The Sika Experience

The decision was not an easy one – the interdisciplinary jury had the hard task to check many promising applications. Now they have announced the following three winners:

Joao from Portugal
Nader from Egypt
Fernando from Brasil

Congratulations to the three winners of the Sika Concrete Experience 2012! You can look forward to an extraordinary adventure through the world of concrete! Currently we are finalizing the program and will inform you about the details shortly before the trip!

We are very happy and look foward to welcoming you in June here in Zuerich:

We spent our last days of our Sika Adventures in Milan with Joerg and Werner. After taking train from Zurich to Milan on tuesday, we went on wednesday morning to visit Sika Silicon Factory to see, how the sealants are produced.

On wednesday we also had our last dinner with Sika people (Joerg, Kathrin and Werner). It was really delicious, but kinda sad at the same time, because our trip was going to end on thursday. Alex and Jihyun stayed for another few days in Milan while Rahul took a train with Werner back to Switzerland and me, I had my flight back to Czech Republic on thursday afternoon.

Finally, at 11:30pm I arrived home to very veeeeeeeery cold winter – -16 degrees!!!!

I was glad to be at home but at the same time sad that our common journey with Sika is in the end.

It was exceptional adventure full of fun and interesting knowledge we gained. We had and opportunity to get to know Sika better and I have to say it was worth it. All Sika people were really nice and helpful. Also  I would like to thank Alex, Jihyun and Rahul for such a wonderful time we spent together. Hope to see you again!

THANKS SIKA FOR MAKING THIS ALL HAPPEN!

Monday, 30.01.2012, was our last day with Matthias at the Façade and Fenestration Competence Center where we used our experience gained throughout the trip to build adhesively bonded Façade and Fenestration elements. At the end of the day we had our last dinner with Matthias at a nice Mexican restaurant. We are very grateful to him for supervising us.

After nearly 2000 km road trip on Tuesday we enjoyed our train ride to Milano with Joerg Szybalski and Werner Wagner and on Wednesday we visited the Silicon production plant.

Sadly, Thursday (02.02.2012) was our last day of the Sika experience trip. We had our final meeting of the trip in the morning with Joerg, Werner, Kathrin and Maria. I have arrived back safely to Burgdorf and already missing all the fun we had during the last two weeks. It was a great pleasure to meet all the people during the entire trip.

SIKA Experience “Fascination Glass” was certainly a Once-in-a-life-time opportunity. I feel very lucky that I was part of this great experience and I’m sure that this experience will be very useful for all of us.

I would like to thank all the members of the SIKA experience team and all the people I met during this journey.

PS: Alex and Jihyun, Enjoy your rest of the stay in Milano and Wishing you safe flight home. @Lenka: Enjoy the winter (-15°C) in Prague :)

Here are some more pictures from the trip:

Alex and Lenka at work :)

no no no no no no no no no

There is no Limit

Piazza Duomo Milano

Yesterday, we visited another Sika branch in Widen and made facade by ourselves. It was like `Reviewing our Sika Experience` because everything what we saw and learned in last week was applied. The raw materials, adhesives, glass and window frame were bonded together and that`s what we experienced throughout this trip. Eventhough everyone was a little bit tired (because of the winter activity weekend), it was the best program for us. Sadly, yesterday was the last day with Matthias. Without his help and support, we couldn`t make it. Sometimes like a father and sometimes like a friend, he bonded us as a team like Alex mentioned. Again, thank you very much, Matthias. I`ll miss you whenever I eat Shrimp.

We are now in Milano, Italy and tomorrow we will visit Sika engineering`s silicones factory. (Only three days are left, OMG!) Please expect our next blog post!

Look Matthias and Alex are smiling. The dinner we had at that time was also great. Of course, all the dishes were absolutely fantasic! I really enjoy the time we are eating and talking together. The more I`m getting close with this great team, the more I feel like learning something from them. All of them are quite motivated and active.

This the Fondue what we ate in Iltios and it was  the best Fondue I`ve ever tasted.

Alex, Rahul, Lenka and I made this great picture.

Plus, mango boy Rahul!

After a full weekend of snow, the team returns in business again.
Today’s schedule was workshops at Sika’s laboratories at Widen, a small city near Zurich. Excitement rate=high (still),

BUT I would like here to make a point.

Although this trip is Sika’s personnel team work and I strongly feel to mention here how well prepared and organized was, I still feel that Matthias Dick put his personal touch and bonded us together. With his temperament made us a powerful team willing to gain so much experience from an exciting world which, although is everyday life, we hardly knew.

Back to the subject, today’s project was to apply our first week experience. Long story short, we used Sika’s adhesives in order to produce a handmade facade.

So let’s a take a look at Sika’s Lab.

The ‘raw’ materials are waiting for us.

Adjustig Sika’s adhesives.

Applying the stresses.

More adhesives.

And finally a facade is borned.

So that is from today, more news from Milano from now on.

Ps. A meaningful photo from the weekend.

Never stop trying.

The 5th day of our journey, we visited Austrian company Internorm which is the largest window brand in Europe. The company produces and develops highly insulating window and door systems. Because of my major chemical engineering, I’ve never seen inside of the window frame, therefore, it’s really good experience for me to see how it’s produced and how the SiKA’s glass bonding technologyl is hidden. 

Before SIKA’s glass bonding technology is developed, setting (or fitting) the window glass required professional skills and the usability was also not good. Since thermal insulation and energy saving are important for glass and window, this SIKA’s glass bonding technology could be modified to Internorm window. It was really interesting for me so many scientific important factors are needed to make one window. Also in BMW factory, SIKA technology was applied for glass bonding. Isn’t it amazing to see and learn something new you’ve never thought about before?

After having such a great weekday program, we had happy and fantastic weekend in Wildhaus. Snowboard riding and eating Fondue in Switzerland were really wonderful. Moreover in here with Alex, Lenka and Rahul, I’ve learned not only the SIKA technology, but also the way of understanding different cultures to be a friend. We became a real team and this is more than I expected. What a great experience!

Tomorrow, we will visit another SIKA branch in Widen to have a small practical workshop. The secret of workshop will be disclosed next post. Coming soon!

Snow snow snow and more snow :)

It was a fantastic weekend. On Saturday, I tried snowboarding for the first time and then snow hiking followed by fondue dinner at iltios, sliding back to the hotel on my black horse (see the last picture) and then sauna at the hotel. It was amazing :)

On Sunday I was very keen for snowboarding but unfortunately I hurt my right hand wrist because I was falling down again and again on my right hand (and I’m perfectly OK now). But I did not stop here, and then I rented my black horse again and it was good fun :) thanks to Matthias :) and thanks to Alexandros and Lenka for their help and support :)

Now we are in widen and looking forward to the practical workshop :)

my black horse :)

To be continued………..

And here is my second blog post of the week. The Sika Experience trip is becoming more and more interesting and adventures :) Here i’m summarizing our last three days.

(25.01.2012) Glass for life! Certainly this slogan suits on this material. Visit to the float glass manufacturing company, Interpane, Seingbouse, France, was an incredible experience. Interpane is the biggest Glass manufacturing company in Europe in terms of capacity of production. Mr. Francis Ritleng showed us all the different sections of the manufacturing process from the point of mixing all the different components of glass till the end of the final product.

Next day (26.01.2012), visit to the BMW welt, BMW Production site and BMW Museum in Munich, Germany, cleared so many doubts of mine related to car manufacturing process. This world-class car manufacturing company also uses Sika adhesives to fix the windshields and some other components. After this amazing trip to BMW world, we had our lunch at the rotating restaurant on the top of Olympic tower, which was certainly extremely pleasant. Thanks to Mr. Matthias Dick !

For pictures please visit -:

http://experience.sika.com/2012-01/museums-a-w-e-s-o-m-e/

and

http://experience.sika.com/2012-01/winter-time-has-come/

Yesterday (27.01.2012), we visited Internorm in Sarleinsbach, Austria, the #1 window manufacturing Company in Europe, which produces nearly 3000 windows per day according to the customer requirements and specifications, where they use adhesives produced by Sika. The technology behind these quality windows is truly fascinating.

And now, we are enjoying a snowy weekend at the Wildhaus in Switzerland :)

Snowy good morning :)

Let’s sum these last 2 days! Alex has already written about that amazing visit in BMW and given you some pics to see from over there. I think I have chosen my future car brand! :)

I would like to also mention the Olympiastadt we visited after BMW experience, because of its architectural heritage. Even thought it was built more than 40 years ago it’s still timeless. Originally it was designed by the German architect Günther Behnisch and the engineer Frei Otto, it was revolutionary at that time and it still is. The structure is made of acrylic glass and steel cables.

And today Internorm, the biggest window producing factory in Europe! Very interesting to see how the window is produced from the glass units and plastic frame bonded together with Sika adhesives. New technology for better results!

After another 500 km in car we are here now in Wildhaus and we joined Joerg for a winter snow weekend ( despite of the problems with getting to the hotel – see the picture :)).Tomorrow snow hiking with a surprise and skiing on Sunday, yeeey!

Stay posted and get the latest news of this adventure!

L.

Today was the last day in Germany and off to Austria now. Jihyun, Lenka and Rahul were very accurate for our, full of excitement, program on their posts so there is no need for many words.
About today’s schedule I have only three letters for you,

B M W

so no more writing and let the pictures talk!

To be continued..