worldwide and serves enterprise customers including Owens-Illinois, Verallia, Ardagh Glass, Heinz-Glas, Libbey, Encirc, SGD, Stölzle, Visy, and Ambev.

Since 2011 Sonicam has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rondot Group, an international conglomerate serving the glass container industry. The company generates revenue through four streams: equipment sales (one-time capital purchases), consumables (abrasives, polishing stones, ceramic chips, filler metals), spare parts, and service/maintenance contracts including on-site installation, training, and refurbishment. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales from France with distribution through Rondot Group's eight commercial subsidiaries and agent network covering Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Pricing is quote-based with no public disclosure; the company is privately held with no stock symbol and no external funding rounds on record.

Name

Sonicam

Legal name

SONICAM® SAS

Website

https://sonicam.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sonicam SAS is a French manufacturer, founded in 1976 and part of Rondot Group since 2011, that designs specialized industrial machinery for cleaning, polishing, measuring, welding, and maintaining hollow glass moulds and accessories, serving global glass container manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sale of industrial machinery for glass mould maintenance including cleaning, polishing, measuring, welding, and handling equipment. One-time capital equipment purchases with optional configurations and accessories.
2. Consumables: Sale of abrasives, polishing stones, grinding wheels, drill bits, taps, filler metals, ceramic chips, and other consumable supplies for the equipment.
3. Service and Maintenance: On-site installation, training, equipment upgrade, refurbishment, and maintenance contracts with after-sales service in France and abroad.
4. Spare Parts: Sale of spare parts and replacement components for all equipment including jaws, adaptors, and complete kits.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sonicam designs, manufactures, and services specialized industrial machinery for the maintenance of hollow glass moulds, plungers, and neck rings. Its portfolio covers cleaning and polishing (laser cleaning, abrasive and tribofinition polishing, manual polishing), measurement and control (3D scanning, mould and bottle volume measurement), and welding and maintenance (micro-plasma welding, induction preheating, grinding, drilling, articulated lifting). Equipment is complemented by consumables, spare parts, and on-site installation, training, and maintenance contracts.

Product overview

Sonicam is a French manufacturer specializing in the design and fabrication of industrial machinery and equipment for the glass container industry, specifically for production and maintenance of moulds and accessories. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized into three main product categories: (1) Cleaning and Polishing equipment including the S13 SoniLaser (automated laser cleaning), S1 Mould Polishing (abrasive polishing), S2-Casper Tribofinition (vibration-based non-aggressive polishing), RS4P Plunger Polishing, MOVIX Electric Hand Polishing, and S15 Twister (manual polishing); (2) Measure and Control systems including the S9 SoniScan (3D scanning), S3 Mould Volume (volume measurement), and S10 SoniVolume (bottle volume measurement); and (3) Welding and Maintenance equipment including the S12 PlasmaBox (micro-plasma welding), RS6 Mould Drilling, RS7 Mould Grinding, S11 SoniHeat (induction preheating), and S14 SoniArm (lifting device). Founded in 1976 and part of the Rondot Group since 2011, Sonicam serves glass manufacturers worldwide with equipment for maintaining moulds, plungers, and neck rings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• S13 – SoniLaser Automated laser cleaning system for moulds and accessories in a laser cabin. Provides non-aggressive, uniform cleaning that preserves mould surface integrity, with programmable laser parameters and rotary table loading. Targeted at hollow glass manufacturers seeking residue removal without surface damage.
• S1 – Mould Polishing Abrasive polishing machine for blank moulds, blow moulds, and neck rings. Delivers mirror surface finish using specially designed polishing tools, with up to three independent polishing sections and up to 500 programs in memory. For glass mould manufacturers and operators.
• S2-Casper – Tribofinition Non-aggressive tribofinish polishing system for moulds and plungers using vibration with ceramic and porcelain chips combined with polishing oil. Preserves mould cavity shape and dimensions without abrasion. Requires no water or detergent. For hollow glass producers needing gentle polishing.
• RS4P – Plunger Polishing Automatic plunger polishing system delivering mirror finish on new and repaired glass plungers. Features two independent sections enabling simultaneous polishing of different-sized plungers with longitudinal polishing essential for NNPB processes.
• MOVIX – Electric Hand Polishing Variable-speed electric motor system for manual polishing in mould manufacturing and repair. Lightweight ergonomic design with flexible transmission and quick-change tool holders.
• S15 – Twister Manual polishing system using an electric lathe and sandpaper for accessories including plungers, neck rings, and mould bottoms. Features foot-operated speed control and reversible jaws for ergonomic manual polishing.
• S9 – SoniScan 3D scanning system for automatic dimensional control of moulds, accessories, and finished products. Compares measurements to original CAD drawings with 3D colored mapping for wear-area visualization.
• S3 – Mould Volume Mould volume measurement system with accuracy of +/- 0.01ml in under one minute. Industry 4.0 compliant with Siemens electronics, remote access, and data export. Essential for NNPB processes.
• S10 – SoniVolume Finished product volume measurement system for hot and cold end bottle production. Measures bottle volume in under 20 seconds with 0.1% accuracy; non-destructive testing with perfect traceability through memory storage. Powered by Arisens software.
• S12 – PlasmaBox Micro-plasma welding system for localized repair of moulds and accessories using nickel rod filler metal. No preheating required; produces metallurgical fusion without delamination risk with 100% filler metal yield.
• RS6 – Mould Drilling Drilling and unblocking system for vent holes in glass moulds. Features 3-axis system with 360-degree swivel table and drilling capability from 0.3 to 0.8mm diameter.
• RS7 – Mould Grinding Surface and hollow grinding solution for moulds. Hollow grinding uses 1:10 scale template copying with magnetic holder for precise positioning. Features diamond-cut grinding wheel and lubrication system; removes less material than other technologies to preserve mould cavity and initial volume.
• S11 – SoniHeat Induction preheating machine for moulds and accessories. Provides homogeneous heating from 100 to 800°C with significantly lower energy consumption than traditional heating systems and no smoke emission.
• S14 – SoniArm Articulated lifting device for lateral and vertical handling of heavy magnetizable loads including moulds and accessories. Features sensitive handle for smooth operation and helps reduce musculoskeletal disorders.

Quantifiable outcome

• S10 SoniVolume measures bottle volume in less than 20 seconds with 0.1% accuracy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rondot GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011In 2011, SONICAM joined Rondot Group, gaining access to commercial strength and technical support of an international group with a well-established network of subsidiaries and agents worldwide. SONICAM operates as part of the group's portfolio of companies serving the glass industry.
• IRI (Industrial Resources Institute, Lyon)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRI (Institut des Ressources Industrielles) in Lyon supported SONICAM throughout the ISO 14001 environmental management certification process.
• Rondot Group Production UnitsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSONICAM is part of Rondot Group which includes production units: GRAPHOIDAL (England), SHEPPEE (England), RONDOT SAS (France), NOVAXION (France), QUANTUM ENGINEERED PRODUCTS INC. (USA), RAMSEY PRODUCTS (USA), PENNINE INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT (England). These companies serve the glass industry with complementary products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Sheppee International: UK-based Rondot Group entity producing mould-related products and consumables for the glass container industry; sits alongside Sonicam in the group's portfolio and shares customers and channels.
• Novaxion: French Rondot Group company serving the glass industry; sister entity with overlapping customer access through the group's commercial subsidiaries.
• Graphoidal: UK-based sister company within Rondot Group supplying complementary glass industry components and consumables; serves the same parent-network customers as Sonicam through shared distribution channels.

Direct peers

• Bottero: Italian manufacturer of glass processing machinery for hollow glass (bottles, containers) and flat glass; competes with Sonicam at the same glass container producers across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
• Heye International: German specialist in glass container forming and inspection technology, supplying complete production lines including mould-handling equipment to the same hollow glass manufacturers Sonicam serves.
• Bucher Emhart Glass: Swiss-based global leader in machinery and equipment for hollow glass container manufacturing, including inspection, forming, and mould-related equipment — the most direct and larger competitor to Sonicam in the same glassworks customer base.
• Sklostroj Turnov: Czech manufacturer of machinery for the glass industry, including moulds and forming equipment; a European competitor with overlapping customer base in hollow glass production.
• Glass Service (GGS): Italian/Czech provider of glass melting, forming, and mould technology services; supplies mould-related equipment and engineering to hollow glass producers globally, overlapping Sonicam's niche.

Emerging players

• Rongtai Mold: China-based mould maker listed as a Sonicam customer and part of the Chinese glass supply ecosystem; represents the emerging Chinese mould/equipment supplier base that could increasingly compete with Sonicam in Asia.

Regional players

• SORG (Germany): German manufacturer of glass melting and conditioning equipment; while focused on the hot end of glass production, SORG's customer base overlaps and could expand into mould-related equipment as part of full-line offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=jRS01aKjaZI&t=5s
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sonicam-sas

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sonicam