With deep roots in Swedish technology and innovation
Scanreco dates back to 1984 when the company was first established in a private garage in Södertälje, a city south of Stockholm, Sweden. As an early innovator in radio remote controls, Scanreco implemented the frequency synthesizer in 1989, enabling the user to change frequencies without having to exchange the physical crucial component, the radio crystal.
In 1999, we introduced the CAN protocol in our receivers which enables rapid and secure data transfer between multiple units on a machine. For additional ease of use, two-way communication with operator feedback on the transmitter was also introduced. And in 2002 we added a monochrome display to our tough and reliable belly packs, followed by the highly praised million-color graphic display in 2016.
Replacement of cable remote controls moved the operator to the side
Founders Kaj Johansson and Björn Askestig soon headed into the mobile hydraulic segment and began replacing cable remote controls on trucks and loader cranes by retrofitting them with radio-controlled systems. By doing so, the operator could step away from the machine and gain a better view of the worksite environment from a safe spot. As demand for these innovative wireless systems increased, Scanreco moved on to knuckle boom cranes and other mobile machines and equipment, contributing to safer and more efficient machine operations globally.
Entrepreneurship and product development have always been cornerstones for Scanreco. And as sales soared, so did the development of new products. In 1996, the same year as we signed our first contract with a global leading knuckle boom crane, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), one of our most valued and trusted products, the Maxi Transmitter, was launched. With an ergonomic design that allows for an almost limitless number of different configurations, our Maxi Transmitter can be designed to fit nearly any mobile hydraulic application and is a reliable and appreciated workhorse at job sites around the world.
A few years later, a smaller version of the popular Maxi Transmitter, the Mini Transmitter, had passed both our own and third parties’ crucial and demanding verification processes and was put to market. Over the course of the years, the larger transmitters have been accompanied by the handheld transmitters Pocket, Rocket Flex and Handy to create a series of transmitters for any application type the most demanding conditions. In the following years, new features and products were developed and release. Two popular features are the li-ion battery pack for G2G3 transmitters, and the premium display for belly packs, which was further improved and released in 2024, giving operators crystal clear color screen visibility regardless of light conditions. The G6 platform with our new inventions SISP™ rendered a lot of attention when launched in 2022, along with our successful approach to Human-Machine-Interaction and design for better efficiency and performance, called Safe Operator. Smart Operator.
With a thriving ongoing business in the early 2000s, Scanreco further expanded its OEM solutions to include joint product development projects, an offering that is still one of the main solutions for those customers that need 100% customization and seamless integration with their own products (this you can read more about here).
Firmware development
As previously mentioned, product development is an important part of our mission. However, it is not just hardware and radio technology that sees continuous improvement. Indeed, our application engineers are constantly improving our firmware to meet the demands of modern mobile hydraulic applications. With the launch of what we today call “the G1 series” in 1991, all initial system settings could be configured, stored, and copied using a regular PC!
Since then, our firmware offering has strongly contributed to what makes us stand out in the market. Over the years, our engineers have developed over half a million systems, all perfectly adapted for the specific applications they serve. One very much appreciated feature is the easy pairing&backup function that allows for quick replacement of a lost or damaged transmitter which minimizes downtime for the operator, all done without the need of any special tools or programming skills.
Global leadership
Since Björn and Kaj started out from the garage south of Stockholm we have developed into a global leader within professional radio remote control systems. Today, we are represented by technically skilled and carefully chosen distributors in over 20 countries from Brazil to South Korea. In effect, Scanreco has expanded our humble “garage” to include development, sales, support, service, and production facilities in Sweden, USA, Canada, Germany and Spain.
The development and expansion saga of Scanreco continues, and we can assure you that our story has only just begun.
