Treatment equipment and furnaces
“Sustainability is no longer optional in surface treatment” – Adam Högqvist, Candor Sweden
With nearly eight decades of experience in surface treatment technologies, Candor Sweden AB has established itself as a key partner for the wire industry, combining advanced equipment design with in-depth chemical expertise. From plating and cleaning systems to high-speed, environmentally friendly solutions, the company supports both ferrous and non-ferrous wire producers worldwide.
At the latest wire & Tube Düsseldorf, we spoke with Adam Högqvist, Sales & Marketing Director at Candor Sweden AB, about current market trends, regional dynamics, sustainability challenges, and the company’s approach to digitalization and AI.
Which technology or trends showcased at the exhibition did you find most relevant to your business?
We are seeing significant growth across multiple regions and markets. For us, the biggest difference this year is the increase in activity in the US, particularly in specialized applications in cable manufacturing. This has been a key focus for Candor this year, with nickel plating and silver plating being the main focus.
So, are you investing mainly in the US market or also in other areas?
Since we sell globally and are present in many different sectors — ranging from welding wire and cable manufacturing to cold-headed spring wire and general wire cleaning applications — we are not tied to any specific geographic area or business segment. When we witness a decline in some areas, we typically see growth in others, which is what is happening right now in the US market for connectors and cable manufacturing, where we are experiencing an increase in orders. One key area of focus is Korea and Japan, where we plan to further strengthen our presence. Historically, Candor has delivered a large number of machines to these countries in the 80s and 90s, and we still have long-standing customers who continue to rely on us. We have seen renewed activity in that region as well, so I think for our sales team, the priority now is to be more active in the Asian market overall.
How are recent global trade policies, geopolitical developments, and disruptions affecting Candor’s activity?
A lot of suppliers are talking about tariffs and related issues. From our perspective, since these tariffs affect the import of many materials into the US, companies there are starting their own production of specific products. This is where it becomes relevant for us: we supply machines that allow customers to start local production instead of importing. At the same time, the political situation is still uncertain, and many companies have put investments on hold. Several projects have been delayed, which has directly affected us, as we expected to deliver more machines. So while the interest is there, some decisions are being postponed.
How are you adapting your product portfolio to meet increasing sustainability requirements in surface treatments and wire production? What is your commitment to sustainability?
I can say that internally at Candor Sweden, we are strongly focused on environmental regulations and carbon footprint emissions. We have a major internal project that has been ongoing for the past two years, similar to CBAM, but more specifically related to chemistry.
If we are talking about our local Scandinavian market, many of our chemical products go into the automotive industry, which has very strict sustainability requirements. Speaking more generally about machine production, our machines are built with components such as pumps, motors, heaters, and so on, so we are always exploring more energy-efficient technologies to integrate into our lines. I would say the low-hanging fruit is improving insulation to minimize heat and energy loss. We are working both internally in our own production and in alignment with EU regulations related to carbon footprint and sustainability. I think this has become an area of increasing focus — you cannot afford to fall behind; you need to stay at the forefront.
Are there any costs associated with the transition to more sustainable systems?
For us, the shift towards more sustainable systems does not significantly impact costs in terms of raw materials or external components. Suppliers are already aligning with evolving environmental standards, resulting in gradual efficiency improvements rather than major cost increases. The primary burden lies internally. Compliance with increasingly stringent environmental regulations requires additional in-house resources, processes, and monitoring, generating indirect costs that cannot easily be transferred to customers. As a result, Candor absorbs these expenses within its own operations rather than reflecting them in machine pricing. In the long term, the company does not expect sustainability-driven changes to have a substantial impact on the overall price level of its machine portfolio, positioning efficiency gains as a balancing factor against regulatory demands.
Have you integrated AI into your machines, and how is it influencing your business both internally and operationally for customers?
At Candor, artificial intelligence is currently being explored primarily as an internal tool rather than a product feature. Candor has been around since 1946 and most of our workforce has decades of know-how, but all this knowledge is based on field experience, books, and documentation. So, the company has launched an ongoing digitalization project aimed at capturing and structuring decades of accumulated know-how. The objective is to create a centralized knowledge bank that can support faster troubleshooting and more efficient customer support, particularly in cases involving unfamiliar or previously resolved technical issues. By making this information more accessible, Candor aims to significantly reduce response times and improve service quality. AI can then be used in many different areas, streamlining communication, order handling, email management, and so on, but we are still at an early stage with this. On the product side, Candor has not yet integrated AI into its machine control systems, since our machines are not that complicated to use. Adding an AI agent would simply add another layer of complexity without benefiting the customers in terms of performance or output. That said, we do see potential upsides for AI in our internal production processes, where it could contribute to greater efficiency and process optimization over time.
How was wire Düsseldorf for you?
We are actually pretty happy with the wire Düsseldorf show this year. We heard that many people had trouble with flights coming into Germany due to cancellations, but overall our experience was very good. Visitor attendance at our booth was strong. It was a very good show, as always.
We would like to thank Adam Högqvist for sharing his insights. For more information about Candor systems, you are welcome to visit the company’s online stand on Expometals >>
