What Bareiss Test Equipment does

Bareiss Prüfgerätebau GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer of precision hardness and rheology testing equipment founded in 1954 by Heinrich Bareiss in Oberdischingen, now operating under third-generation family management (Katrin Shen and Oliver Wirth as Managing Directors since 2017). The company designs and builds Shore, IRHD, Barcol, Pusey & Jones, and rebound hardness testers (handheld, tabletop, automated), rubber rheometers (RPA ultra, RPA select, CCR ultra), vulcanization analyzers (MDR vario), abrasion and rebound testers, gel capsule/tablet testers for pharma, and process monitoring systems for paper — all developed and produced at a 3,500 m² German headquarters, with over 25 patents and a flagship HP tester that has shipped more than 100,000 units globally.

The business model combines one-time hardware sales with high-margin recurring revenue from its DAkkS-accredited calibration laboratory (Germany's first for Shore/IRHD, established 1996 under DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025), annual Full Service and Basic calibration packages, proprietary software licenses (BareissOne, Bareiss Celeste, Datatool, QuickMeasure), accessories and reference blocks, and paid training programs (Experience Days, Materials Testing and Rubber Rheology seminars). Distribution is fully direct via five wholly-owned subsidiaries in Germany, Canada (Toronto/Stouffville), China (Shanghai), Taiwan (New Taipei City), and Hong Kong, complemented by an aggressive trade-show and seminar-led demand generation model serving the plastics and elastomers vertical (primary), plus pharmaceuticals and food.

Name

Bareiss Test Equipment

Legal name

Bareiss Prüfgerätebau GmbH

Website

https://bareiss.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bareiss Prüfgerätebau GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer (founded 1954) of Shore, IRHD, Barcol, and rheology testing equipment for the plastics, elastomers, pharmaceutical, and food industries, sold direct through five global subsidiaries and supported by a DAkkS-accredited calibration laboratory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Materials Testing Equipment

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Metrology, Calibration & Testing Equipment (Balances, pH/DO, Standards) (HLAGAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food, Feed & Nutraceutical Analytical Testing (HLAGADAN), Release Testing & Batch Certification (QC) (HLAGADAC)

Keywords

• Hardness testing equipment
• Rubber testing instruments
• Elastomer characterization
• Rheology measurement devices
• Calibration laboratory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oberdischingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 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. Hardness Testing Equipment Sales: Sale of hardness testing devices including handheld testers (HP, HP Digital, HPE III Basic), tabletop testers (digi test II, digi test Easy), and test stands (BS 61 II, BSA II). Products sold directly through subsidiaries and potentially through channel partners globally.
2. Rheometer Equipment Sales: Sale of rheology instruments including RPA ultra, RPA select, CCR ultra, and related testing equipment for rubber and elastomer characterization.
3. DAkkS-Accredited Calibration Services: Accredited calibration laboratory services (since 1996, DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025) for all Shore and IRHD devices. Calibration and maintenance packages offered including Full Service and Basic options. Service includes automatic calibration reminders.
4. Software and Data Management: Software products including BareissOne (for rubber and plastics data analysis), Bareiss Celeste (pharmaceutical sector), and Datatool (for HP Digital/Excel integration). Software required for data transfer from testing devices to PC.
5. Seminars, Training and Experience Days: Educational seminars on hardness testing and rheology, including Materials Testing Seminar and Rubber Rheology Seminar. Experience Days hosted at Oberdischingen headquarters. On-site training and product demonstrations also offered.
6. Accessories, Spare Parts and Consumables: Sale of accessories including reference blocks with DAkkS calibration certificates, control rings, measuring units, additional weights, tightening rods, and punching presses (SP 1000, SP 4000).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bareiss Prüfgerätebau GmbH manufactures and sells precision hardness testing devices and rheometers for rubber, plastics, elastomers, pharmaceuticals, and food industries. The product portfolio includes handheld and tabletop Shore, IRHD, Barcol, and Pusey & Jones hardness testers; rheometers (RPA ultra, RPA select, CCR ultra) for rubber process analysis; abrasion and rebound testers; automated systems such as BaRotation for O-ring testing and SmartLab for fully automated physical testing; and gel capsule/tablet testers for pharmaceutical QC. The offering is complemented by DAkkS-accredited calibration services (since 1996), proprietary software (BareissOne, Bareiss Celeste, Datatool, QuickMeasure), and training/seminars, all from 100% Made-in-Germany production at the Oberdischingen headquarters.

Product overview

Bareiss Prüfgerätebau GmbH is a German manufacturer of precision testing equipment founded in 1954, now in its third generation of family ownership. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of hardness testing devices and rheometers for plastics, elastomers, pharmaceuticals, and food industries. The product portfolio centers on handheld and tabletop hardness testers (HP, HP Digital, HPE III, digi test II, digi test Easy) supporting Shore, IRHD, Barcol, Pusey & Jones measurement methods; automated testing systems (BaRotation for O-rings, BSA II test stands); rheometers (RPA ultra, RPA select, CCR ultra) for rubber process analysis; and specialized equipment for gel capsules, abrasion testing, and rebound resilience. The ecosystem includes calibration services (DAkkS-accredited since 1996), proprietary software (BareissOne for rubber/plastics, Bareiss Celeste for pharma, Datatool, QuickMeasure), training programs (Experience Days, seminars), and turnkey automation solutions (SmartLab). All products are developed and manufactured 100% in Germany at the Oberdischingen headquarters, with global distribution through subsidiaries in Canada, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bareiss Silverline: Environmentally friendly coating line for testing devices, launched in 2025, reducing solvent content by 50%

Products and services

• HPE III Basic Digital handheld hardness tester for Shore, IRHD, and micro hardness testing with temperature and humidity measurement and proprietary pressing mechanism for correct contact force.
• digi test II Modular fully automatic tabletop hardness tester supporting the entire Shore and IRHD measurement ranges through interchangeable measuring units.
• digi test Easy Entry-level tabletop hardness testing device with modular design supporting IRHD M and IRHD N measuring units for plastics and elastomers quality control.
• HP Digital Digital handheld hardness tester for measuring material hardness according to Shore A and Shore D scales. Compact, lightweight design for mobile and laboratory use with digital display.
• HP (Evergreen) Handheld Hardness Tester Handheld hardness tester for measuring hardness of elastomers, rubber, and soft plastics. Over 100,000 units sold worldwide since 1954, the most widely used hardness tester.
• Barcol Digital Handheld Hardness Tester Digital handheld hardness tester with stabilizing ring for Barcol hardness measurement on plate-shaped specimens from glass fiber reinforced plastics, thermosetting plastics, hard thermoplastics, and light metals.
• Pusey & Jones Hardness Tester Hardness tester for Pusey & Jones method used in rubber industry for measuring indentation hardness of rubber compounds.
• Kfz-Interieur / Bauchometer Handheld Tester Handheld hardness tester variant for automotive interior testing and quality control of flexible materials in vehicle components.
• RPA ultra Rheometer Rubber Process Analyzer with fully rotating lower chamber for high shear rate testing extending into extrusion range. Enables characterization and development of rubber compounds.
• RPA select Rheometer Entry-level rubber process analyzer for rheological testing of rubber compounds with oscillation and steady shear measurements.
• CCR ultra Continuous Cure Rheometer Continuous cure rheometer for analyzing vulcanization behavior of rubber compounds under production conditions.
• HDA325 Hardness and Density Tester Testing device for hardness and density measurement under production conditions handling up to 4,000 samples per day.
• Rebound Elasticity Tester (RRT) Testing equipment for measuring rebound resilience of rubber and elastomers according to international standards.
• Ball Rebound Tester (BRT 2) Ball rebound tester for measuring rebound properties of rubber balls according to standard specifications.
• Abrasion Testing Machine Abrasion testing machine for determining abrasion resistance of rubber compounds according to DIN ISO 4649 and related standards.
• Gelomat Capsule and Tablet Tester Testing device for gel capsules and tablets used in pharmaceutical quality control for hardness and friability testing.
• Process Monitoring System for Paper Production Process monitoring system for paper production including hardness testing and quality control of paper materials.
• SmartLab Automated Physical Testing Laboratory Fully automated physical test laboratory combining hardness, density, thickness, and tensile testing in modular operator-independent configuration.
• Automation Solutions for Production Testing Automated solution for hardness testing and material characterization in production environments.
• BaRotation Automated O-Ring Testing System Automated hardness testing system for O-ring series testing using IRHD Micro and Micro Shore A methods. Features laser detection for automated positioning and 2-in-1 hardness and thickness measurement.
• BSA II Automatic Test Stand Automatic test stand for handheld hardness testers. Ensures norm-compliant measurements with constant lowering speed, defined contact pressure, and perpendicular placement.
• BareissOne Software Comprehensive software solution for data analysis and measurement data management for rubber and plastics testing portfolio.
• Bareiss Celeste Software Specialized software tailored for pharmaceutical industry requirements, including compliance features for FDA/GxP environments.
• Datatool Software Software for HP Digital enabling easy transfer of measurement values to Excel for quick data management.
• QuickMeasure Software Free software provided after registration for HPE III, digi test, and HP Digital devices for recording and managing measurement data.
• DAkkS Calibration Service DAkkS-accredited calibration laboratory (since 1996) providing ISO 17025 compliant calibrations for all Shore and IRHD devices.
• Calibration Package Full Service Full calibration package including maintenance and repair at fixed price, ensuring standard-compliant testing and instrument longevity.
• 3Q Qualification Service Installation, Operation, and Performance qualification services for pharmaceutical and regulated industry compliance.
• On-Site Calibration Service On-site calibration and maintenance services providing customer support at client locations.
• Experience Days & Seminars Training and seminar programs covering hardness testing, rheology, and materials testing with theoretical and hands-on sessions at Bareiss headquarters or customer sites.
• DAkkS Reference Blocks DAkkS-accredited reference blocks for verification of hardness tester measuring path, spring force, and indenter geometry between calibration intervals.
• digiChamber Temperature-Controlled Chamber Temperature-controlled chamber for digi test II enabling measurements under controlled temperature conditions.
• Rotofix Sample Holders and Fixtures Sample holders and fixtures including Rotofix for various testing configurations.
• Punching Press SP 1000/4000 Punching presses for preparing test specimens in standardized geometries (SP 1000 and SP 4000 models).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 HP hardness tester units sold worldwide, making it the most widely used hardness tester of all time
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Shimadzu Scientific Instruments: Japanese analytical and testing instrument manufacturer with a broad portfolio spanning hardness testers, spectrometers, and material testing systems. Shimadzu competes with Bareiss in Shore hardness and broader materials-characterization markets from a much wider portfolio.
• Instron: US-based global leader in materials testing instruments (tensile, fatigue, hardness, rheology). Instron competes with Bareiss in Shore/IRHD hardness from a much broader product portfolio aimed at the same plastics, elastomer, and metals laboratories worldwide.
• MTS Systems: US-based provider of mechanical testing and simulation systems for materials and structures. MTS is an incumbent player in materials characterization adjacent to Bareiss's hardness and rheology portfolio, with broader reach into aerospace and automotive structural test.

Direct peers

• MonTech Werkstoffprüfmaschinen: Germany- and US-based manufacturer of rubber testing instruments including rheometers (MDR/RPA), moving die rheometers, and Mooney viscometers. MonTech is one of the closest direct rivals to Bareiss in the rubber/elastomer test equipment niche.
• TA Instruments: Specialist in thermal analysis, rheology, and mechanical characterization instruments. TA Instruments directly overlaps Bareiss's rheometer (RPA/CCR) and dynamic-mechanical analysis (PMA) product lines, serving similar polymer, elastomer, and pharmaceutical R&D customers.
• Hegewald & Penschke: German manufacturer of universal materials testing machines and hardness testers. Hegewald & Penschke is a specialty direct peer to Bareiss in Shore and IRHD hardness instruments for plastics, rubber, and elastomer customers.
• Anton Paar: Austrian manufacturer of precision measurement instruments including rheometers (MCR series) and physical testing devices. Anton Paar competes most directly with Bareiss in the rheology line (RPA ultra, CCR ultra) and overlaps in hardness/testing for polymers and food.
• Gibitre Instruments: Italian manufacturer of rubber and plastic hardness, density, and rheology testing instruments. Gibitre is a direct specialty competitor to Bareiss in Shore/IRHD hardness and rubber-process-analyst equipment, especially in European tire and elastomer accounts.
• Zwick/Roell: German-headquartered manufacturer of materials testing systems including hardness, tensile, and rheology equipment. Zwick/Roell is the closest direct competitor to Bareiss in hardness and elastomer testing, serving the same plastics/rubber/automotive customer base with comparable instruments and ISO/IEC 17025-accredited calibration services.
• Brabender GmbH: German manufacturer of measurement equipment for material characterization including rheometers, extruders, and viscometers. Brabender competes with Bareiss in rheology and food/feed texture testing with comparable laboratory instruments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BareissPruef
• Facebookfacebook.com/BareissPruefgeraetebau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bareiss-pruefgeraetebau-gmbh

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Bareiss Test Equipment