Ernst ‘Sigi’ Siegenthaler is a well-known name to competitors, associates and businesses in the international concrete sawing and drilling industry, with most people knowing him simply as “Sigi”. These contacts have been developed through many activities and he has for over 30 years regularly attended the international umbrella association, International Association of Concrete Drillers & Sawers (IACDS); first for Hydrostress and then with Hilti.  

In September 2017 Sigi founded his own company siegenthalerconsulting, making all his know-how of complex diamond applications available to the international concrete cutting market. This is an excellent use of his talents as during his time in the industry, Sigi has worked with, and created, highly efficient concrete cutting solutions on a vast number of complicated applications all over the world. Here we outline some examples of applications which highlight his breadth of experience and knowledge.

Nuclear power plant decommissioning

Sigi is a pioneer of dry diamond wire sawing technology, which he has been using since 2003. In the field of nuclear power plant decommissioning, he succeeded for the first time in cutting heavily reinforced concrete dry without additional cooling equipment.

Onshore and offshore

siegenthalerconsulting offers construction companies with overall project responsibility, but without any diamond competence, its experience and expertise. The company provides the advice and support to NPP decommissioning companies, onshore and offshore companies, as well as professional diamond service contractors working in complex applications and decision making situations in the field of diamond technology. Thus, Sigi creates tangible added value for his clients, especially those who guarantee complex diamond applications.

In the field of project engineering, Sigi is able to deliver further feasibility studies, recommendation of method, equipment and tools; dismantling concepts, costs and time planning, coordination and organization on site and much more besides. In the area of product engineering, siegenthalerconsulting is able to advise on the development of special machinery for customer-specific applications, on-site training and application training for users and operators on site.

Huge experience

Ernst ‘Sigi’ Siegenthaler began his professional career in the diamond service contractor business in 1985 with Hydrostress AG in Switzerland. At that time, Hydrostress developed and manufactured machine systems for concrete sawing and drilling, being very successful in high-pressure hydraulic and in pre-stressing system technology. Sigi played a significant role in developing the first foreign subsidiaries and distribution partners of Hydrostress in England, France, Germany, Austria and Italy.

In 1990, Hydrostress founded Hydrostress Canada Inc. in Toronto. As general manager of this company, Sigi implemented the Hydrostress hydraulic machine systems methods for the professional sawing and drilling contractors in Canada and the USA. “This was indeed a big challenge as the American technology at that time was at a much lower level compared to my knowledge. I had to modify the hydraulic machines, especially the hydraulic wall saw systems, to be suitable for the American hydraulic power packs,” explained Sigi of the challenges faced.

As his reputation grew within the industry, 1997 saw Hilti AG bringing Sigi to Liechtenstein to work at its corporate headquarters as a project manager in the business unit Diamond. Sigi played a significant part in building Hilti’s diamond services contractor business in Europe and Asia. In his role as global key account manager, he successfully undertook and completed many nuclear power-plant decommissioning projects in Germany, UK and France, as well as building many customer-specific special machines which were supported by numerous application training programmes.

In the past, Sigi has undertaken many consultancy projects in the offshore business in the North Sea, close to UK and Norway. In Asia, he has supported several oil refineries in the onshore business drawing on, and sharing his know-how of diamond wire technology and application training.

“siegenthalerconsulting now aims to provide and stands for guaranteed decision-making security, the selection of the right technical solutions, cost savings, on-time delivery and, finally, for the success of the project. “It is a competence you can count on,” says a proud Sigi. 

PDi Magazine would like to wish Sigi the best of luck in his new venture.

sigi@sigi-siegenthaler.ch