Proceq SA of Switzerland is a technology company in the
nondestructive testing
Nondestructive testing (NDT) is any of a wide group of analysis techniques used in science and technology industry to evaluate the properties of a material, component or system without causing damage.
The terms nondestructive examination (NDE), n ...
space. The company name Proceq is taken from a combination of the words “processes” and “equipment”. The main focus is on imaging solutions for
non destructive testing of concrete structures,
metal hardness testing,
paper roll hardness testing and rock testing. Proceq is well known for patenting the
Original Schmidt concrete test hammer as well as the
Leeb rebound principle and is also the owner of the “Pundit” trademark for
ultrasonic test equipment. The company is still privately owned by the founder's family Brandestini/Valsangiacomo.
History
Proceq SA was founded on 8 April 1954 by Antonio Brandestini, when it opened its first office in Zurich, Switzerland. During its early years, the company concentrated on developing and selling special equipment for
pre-stressed concrete engineering, a field which was, at that time, in its infancy. It also developed bearings for the construction industry. The introduction of the
Original Schmidt concrete test hammer was a significant event in the company's history and in the years that followed the company evolved to focus entirely on portable
Nondestructive testing
Nondestructive testing (NDT) is any of a wide group of analysis techniques used in science and technology industry to evaluate the properties of a material, component or system without causing damage.
The terms nondestructive examination (NDE), n ...
test instrument.
All manufacturing is based in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, but Proceq has subsidiaries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the US and South America.
Research and development
Proceq has its own research and development team, based at the headquarters in Switzerland. Two major patents have been produced by this team. The first was the Original Schmidt test hammer, the second was the
Leeb rebound principle (named after the Proceq scientist Dietmar Leeb). This principle is employed in the Equotip metal hardness tester.
Both of these Proceq innovations have been recognized by international standard bodies such as
ASTM
ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials, is a standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical international standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems and s ...
,
ISO
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ; ; ) is an independent, non-governmental, international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries.
Me ...
ISO certification
/ref> and the EN standards authority.
In recent years, Proceq has expanded into the fields of imaging with ultrasonics
Ultrasound is sound with frequency, frequencies greater than 20 Hertz, kilohertz. This frequency is the approximate upper audible hearing range, limit of human hearing in healthy young adults. The physical principles of acoustic waves apply ...
and GPR of concrete structures.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official Website
ASTM Standards Institution
Engineering companies of Switzerland
companies based in the canton of Zürich
Nondestructive testing