Filtec

What Filtec does

FILTEC is a US-headquartered industrial automation company that designs and manufactures end-to-end quality assurance inspection systems for glass bottle, PET bottle, and metal can fill lines. Founded in 1958 (formerly Industrial Dynamics Company, rebranded in 2015) and now operating as a subsidiary within the Kestrel Vision Group, the company sells hardware and software solutions covering empty container inspection, fill level measurement (Vision, Photon/Gamma, X-Ray, High Frequency), closure and pressure inspection, label inspection, foreign object detection, thermal glue inspection, full pack inspection, and laser marking/code reading. Its technology stack combines machine vision, photon (Gamma/X-Ray), and thermal modalities, unified by the INTELLECT platform and the newer KLARITY data integration platform, which aggregate inspection data and expose analytics for Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and filler management.

FILTEC serves beverage, food, pharmaceutical, chemical, and household goods manufacturers, with named enterprise customers including AB InBev, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper, Constellation Brands, and Campbells, alongside a growing push into craft breweries. The company operates from Solon, Ohio (headquarters) and Torrance, California, with local offices and support in over 20 international territories, and combines direct enterprise field sales with channel partnerships such as the McPack distribution agreement for South America. Its revenue model is primarily hardware sales of inspection equipment, complemented by aftermarket parts and service, and increasingly by software/platform offerings (INTELLECT, KLARITY, Kestrel Eco System, and the 2025 Kestrel Digital Solutions platform). FILTEC is privately held under the Kestrel Vision Group holding structure, with no publicly disclosed funding rounds beyond a 2013 SFW Capital Partners investment and no disclosed revenue.

Name

Filtec

Legal name

FILTEC

Website

https://filtec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

FILTEC designs and manufactures machine vision, photon, and thermal quality assurance inspection systems for glass, PET, and can fill lines, serving beverage, food, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods manufacturers globally as part of the Kestrel Vision Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Inspection Equipment

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Quality Inspection & Metrology (Machine Vision) (IMAIAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Inspection, Checkweighing & Detection Systems (Vision, Metal, X-ray) (IMALAOAH)

Keywords

• Container inspection systems
• Fill level inspection
• Machine vision inspection
• Quality assurance equipment
• Laser marking solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Torrance

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Inspection Equipment Sales: FILTEC generates revenue primarily through the sale of container inspection equipment and systems including fill level inspectors, vision inspection systems, pressure inspection solutions, and empty container inspection machines.
2. Software/Platform (INTELLECT): The INTELLECT smart inspection platform provides integrated data analytics, monitoring, and reporting capabilities, potentially offered as part of equipment packages or as a separate platform license.
3. Parts and Service: FILTEC provides aftermarket parts and service support to maintain and service installed inspection equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Filtec manufactures and sells end-to-end quality assurance inspection systems for glass bottle, PET bottle, and metal can fill lines, using machine vision, photon (Gamma/X-Ray), and thermal technologies. The INTELLECT platform serves as the core modular inspection system, integrating fill level, closure, pressure, label, empty container, and full pack inspection, supplemented by the KLARITY data integration platform, laser marking systems, and rejector systems. The company serves beverage, food, pharmaceutical, household goods, and chemical manufacturers globally, with local offices and support in more than 20 countries.

Product overview

FILTEC provides end-to-end quality assurance inspection systems for glass bottle, PET bottle, and metal can fill lines using machine vision, photon (Gamma/X-Ray), and thermal technologies. The product portfolio is organized around the INTELLECT platform as the core modular inspection system, which integrates multiple inspection applications including fill level inspection (Vision, Photon, High Frequency, X-Ray, and Gamma variants), closure and pressure inspection, label inspection (OmniLabel 360), empty container inspection (OMNIVISION 4, Empty Can Inspection, Remote Vision Inspection), full pack inspection, thermal glue inspection, and laser marking/coding solutions. The KLARITY Data Integration Platform and KESTREL Eco System provide data analytics and API integration capabilities. Supporting infrastructure includes Filler Management Solutions for real-time valve monitoring and Rejector Systems for quality control. All inspection systems are designed to increase production line efficiency, reduce waste, and protect brand integrity across food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• INTELLECT Platform Container inspection platform designed to track, monitor, and report on container quality through each step of the entire packaging process, providing a user-friendly touchscreen interface and integrating multiple inspection technologies. Used by beverage, food, and consumer goods manufacturers.
• INTELLECT-IN Next-Generation Fill Level Inspection Next-generation fill level inspection system combining modern electronics with intuitive INTELLECT software for reliable inspection performance and a touchscreen-driven user experience.
• KLARITY Data Integration Platform Lifecycle data-fusion platform that transforms production data into actionable insights, enabling visibility across the entire container lifecycle from manufacturing and filling to customer engagement and recycling.
• OMNIVISION 4 with INTELLECT (Empty Bottle Inspection) All-surface inspection system for empty transparent containers detecting foreign objects and flaws in base, sidewall, finish, and threads of empty glass and refPET bottles. Features vacuum-less starwheel design and next-generation LINESCAN outer sidewall inspection with 4x resolution.
• Vision Empty Can Inspection Vision-based empty can inspection system detecting defects in flange, inner sidewalls, and base of empty cans on lines running up to 2,400 cans per minute.
• Remote Vision Inspection (RVI) Modules Compact and flexible vision inspection modules for date code inspection, barcode traceability, label inspection, closure inspection, fill level inspection, lid/tab inspection, and seam damage inspection.
• Foreign Object Detection (FOD) Quality control system designed to identify and reject containers with contaminants including metal, glass, stones, and hard plastics for food and beverage filling lines.
• FILTEC 3 Fill Level Inspection Industry-leading photon level inspection for accurate fill level inspection of cans and bottles using Gamma or X-Ray technology, detecting overfill, underfill, and foam at speeds up to 140,000 cans per hour or 72,000 bottles per hour.
• High Frequency Fill Level Inspection Advanced fill level system for glass and PET lines with modular design, comprehensive filler valve and capper head performance statistics, cap inspection via sensor or camera including tamper band detection, foam compensation functionality, no license required.
• Photon Fill Level with INTELLECT Photon-based fill level inspection using Gamma or X-Ray technology for height detection including underfill, overfill, and fill level inspection even when content is not visible from outside.
• Vision Fill Level with INTELLECT Vision-based fill level inspection for bottling lines up to 1,200 bottles per minute using camera and image processing technology.
• Filler Management Solutions System that samples and monitors filler valves and capper heads at production speeds, pinpointing poorly performing equipment in real-time and enabling maintenance focus during breaks.
• 360 Vision Closure and Fill Level 360-degree vision inspection system using sophisticated optical and sensing technologies to inspect bottles for correct fill level and cap/closure defects including bullnose, cracked caps, and crown defects.
• Sensor Pressure Inspection Pressure inspection system using visible laser beams and line scan cameras providing accurate pressure and vacuum detection with true 3D views of containers.
• Vision Pressure Solution for Cans 3D Vision-based adaptive solid-state inspection solution for canning lines operating up to 1,900 cans per minute using non-contact high-resolution laser profiling technology.
• Top-Down Closure Inspection Top-down inspection system for bottle caps, crowns, and can lids detecting missing closure, incorrect logo/color/design, missing tab, deformation, or dents.
• OmniLabel 360 Comprehensive 360-degree label inspection system using vision technology for shrink sleeve and glue-on labels at speeds up to 1,000 bottles per minute.
• Photon Full Packs Inspection Photon inspection system for entire packs detecting missing or improperly filled containers and carton damage on lines operating up to 300 packs per minute.
• Thermal Glue Inspection Solution Thermal and vision-based inspection solution detecting missing, excess, and insufficient hot melt adhesive on cartons and cases, categorizing defect patterns for reporting and maintenance.
• Lasetec 5 and Lasetec OCR High-speed laser and OCR systems for permanent high-contrast product codes without consumables, eliminating cost and environmental impact of inkjet printers.
• CodeTrack DM Code reading and tracking solution for product traceability and brand matching via barcode verification.
• FILTEC Rejector Systems In-line rejectors including finger, multi-lane, and slat models for both high-speed and variable-speed container rejection operations.
• Vision Empty ACL Bottle Inspection Vision inspection system for ACL (Applied Ceramic Labeling) bottles to prevent containers with incorrect ACL from being sent to the filler.
• Vision Sorting for Bottles Continuous inspection of empty bottle shape and height sorting for every bottle prior to entering the filling process.

Quantifiable outcome

• Empty Can Inspection can prevent up to 36,000 cans of downtime per incident (20-minute seamer jam)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• PresscoflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2024FILTEC and Pressco partnered as members of Kestrel Vision Group to offer end-to-end container inspection solutions. The partnership combines FILTEC's fill line inspection with Pressco's can and bottle inspection for converters and fillers. Benefits include access to large pool of global engineering and service engineers and capacity to offer combined solutions from both product portfolios.
• McPackcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 December 2019FILTEC partnered with McPack for distribution in South America (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chile). McPack serves food, beverage, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, hygiene, and cleaning industries with over 23 years of experience in the Latin market. The partnership provides local service and support for existing and new FILTEC customers in the territory.
• SOMEXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOMEX is a trusted supplier of laboratory inspection systems, widely certified and trusted by leading beverage manufacturers for lab-based testing and analysis. They are part of the Kestrel Vision Group alongside FILTEC and Pressco.
• Kestrel Vision GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKestrel Vision is the parent holding structure containing FILTEC, Pressco, and SOMEX. The group specializes in rigid packaging solutions serving container manufacturers and fillers. Strategic focus on services and data capabilities combined with inspection vision expertise supports industry 4.0 construction and packaging sustainability transformation.
• Ska FabricatingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFILTEC is a proud sponsor of the Craft After Dark event organized by Ska Fabricating, an official conference evening event at the Craft Brewers Conference.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Krones AG: Krones is a global packaging and bottling machinery giant that offers inspection systems as part of its complete line solutions; FILTEC often plugs into Krones lines, but Krones competes on integrated offerings, especially with major beverage customers.
• TOMRA: TOMRA is a global sensor-based sorting and inspection company whose food and recycling divisions apply optical, X-ray, and laser sorting technologies that overlap with FILTEC's vision-based empty-container and foreign-object detection systems.
• Bühler Group: Bühler is a large industrial processor of foods and advanced materials whose Sortex optical sorting division competes with FILTEC's vision-based defect and contamination detection solutions for the food and packaging value chain.
• Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection: Mettler-Toledo's Product Inspection division (Safeline, Hi-Speed, CI-Vision) provides X-ray, metal detection, and vision inspection for food/bev/pharma lines as part of a much larger precision-instruments portfolio, making it a broad incumbent competing with FILTEC on full-line inspection.

Direct peers

• Peco InspX: Peco InspX designs and manufactures high-speed container inspection equipment (vision, X-ray, leak detection) for food, beverage, and consumer goods lines, competing head-to-head with FILTEC's OMNIVISION, fill-level, and pressure inspection modules.
• Anritsu Infivis (Industrial Solutions): Anritsu's Infivis division produces X-ray and checkweighing inspection systems specifically for food and packaging lines, directly overlapping with FILTEC's FILTEC 3 photon fill-level, foreign object detection, and checkweighing-equivalent offerings.
• Tiama: Tiama is a French specialist in glass-container inspection (vision-based defect detection), already partnered with FILTEC through the Kestrel Vision ecosystem, and directly competes in empty-bottle quality inspection for the glass-bottle market.
• Heuft Systemtechnik: Heuft is a German specialist in empty-bottle inspection, fill-level, closure, and label inspection for beverage and food fill lines — a near-direct competitor to FILTEC with overlapping product categories (vision, X-ray, gamma) and a similar global customer base in breweries and soft-drink fillers.
• Fortress Technology: Fortress designs metal detection and X-ray inspection systems for food and packaging lines, overlapping with FILTEC's contamination and fill-level inspection products in food/beverage manufacturing.
• Sesotec: Sesotec specializes in foreign object detection, metal detection, and X-ray inspection for food, plastics, and packaging — directly comparable to FILTEC's Foreign Object Detection and photon fill-level inspection modules.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/industrial-dynamics-company
• Xx.com/ask_filtec
• Facebookfacebook.com/filtec-ltd-934640693314076

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Filtec