What Sicon Gmbh does

SICON GmbH is a privately held German industrial machinery builder headquartered in Hilchenbach that designs, manufactures, and integrates recycling and scrap-processing equipment for ferrous and non-ferrous metal recovery, automotive shredder residue (ASR/SLF), waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), and plastic sorting. The company's product architecture is organized into modular families: EcoShred® shredders (single-, dual-, and four-shaft plus specialized mills such as Wiretec, Libtec, Cuttec, Slimtec, Vertec, Imtec), EcoRip® pre-shredders, EcoSort® separation systems (laser-based, MIR-HSI hyperspectral, and CAI AI-supported object recognition), and complementary separation/cleaning modules (AirSort®, EddyPro eddy current, MagSpin magnets, PolyFloat® wet plastic sorting, WetFloat®/AirFloat density tables, AirKnife, PrimeScrap, HMS Cleaning). These are assembled into complete turnkey processing plants under brand systems such as ScrapTuning® (ferrous downstream), FinesTuning® (fine-metal recovery), WEEETuning® (WEEE), and tiered (A)SR Basic/Advanced/Premium configurations.

SICON operates an enterprise field-sales GTM with direct technical selling into scrap yards, EAF steelmakers, electronics recyclers, and non-ferrous processors, supported by industry events (including the E-Scrap Conference), technical webinars, and monthly scrap market reports. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time capital equipment sales of custom-engineered machinery, supplemented by system integration and plant construction services; pricing is custom-quoted rather than list-priced. The company maintains a wholly-owned North American subsidiary, SICON America, based in Atlanta, and serves a stated global footprint through equipment installations beyond the German and US offices.

The firm is privately held with no disclosed VC/PE backing, no published revenue, and no founder or executive team listed in the available material; ownership and leadership structure are not publicly detailed. SICON joined the UN Global Compact Initiative in 2024, framing its commercial activity within ESG and circular-economy themes, particularly CO2 savings enabled by EAF-route scrap consumption versus primary blast-furnace steelmaking.

Name

Sicon Gmbh

Legal name

SICON GmbH

Website

https://sicon.eu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SICON GmbH is a German industrial machinery builder that designs and integrates shredding, sorting, and complete turnkey recycling plants for scrap metal, ASR/SLF, WEEE, and plastics, serving scrap yards, EAF steelmakers, electronics recyclers, and non-ferrous processors via direct enterprise field sales across Europe and North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Recycling Machinery

NAICS

Machine Tool Manufacturing (333517)

SIC

Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)

akta.pro primary industry

Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Advanced/Optical Sorting & Quality Control Services (NIR, AI, Robotics) (BPALADAH), Auto Shredding & Metal Fragmentation (Shredder Operations) (EUAIAJAD), Plastic Recycling Equipment & Technology Providers (Sorting, Washing, Extrusion) (EUAIAKAM), Post-Shredder Separation & Recovery (Eddy Current, Heavy Media, Sensor Sorting) (EUAIAJAE)

Keywords

• Scrap processing equipment
• Metal recycling machinery
• Industrial shredders
• Material sorting systems
• WEEE recycling equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilchenbach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Equipment Sales: Sale of custom industrial recycling machinery including shredders, separators, sorters, and complete plant systems. Equipment is sold as complete turnkey solutions with custom engineering based on customer requirements.
2. System Integration & Plant Construction: Complete processing plant design, integration, and construction services for scrap processing, WEEE recycling, and non-ferrous metal recovery facilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SICON designs, manufactures, and integrates industrial recycling machinery and complete processing plants for scrap metal, automotive shredder residue (ASR/SLF), WEEE (electronic waste), cables, and plastics. The portfolio spans shredders (EcoShred®, EcoRip®), sensor- and AI-based sorting systems (EcoSort®, VariSort, EcoScan® Online), magnetic and eddy current separators (MagSpin, EddyPro), wet/dry separation tables (PolyFloat®, WetFloat®/AirFloat), and turnkey processing lines (ScrapTuning®, FinesTuning®, WEEETuning). Systems are custom-engineered and delivered as turnkey installations for industrial recyclers and steel producers.

Product overview

Sicon Gmbh offers a comprehensive portfolio of industrial recycling machinery and systems under multiple product brands. The core product families include: EcoShred® (single, dual, and four-shaft shredders plus specialized variants like Wiretec, Libtec, Cuttec, Slimtec, Vertec, and Imtec) for size reduction; EcoRip® (pre-shredders and compact systems) for initial processing; EcoSort® (laser-based, MIR-HSI, and AI-supported sorting systems) and AirSort® for material separation; AirKnife, PrimeScrap, HMS Cleaning for cleaning operations; and supporting systems like ScrapTuning®, FinesTuning®, PolyFloat®, WetFloat®, EddyPro, MagSpin, and VariSort. The product architecture follows a modular approach where customers can configure complete recycling plants combining shredding, separation, sorting, and cleaning systems tailored for specific waste streams including scrap metal processing, ASR/SLF (automotive shredder residue), WEEE (electronic waste), cable recycling, and non-ferrous metal recovery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EcoShred®: Product line for scrap shredding equipment including Imtec, Slimtec, Vertec, Wiretec, Libtec, Cuttec, 1SS, 2SS, and 4SS models
• EcoRip®
• EcoScan®
• EcoSort®
• AirSort®
• EddyPro®
• MagSpin®
• PolyFloat®
• FinesTuning®
• ScrapTuning®
• WEEETuning®
• WetFloat®

Products and services

• EcoShred® Imtec Ball mill / pelletizing mill for fine shredding applications in scrap processing, used by industrial recycling facilities.
• EcoShred® Slimtec Extremely flexible shredder designed for versatile scrap processing applications at industrial recycling plants.
• EcoShred® Vertec Vertical shredder for industrial scrap processing at metal recycling facilities.
• EcoShred® Wiretec Vertical hammer mill for cable and automotive shredder residue (ASR) recycling processing.
• EcoShred® Libtec Hammer mill for industrial shredding applications in scrap processing plants.
• EcoShred® Cuttec Cutting mill for precision shredding in industrial recycling operations.
• EcoShred® 1SS Single-shaft shredder for versatile processing applications in scrap and waste recycling plants.
• EcoShred® 2SS Dual-shaft shredder for heavy-duty processing applications in industrial recycling facilities.
• EcoShred® 4SS Four-shaft shredder system for demanding industrial shredding applications (upcoming release).
• EcoRip® Neo Pre-shredder for initial size reduction of materials in recycling operations.
• EcoRip® Compact Compact shredding system designed for WEEE and automotive shredder residue (ASR) recycling applications (upcoming release).
• ScrapTuning® Complete ferrous downstream processing solution for maximizing value and purity from ferrous scrap at metal recycling plants.
• FinesTuning® Recovery system for the smallest metal parts from fines in automotive shredder residue (ASR/SLF) processing operations.
• WEEETuning Complete processing solution for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE / E-scrap) recyclers.
• (A)SR Basic Basic-level metal separation system from automotive shredder residue (ASR) and shredder light fraction (SLF) for tiered processing configurations.
• (A)SR Advanced Advanced-level metal separation system from automotive shredder residue (ASR) and shredder light fraction (SLF) for tiered processing configurations.
• (A)SR Premium Complete metal separation solution from automotive shredder residue (ASR) and shredder light fraction (SLF) for tiered processing configurations.
• Kabelaufbereitung (Cable Processing) Cable processing system for recycling end-of-life cables and recovering metals and plastics.
• Leiterplatten-Aufbereitung (Circuit Board Processing) Processing system for printed circuit boards (Leiterplatten / PCBs) to recover valuable materials.
• PolyFloat® Wet plastic sorting system for separating different plastic types in recycling streams.
• HMS Cleaning Heavy melting scrap (HMS) cleaning system for processing shredded scrap materials in metal recycling plants.
• Kühlschrott (Cooling Scrap) Processing solution for cooling scrap (Kühlschrott) in the steel industry.
• EcoSort® Line Laser-based separation system for precise material identification and sorting in recycling operations.
• EcoSort® Classic MIR-HSI Dry plastic sorting system using Mid-Infrared hyperspectral imaging (MIR-HSI) for material identification.
• EcoSort® Classic CAI Sorting system with AI-supported object recognition for automated material identification in recycling streams.
• VariSort Sensor sorter for automated material classification and separation in industrial recycling plants.
• AirSort® Wind sifter (Windsichter) for separating materials by aerodynamic properties in recycling operations.
• AirKnife Shredder scrap cleaning system for removing fine materials and contaminants.
• PrimeScrap Shredder scrap cleaning system for removing contaminants from processed materials.
• EcoScreen PD Efficient surface cleaning system for processed materials in recycling plants.
• EddyPro Eddy current separator (Wirbelstromscheider) for separating non-ferrous metals from waste streams.
• MagSpin Permanent magnet system for ferrous metal separation in recycling operations.
• WetFloat® / AirFloat Dense medium separation tables (WetFloat® / AirFloat) for separating materials by density.
• EcoScan® Online Online analytics system for real-time material composition analysis in recycling processes.
• Stahlplattenbänder (Steel Plate Conveyors) Robust steel plate conveyors (Stahlplattenbänder) for heavy-duty material handling in recycling and scrap processing plants.
• Wassereindüsung (Water Injection System) Water injection system for shredder installations to control temperature and dust in recycling plants.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 emissions reduction through use of recycled scrap in EAF steelmaking instead of virgin iron ore in blast furnace route

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature16 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• UN Global CompactminorOthers · 1 January 2024Since 2024, SICON has been committed to the UN Global Compact Initiative for corporate responsibility, adhering to principles in human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. This represents an industry commitment rather than a commercial partnership.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Steinert Elektromagnetbau GmbH: German-headquartered specialist in sensor-based sorting, eddy current separation, and magnetic separation for scrap and recycling markets. Most direct overlap with SICON's EcoSort, EddyPro, and MagSpin product lines and identical customer base of scrap processors and MRFs.
• MTB Recycling: French specialist in metal recycling equipment, shredding, and turnkey scrap processing plants. Direct competitor in ferrous/non-ferrous recovery systems and ASR processing.
• Vecoplan AG: German manufacturer of size reduction and processing machinery for recycling, plastics, and wood/biomass. Overlaps with SICON's shredding and pre-shredding equipment offerings.
• UNTHA Shredding Technology: Austrian manufacturer of industrial shredders (single-shaft, four-shaft, rotary) serving waste, scrap, and WEEE end-markets. Comparable product positioning to SICON's EcoShred 1SS/2SS/4SS range.
• Sesotec GmbH: German manufacturer of metal detection, magnetic separation, and sensor-based sorting equipment for recycling and industrial customers. Comparable to SICON's MagSpin, EddyPro, and EcoSort product lines.
• Erdwich GmbH: German shredder specialist for scrap metal, WEEE, and confidential data destruction. Closely comparable in scale, geography, and product scope to SICON's shredding lineup.
• Lindner Recyclingtech GmbH: Austrian/German manufacturer of industrial shredders and complete recycling systems for plastics, scrap, and WEEE. Directly comparable to SICON's EcoShred shredder portfolio and turnkey plant delivery model.
• Stadler Anlagenbau GmbH: German turnkey MRF and sorting plant builder serving recycling and waste management customers. Comparable as an integrator of shredding, sorting, and separation equipment into complete recycling plants.

Broad incumbents

• Bühler Group: Swiss diversified industrial equipment group with optical sorting technology (Bühler Sortex) that competes in adjacent sorting segments. Larger and broader than SICON but overlapping where optical sorting is deployed in plastics and recycling streams.
• TOMRA Systems ASA: Global leader in sensor-based sorting (NIR/AI) for recycling, food, and mining, with a far larger installed base and broader portfolio than SICON. Competes head-to-head with EcoSort in MRF sorting and ASR applications; also a major incumbent across recycling value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Sicon Gmbh