Thermik Gerätebau GmbH has established itself as a global leader in the development and manufacture of thermal protectors and thermistors. Founded in 1968 in Pforzheim, Germany, by Peter Hofsaess, the company has grown from a small workshop into the world market leader for thermal protection devices, with more than three billion of its components currently in use worldwide across three continents.
The company’s success story began with a significant innovation by founder Peter Hofsaess. In 1973, he developed the W1000, the first thermal protector with an optimized round design featuring a 2-disc construction. This innovative design enabled the device to prevent current flow through the bimetallic discs, effectively solving the persistent problem of current self-heating that plagued earlier temperature monitors. The W1000 was not only flatter than competing products but also resolved numerous issues associated with other geometries, establishing itself as the direct predecessor of today’s best-selling thermal protectors for applications within electrical windings.
Peter Hofsaess’s breakthrough was inspired by a principle attributed to Archimedes: “As in nature, so in technology the ideal and most adaptable form is the round.” This philosophy guided the company’s approach to creating components that were both compact and efficient, addressing the space limitations within electrical devices while ensuring optimal functionality.
Following Peter Hofsaess’s untimely death in 1992, his son Marcel P. Hofsaess took over management of the company. Under Marcel’s leadership, Thermik has continued to thrive, significantly expanding its patent portfolio. Marcel registered his first patent in 1993, and over 1,000 more have followed to date. This dedication to innovation has positioned Marcel P. Hofsaess at the top of the inventor rankings in the thermal protectors sector, holding more industrial property rights than the combined total of the seven next most prolific inventors in the field.
The company’s commitment to innovation is further reflected in its extensive patent portfolio. Thermik Gerätebau holds more international patents and property rights than all of its competitors combined, giving the company a significant technological edge over others in the industry. This focus on developing proprietary technologies has allowed Thermik to maintain its position as an industry leader for over five decades.
Quality awareness is another cornerstone of Thermik’s success. The company’s products undergo regular benchmark analyses by neutral scientific laboratories, such as the Fraunhofer Institute, where Thermik products consistently outperform competitors by a significant margin. These tests validate that Thermik products reliably reach their self-declared performance limits, whereas many competitors’ products fall short of their claimed specifications.
Beyond standard offerings, Thermik provides customized developments as a special service to its clients. Numerous electrical appliance manufacturers, including global brands like BOSCH and Kärcher, rely on exclusive products from Thermik designed according to specific customer requirements. These tailored solutions offer clients market advantages by providing either more powerful thermal protectors or components that are rationalized to the customer’s production processes.
The company’s growth trajectory has been impressive. In the late 1970s, Thermik established a Europe-wide sales network, and by 1984, it had set up a production plant in the USA. Notably, in 1990, shortly before German reunification, Thermik became the first West German medium-sized company to establish a branch in the former GDR, demonstrating remarkable entrepreneurial vision during a pivotal historical moment.
Today, Thermik Gerätebau employs more than 900 people across its locations and has been recognized as one of the top 100 most innovative medium-sized companies in Germany. In 2021, it was ranked among the top 10 achievers in the listing of the 10,000 most important German companies by the association DDW (Die Deutsche Wirtschaft).
Looking toward the future, Thermik continues to develop new innovations particularly focused on the growing market of “green energy.“ Its thermal protectors play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of wind turbines, solar power systems, and voltage transformers. With product life cycles typically exceeding 20 years, Thermik’s developments set new standards not only in technical performance but also in terms of economic and ecological sustainability.
Through its unwavering commitment to innovation, quality, and customer-oriented solutions, Thermik Gerätebau has transformed from a small operation into a global industry leader, demonstrating how vision and technical expertise can lead to sustained success in specialized industrial markets.
