Proceq History

1954

Proceq SA, which was established on the 8th of April 1954 by Antonio Brandestini, opened its first office in Zurich, Switzerland. The company name Proceq is taken from a combination of the words “processes” and “equipment”. 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. Proceq placed particular emphasis on the development of new and innovative equipment, processes and applications in various special fields of modern construction engineering. Mr. Brandestini also brought to Proceq significant contributions from his co-partnership in BBR, an acclaimed bridge construction company.

With its growing success, Proceq assembled a group of specialists to handle the detailed design work and technical specifications of both its own and third-party products and projects. This group was involved in coordinating external development and manufacturing units and controlling the manufacture of prototypes and their testing, as well as the execution or supervision of materials testing. As a result of such research and development, Proceq extended its product range from concrete constructions to metering and material testing techniques for paper, metal, wood, and other materials. This included the revolutionary design of the Original Schmidt concrete testing hammer for in-situ testing of concrete compressive strength.

1960

Proceq developed its first rubber/steel bearings and other types of construction components.

1963

Proceq enhanced its business activities by offering on-site installation and commissioning services.

1965

The diversity of its innovations and the application of its products can be seen in many projects in which Proceq has been involved. For example, in 1965, Proceq took part in the construction of huge water containers by stabilizing the structure of the containers in locations in Nigeria, Brazil and Iran among other countries.

1967

Proceq expanded its operations by opening a branch office in Lausanne in the French part of Switzerland. Since then, Proceq has extended its activities throughout the world, with sales forces and partners in Europe, Asia and North America.

1970

The number of Proceq employees exceeded 50 for the first time. Proceq has over 70 employees including engineers, technicians, export specialists, commercial personnel and service fitters.

1973

Launch of the blockbuster Profometer. Over the years, the Proceq Profometer series has become a leader in the technology for the location, sizing and cover measurement of steel reinforcing bars in concrete.

In order to deal with the increase in demand of Proceq’s products, Proceq built a warehouse in Schwerzenbach, on the outskirts of Zurich.

1974

Another example of the diversity of Proceq's product applications can be seen in their usage during the retrieval of a submarine in Russian waters.

1975

Launch of the groundbreaking Equotip Metal Hardness Tester. It was introduced as a revolutionary approach to portable hardness testing and is based on the Leeb rebound principle (named after the Proceq scientist Dietmar Leeb).

The Equotip method of testing is based on a spring loaded impact body, which is propelled against a test piece. The forward and rebound velocities (Vr, Vf) are measured and electronically processed to give the new hardness value L (Leeb scale, L=1000*Vr/Vf). Converted values of the test result can easily be displayed according to various standards, such as Rockwell (HRC, HRB), Brinell (HB), Vickers (HV) and Shore (HS).

1976

For the gigantic Al Jamarat pedestrian bridge in the holy city of Mecca, Proceq provided 3600 pieces of Lasto Block (a particular type of the rubber/steel bearing).

Launch of our own range of bridge bearings under the brand Reston, with an extensive marketing campaign.

1977

Proceq’s product Equotip received the gold medal from the “Salon International des Invention de Geneve”.

1980

Launch of Wiga measuring system for deep pile static load testing, using  BBR bridge bearing technology.

1981

Due to Proceq’s reputation for high precision and reliability, it established itself in the worldwide markets and became known for its diversity in product applications.
In 1981 Proceq’s Equotip was used as part of an investigation by NASA into debris from the Skylab which was found in South West Australia. The investigation made use of information supplied by NASA, McDonnell Douglas, Proceq and other parties.

1982

A major project involved supplying bearings and construction joints for the Dessouk bridge over the Nile in Egypt.

1984

Launch of Profometer 3

1988

Introduction of the Dyna pull-off tester. The instrument measures the surface tensile strength of concrete and the bonding force of coatings.

1992

Proceq sells 250 pieces of the Profometer 3 to Iran's Ministry of Housing & Urban Development.

1993

Launch of the corrosion analyzing instrument Canin based on the half-cell principle.

1994

Proceq was certified according to ISO 9001. This was another affirmation of Proceq’s philosophy towards high quality.

Launch of Tensa, a new generation highway expansion joint with significant noise-reduction.

1995

Launch of Profometer 4 - for locating bars, measuring the concrete cover and the bar diameter. Rapid checks of minimum cover, rebars are displayed and data is stored.

1996

Standardization in the USA of the Equotip procedure in accordance with “ASTM A956-96 – Standard Method for Equotip Hardness Testing of Steel Products”.

1997

Proceq further expanded into the Asian market by introducing three Proceq products (Digi-Schmidt 2, Tico, Resi) at the trade fair “World of Concrete ‘97”.

1999

Launch of Proceq’s Website (www.proceq.com).

2000

Proceq celebrates 50 years of the Concrete Test Hammer Schmidt-Hammer. The instrument is still the de-facto standard for non-destructive testing of concrete in the education and construction industries.

2001

Launch of Profometer 5 - the fifth generation with enhanced software programs.

Proceq established its first subsidiary Proceq USA in order to better serve the customers. It opened offices in Pittsburgh and Chicago (website: www.proceq-usa.com).

2003

China Road show 2003: For 2 weeks, Proceq traveled to Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Xian and Chongqing to conduct presentations and live product demonstrations.

2004

The headquarters of Proceq moved to its newly acquired office building in Schwerzenbach (next to the Proceq logistics center) in April.

2005

Proceq launched the presumably smallest Rockwell C hardness tester in the world, the Equopen.

2006

Proceq introduced a fully-integrated portable hardness solution for metals. The Equotip Piccolo delighted Proceq customers with its innovative charge-release mechanism that enhances usability and speeds up measurements.

2007

Equotip 3 was introduced. To create this instrument, Proceq combined today's technology with its many years of Equotip know-how and customer feedback. The result was the most versatile and professional rebound hardness tester available on the market - and it has been ever since.

The Equotip Bambino was released to the market as Proceq's most economical and easy-to-use hardness tester, ranking between the Equopen and Equotip Piccolo in terms of functionality and applicability.

Proceq’s highlight in 2007 was the introduction of the revolutionary concrete test hammer SilverSchmidt. This next generation tool combines an electronic display and advanced mechanics with a true rebound coefficient that automatically converts to compressive strength.

2008

Proceq opens three new offices around the world.
Proceq Russ LLC is represented with two new offices (St. Petersburg) which allow maximum support to our customers. Proceq SAO will serve our customers in South America. And to comply with the demands of our customers in the Middle East, we will be marketing our products from Dubai (Proceq ME).

2009

Proceq launches the Profoscope - another blockbuster.

Proceq purchases CNS Farnell, maker of the classic Pundit Ulrasonic Instruments.

Proceq - more than 50 years of know-how you can measure!

Proceq is firmly dedicated to the continuance of excellence and quality as demonstrated in its rich history and will strive to maintain the highest degree of integrity in the further development of its products and services.

The company is still privately owned by the founder's family Brandestini/Valsangiacomo