What Kemet International does

Kemet International Limited is a UK-headquartered (Maidstone, Kent) precision lapping and polishing technology company established in 1938. It manufactures proprietary diamond compounds and diamond slurries in-house to ISO 9001:2015 standards — zero-VOC formulations in oil-soluble, water-soluble, and emulsion variants covering 1–45 micron grades — and pairs these consumables with a full equipment portfolio: precision lapping machines from 200mm to 3 metres in diameter, the KemiSphere II spherical polisher, the KemTech SpheriMatch II match lapping machine, the KemCol 15 chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) machine, the Sheenus ZERO and Sonic Cutter ZERO ultrasonic tools, the Vibrapol vibratory polisher for metallography, and KP KleenPower vacuum solvent cleaning machines. Its six wholly-owned subsidiaries (Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Korea, China, Singapore) provide direct enterprise sales and local-language support across Europe and Asia-Pacific.

The business operates three intertwined revenue streams: capital equipment sales (lapping, polishing, cleaning, and ultrasonic systems), recurring consumables (diamond slurries, compounds, lubricating fluids, conditioning rings, polishing pads), and contract services (in-house lapping, process optimization, mechanical seal repair, mirror finish polishing, and free sample testing with reports). Pricing on machines is quote-based; standardized metallographic consumables are sold through a UK e-commerce storefront with published unit pricing. Free process development, free sample testing, and free machine health checks function as customer acquisition and retention mechanisms. Multi-currency acceptance (GBP, EUR, USD) and a 100+ article technical blog support enterprise field sales across primary verticals — medical orthopaedic implants, oil/gas and hydraulics, aerospace, semiconductor (SiC wafer polishing), precision tooling and moulds, and research/metallography laboratories. Notable technical outcomes include 3-micron roundness on hip joint cups, 400-part-per-shift tibial polishing throughput with two operators, 99% solvent recovery in vacuum cleaning, and 25% performance gains for the FastCut water-based slurry versus oil-based products.

Competitive advantages derive from 85+ years of accumulated lapping domain expertise, vertically integrated consumables-to-equipment ecosystem, validated processes for regulated medical and aerospace customers, and a global direct subsidiary network. Strategic partnerships distribute IFP Europe's vacuum cleaning technology and NSK's Sheenus ultrasonic polishers under the Kemet brand. Customer concentration is diversified across multiple industrial verticals with no individually named anchor customers, and the installed-equipment base provides a recurring consumables annuity. Kemet is privately held, with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors in the source material.

Name

Kemet International

Legal name

Kemet International Limited

Website

https://kemet.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kemet International is a UK-founded (1938) precision lapping and polishing technology company that manufactures proprietary diamond compounds and slurries and supplies integrated equipment — lapping machines, CMP machines, ultrasonic polishers, vacuum cleaners — to medical implant, aerospace, oil and gas, semiconductor, and precision engineering manufacturers worldwide through six regional subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Maidstone

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Precision Equipment and Machines: Sale of precision lapping and polishing machines including Kemet 15, Kemet 20, Kemet 24, Kemet 36, Kemet 40, Kemet 48 series; spherical lapping machines; match lapping machines (KemTech SpheriMatch II); vibratory polishers (Vibrapol); ultrasonic polishers (Sheenus ZERO); ultrasonic cutters (Sonic Cutter ZERO); CMP machines (KemCol 15); vacuum solvent cleaning machines (KP KleenPower series); ultrasonic cleaning systems.
2. Consumable Products (Diamond Compounds, Slurries, Abrasives): Sale of proprietary in-house manufactured consumables including diamond compound, diamond slurry, diamond suspension, abrasive pastes, polishing pads, grinding discs, lubricating fluids, Colloidal silica, alumina suspensions, and metallographic consumables. Diamond slurries available in oil soluble, water soluble, and emulsion forms with zero VOCs.
3. Contract Lapping and Processing Services: Kemet's Contract Lapping Department provides precision lapping and polishing services for customer components. Services include lapping services in UK and Europe, Research and Development facilities, Mirror Finish Polishing Service, Mechanical Seal Repair Service, and Precision Manufacturing and Finishing. Free sample testing and process optimization services are offered to support sales.
4. Technical Support and After-Sales Services: Comprehensive technical support, consulting, after-sales service, and technical training programs. All process development work for customers is carried out free-of-charge. The company also offers free lapping machine health checks and process optimization visits.
5. Refurbished Machines: Sale of refurbished Kemet machines, providing a more affordable entry point for customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kemet International manufactures and sells precision lapping and polishing machines, in-house manufactured diamond compounds and diamond slurries, ultrasonic and vacuum solvent cleaning systems, and metallographic sample preparation equipment. The company also provides contract lapping services and free process development/sample testing for industrial manufacturers across medical, aerospace, semiconductor, oil and gas, and precision engineering sectors.

Product overview

Kemet International Limited is a precision lapping and polishing technology company established in 1938, operating as a manufacturer of industrial surface finishing equipment and consumables. The product portfolio centers on Diamond Compound and Diamond Slurry products manufactured in-house to ISO 9001:2015 standards, complemented by Precision Lapping Machines (ranging from 200mm to 3 metres diameter), Precision Cleaning systems (including Ultrasonic Cleaners and KP Vacuum Solvent Cleaning machines), Metallography Equipment, and Toolroom products. Specialty equipment includes the KemiSphere II Spherical Polishing Machine for ball/cup polishing, KemTech SpheriMatch II for match lapping hydraulic components, KemCol 15 Chemical Mechanical Polishing machine, Sheenus ZERO and Sonic Cutter ZERO ultrasonic polishers/cutters, and Vibrapol vibratory polisher. The company also offers Contract Lapping Services, Process Optimisation, and Technical Training. The product ecosystem is tied together through compatible consumables including Diamond Slurries, Lubricating Fluids, Abrasive Pastes, Conditioning Rings, and Polishing Pads—all designed to work with Kemet equipment for applications in medical implants, aerospace, automotive, hydraulics, and precision engineering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FastCut: Water-based liquid diamond slurry with up to 25% performance improvement over oil-based products
• OptiPol
• EasyPol
• KemiSphere
• KemiSphere II
• KemTech SpheriMatch II
• KemCol 15
• Vibrapol
• Sheenus ZERO
• Sonic Cutter ZERO

Quantifiable outcome

• Hip joint cup and ball polishing achieves 3-micron roundness accuracy with mirror finish
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IFP EuropecoreTechnology or IntegrationKemet partners with IFP Europe for the KP KleenPower range of vacuum solvent cleaning machines. These machines operate with modified alcohols and hydrocarbons under complete vacuum treatment cycles, offering 99% recovery of material waste and minimal environmental impact. The partnership enables Kemet to offer a comprehensive cleaning technology portfolio alongside its lapping and polishing equipment, covering precision cleaning for machined components in medical, automotive, and precision engineering sectors. Models include KP.30, KP.EASY, KP.HMA, KP.MAX, KP.HYBRID, and KP.HD with load capacities from 30kg to 800kg.
• NSK (Nakajima Seiko Co., Ltd.)coreTechnology or IntegrationKemet distributes the Sheenus ZERO ultrasonic polisher, which is manufactured by NSK (Nakajima Seiko Co., Ltd.). The Sheenus ZERO is an ultrasonic tool used for grinding, polishing, and mirror finishing on materials from aluminium dies to cemented carbide dies. It features up to 40 micrometer vibration amplitude at 29 kHz, digital power display, homing function for frequency optimization, and reduced power consumption of 27W compared to 31W for the previous model. The product is distributed under the Kemet brand alongside NSK's own product line.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• 3M: 3M is identified alongside Kemet as a key player in the U.S. SiC Wafer Polishing Market. As a diversified materials science conglomerate, 3M offers broad semiconductor polishing consumables and competes with Kemet's CMP slurries and lapping consumables across multiple industrial segments.
• Entegris: Entegris is identified alongside Kemet as a key player in the U.S. SiC Wafer Polishing Market. As a major semiconductor materials and equipment supplier, Entegris competes with Kemet in wafer polishing and broader CMP consumables used in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
• Saint-Gobain (Surface Conditioning): Saint-Gobain's surface conditioning division produces abrasive products, polishing pads, and surface finishing consumables used in lapping and polishing applications. As a broad industrial materials incumbent, it competes with Kemet in abrasive consumables and selected lapping equipment categories.

Direct peers

• Engis Corporation: Engis Corporation manufactures precision lapping and polishing equipment, diamond slurries, and abrasive compounds for industrial and semiconductor applications. It competes head-to-head with Kemet's diamond product line and lapping machines, particularly in flat-lapping and superfinishing use cases.
• PACE Technologies: PACE Technologies manufactures metallographic equipment and consumables, including cutting, mounting, grinding, and polishing machines along with diamond suspensions. It directly competes with Kemet's metallography product range across materials science and quality-control laboratories.
• Lapmaster International (AMETEK): Lapmaster International, now part of AMETEK, manufactures precision lapping and polishing machines ranging from benchtop to large-format systems. It is the closest direct competitor to Kemet's core Kemet-series lapping machines and shares the same industrial precision-finishing customer base.
• Logitech (Precision Polishing): Logitech manufactures precision lapping, polishing, and CMP equipment primarily serving the semiconductor and electronics industries. It is a direct peer to Kemet in SiC wafer polishing and precision surface finishing, with overlapping customer requirements for sub-micron flatness and mirror finishes.
• Struers: Struers is a leading global supplier of materialographic equipment and consumables, including cutting, mounting, grinding, and polishing machines. It directly overlaps with Kemet's metallography and lapping portfolio, serving the same research labs, universities, and industrial quality-control customers.
• Allied High Tech Products: Allied High Tech Products manufactures precision sample preparation equipment and consumables for metallography, including diamond suspensions, polishing pads, and lapping supplies. It directly competes with Kemet's metallographic consumables product line across similar research and industrial customers.
• Buehler (ITW): Buehler, a division of Illinois Tool Works, is one of the largest manufacturers of metallographic sample preparation equipment and consumables. It directly competes with Kemet's metallography product line (cutting, mounting, grinding, polishing equipment plus diamond suspensions) across the same materials science laboratory customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kemet_int
• Facebookfacebook.com/KemetInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kemet-international-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Kemet International