Manufacturer of technical ceramics: steatite, cordierite and aluminium oxide components from spray granulate to inspected finished part series.
Steka-Werke Technische Keramik GmbH & Co. KG
InnsbruckNew on Amplifa
About Steka
Steka-Werke Technische Keramik GmbH & Co KG is an Austrian manufacturer of technical ceramics based in Innsbruck-Rossau. The company produces components made of steatite (C220/C221/C230 per DIN VDE 0335), porous steatite, porcelain (C110), dense and porous cordierite, and aluminium oxide with 50–60 %, over 80 % and over 99 % Al2O3. Shaping is carried out by uniaxial dry pressing on 24 mechanical axial powder presses with 40 to 300 kN as well as by extrusion on piston presses and vacuum pug extruders. After drying and green machining (cutting, thread cutting, milling, drilling), sinter firing follows, plus surface finishing by tumbling or glazing and visual, pressure or electronic quality inspection of up to 100 percent of the parts. The company develops customised solutions together with customers from the design phase onwards, manufactures from prototype to large-scale series and operates an in-house toolmaking department. Its customer industries include electric heating, energy, household appliances, metrology, automotive engineering, aerospace and environmental technology; around 50 employees generate annual revenue of approximately 5 million euros.
- Site
- Innsbruck
- Processes
- Extrusion / pug extrusion, Dry pressing (uniaxial powder pressing), Green machining (cutting to size, thread cutting, milling, drilling), Sintering, Tumbling, Glazing, Quality control (visual, pressure, electronic testing), Toolmaking (pressing tools)
- Materials
- Steatite, Porous steatite, Porcelain, Dense cordierite, Porous cordierite, Aluminium oxide (50–60 % Al2O3), Aluminium oxide (>80 % Al2O3), Aluminium oxide (>99 % Al2O3)
- Founded
- 1949
- Employees
- ca. 50
- Industries
- Electric heating, Energy distribution and generation, Household appliances, Metrology/sensors, Automotive engineering, Aerospace
- 01
Material preparation (spray granulate, batch-specific processing)
- 02
Dry pressing
- 03
Extrusion/pug extrusion
- 04
Drying
- 05
Green machining (cutting, thread cutting, milling, drilling)
- 06
Sintering
- 07
Surface finishing (tumbling, glazing)
- 08
Quality control
- 09
Shipping/logistics
Materials and Processes
Steatite (DIN VDE 0335)
Magnesium silicate ceramic with high mechanical strength and insulating capability for components with tight tolerances.
Porous steatite
Porous silicate ceramic for applications involving heat or mass transport, e.g. evaporators.
Porcelain
Classic silicate ceramic for electrical insulating components such as electro-porcelain.
Dense cordierite
Dense cordierite ceramic for applications requiring high thermal shock resistance.
Porous cordierite
Porous cordierite ceramic used, among other things, for particle separation and infrared heating elements.
Aluminium oxide 50–60 % Al2O3
Oxide ceramic for wear- and corrosion-resistant electrical components.
Aluminium oxide >80 % Al2O3
Aluminium oxide ceramic for higher mechanical and electrical requirements.
Aluminium oxide >99 % Al2O3
High-purity aluminium oxide for demanding insulation and wear applications.
Locations
Innsbruck-Rossau
ATProduction and administration site
- Lot size
- Small batches to large-scale series
- Materials
- Steatite, cordierite, aluminium oxide, porcelain
- 24 mechanical axial powder presses (40–300 kN)
- 3 piston presses
- 3 vacuum pug extruders with auger conveyors (cascade arrangement)
- 1 vacuum pug extruder with right-angle auger arrangement
- Gas-fired chamber kilns with exhaust gas afterburning
- In-house toolmaking
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extrusion / pug extrusionPlastics | – | ca. 1 m strands | – | Small batch – Large-scale series | Steatite, Cordierite, Aluminium oxide, Porcelain |
| Dry pressing (uniaxial powder pressing)Plastics | – | – | – | Large-scale series | Steatite, Cordierite, Aluminium oxide |
| Green machining (cutting to size, thread cutting, milling, drilling)Machining | – | – | – | – | Steatite, Cordierite, Aluminium oxide |
| SinteringHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | Steatite, Cordierite, Aluminium oxide, Porcelain |
| TumblingSurface | – | – | – | – | Technical ceramics |
| GlazingSurface | – | – | – | – | Technical ceramics |
| Quality control (visual, pressure, electronic testing)Testing | – | – | – | – | Technical ceramics |
| Toolmaking (pressing tools)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Development / consulting (prototypes, product development)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Technical ceramics |
| Manufacture of ceramic components in metal composite (e.g. riveted lamp sockets)Joining | – | – | – | – | Steatite |
4 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical axial powder press | – | 24 | Nominal pressing force 40–300 kN | – | Innsbruck |
| Piston press (extrusion) | – | 3 | – | – | Innsbruck |
| Vacuum pug extruder with auger conveyors (cascade arrangement) | – | 3 | – | – | Innsbruck |
| Vacuum pug extruder with right-angle auger arrangement | – | 1 | – | – | Innsbruck |
Additional services
Reference customers
History
- 1949
Founded as Tiroler Steatit- und Keramikwerke Rojkowski & Co. KG in Matrei am Brenner (management buy-out from Swarovski) for the production of high-frequency ceramics and electro-porcelain.
- 1959
Two tunnel kilns go into operation; up to 40 t of ceramic components per month, the Matrei site becomes too small.
- 1961
Relocation to the production facility in Innsbruck-Rossau.
- 1967
Otto Dax develops the company into an export-oriented specialist for the electrical industry.
- 1975
Technological developments shape the company.
- 1987
Renamed STEKA-Werke technische Keramik GmbH & Co. KG.
- 1988
Replacement of the oil-fired tunnel kilns with gas-fired chamber kilns with exhaust gas afterburning.
- 1993
Development of semi-automatic production facilities for ceramic components in metal composite, e.g. riveted lamp sockets.
- 2011
Markus and Nicola Dax take over management following the death of Otto Dax.
- 2012
Markus and Nicola Dax become sole owners.
- 2015
Modernisation and sustainability measures, including photovoltaic systems and improved extraction systems.