EPHYMESS
EPHYMESS is a German manufacturer of contact temperature sensors for electrical machines, headquartered in Wiesbaden and supplying rail vehicle and drive system manufacturers worldwide.
The company was founded in Wiesbaden in 1955 by Hermann and Else Seibel as EPHY-MESS. It is still entered in the commercial register as EPHY-Mess Gesellschaft für Elektro-Physikalische Meßgeräte mbH; EPHYMESS is the brand spelling adopted in 2022.
Ownership remains in the family. Claudia Becker, daughter of the founders, is owner and sole shareholder and manages the company with Andreas Becker; both belong to the second generation. Tobias Jennißen and Patricia Mohr joined the management in 2022 as the third generation, completing a handover the company dates from 2015.
According to the company’s own history, it had almost 170 staff at its Wiesbaden-Delkenheim production site in 2011, the most recent published headcount, and turnover of almost EUR 13 million in 2022.
Products for rail
Within sensors and measurement technology, the rail portfolio covers temperature sensors, speed sensors and oil level gauges for rolling stock. The sensors monitor traction motors, gearboxes and wheelset bearings, typically delivered as project-specific configurations rather than catalogue standards.
The range sits in the field of pressure and temperature sensors: slot resistance thermometers based on Pt100 elements, thermistors, thermocouples and bimetallic switches, complemented by evaluation electronics. Rail-specific designs are built for the shock, vibration and pressure loads of underfloor installation, including high-speed applications.
EPHYMESS entered the rail sector in 1990 with miniaturised temperature sensors and complete sensor systems for the InterCityExpress. The company’s own case material documents equipment on the Siemens ES 64 U2 “Taurus” locomotives hauling ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) Railjet trains: temperature monitoring of the traction motors, separate registration of speed and direction of travel, and an oil sight glass in the locomotive drive.
Market position
Rail production is certified to ISO/TS 22163, the International Railway Industry Standard (IRIS). The same framework includes ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, and the company holds ATEX and IECEx certifications for sensors in explosion-prone environments. Those certifications also apply to its wind power and general industrial business.
EPHYMESS states an export share above 45 percent across 42 countries. Customers are primarily manufacturers of electrical machines and drive systems, with rail as one of three main market segments.
Current activity
EPHYMESS exhibited at InnoTrans 2024 in Berlin, presenting customised sensors for rail applications, and the next edition of the trade fair runs from 22 to 25 September 2026. The 2022 brand relaunch changed the company’s public spelling and coincided with the expansion of the management board.
