What Kunststoff Helmbrechts AG does

Kunststoff Helmbrechts AG (KH) is a privately held, family-owned German contract manufacturer of high-end plastic components, headquartered in Helmbrechts, Upper Franconia, and operating across five production sites on three continents: Helmbrechts and Sparneck in Germany, Chodov (and the new Nové Sedlo branch) in the Czech Republic, Suzhou in China (KH Unikun), and Querétaro in Mexico (KH Mexico). Founded in 1958 and led by CEO Axel Zuleeg with Klaus Zuleeg as Chairman, the company employs approximately 1,150 people and runs 139 injection molding machines globally with clamping forces from 15t (micro) to 1,000t, an in-house tool shop producing 150+ mass and pre-production tools per year, ISO Class 7/8 clean rooms, and 50 million parts per year produced in Germany alone.

KH's core technology stack spans multi-component injection molding (1K, 2K, 3K), micro injection molding (parts as small as 0.004g), In-Mold Labelling and In-Mold Decoration (IML/IMD) where KH has been the automotive-interior pioneer since the 2005 Mercedes S-Class, plus proprietary surface technologies including CoolBrush (chrome replacement), Functional Foil Bonding (FFB), Vibra (capacitive steering wheel switch), SmartWave (capacitive 3D controls), Deep Metal (indium-coated foil), glass overmolding, heated IML for ADAS sensors, and antimicrobial surface coatings. Production is vertically integrated from CAD/MoldFlow construction through tooling, molding, surface treatment (painting, laser marking, screen printing), and clean-room assembly, supported by the BIOMAT biological exhaust-air cleaning system and a planned 400 kWp photovoltaic installation.

The business serves three segments — Automotive (primary, with named series-production programs at Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Ford for steering wheel switches, control panels, decorative elements, lighting, remote keys, and gear selectors), Medical Devices via the KH Medical business unit and KH Czechia clean rooms (single-use endoscopes, eye funnels, medtech casings, ISO 13485-certified), and Industrial (notably Hansgrohe shower fixtures) — under a B2B contract-manufacturing model with quote-based pricing, dedicated regional sales contacts, heavy trade-fair presence (Fakuma, K-Messe, Medtec China, Medica/Compamed, WHX Dubai, Plastimagen), and an in-house training program that has graduated 350+ apprentices. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Kunststoff Helmbrechts AG

Legal name

Kunststoff Helmbrechts AG

Website

https://kh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kunststoff Helmbrechts AG is a family-owned German contract manufacturer of high-end plastic components for automotive, medical-device, and industrial customers, operating five production sites in Germany, Czechia, China, and Mexico with proprietary IML/IMD surface technologies and clean-room assembly capabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plastic Component Contract Manufacturing

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing (3363), Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (336320)

SIC

Truck & Bus Bodies (3713), Sheet Metal Work (3444)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom Injection Molding & Contract Manufacturing (Job Shops/CMs) (IMANAFAJ)

Keywords

• Plastic injection molding
• Automotive plastic components
• Medical device contract manufacturing
• In-mold labeling
• Plastic surface finishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Helmbrechts

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Plastic Component Manufacturing (Contract Manufacturing): Primary revenue stream. B2B contract manufacturing of plastic components, assemblies, and finished products for automotive, medical, and industrial customers. Project-based with tooling, production, surface treatment, and assembly phases.
2. Tooling Fabrication (Mass and Pre-production Tools): In-house tool shop producing over 150 mass and pre-production injection molding tools annually plus IML punching and forming tools. One-time tooling fees typically part of project initiation.
3. Engineering, R&D and Design Services: Construction (CAD), MoldFlow optimization, 3D tool design, 2K/3K tool design, IML/IMD tool design, 3D printing and feasibility studies billed as professional services supporting customer product development.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kunststoff Helmbrechts AG is a B2B contract manufacturer of plastic components with high-end surfaces, producing custom-engineered parts and assemblies for the automotive, medical technology, and industrial sectors. The offering spans the full production chain — construction (CAD/MoldFlow), in-house tooling, injection molding (1K/2K/3K including micro-molding), surface technologies (IML/IMD, painting, laser marking, CoolBrush, Deep Metal), and clean-room assembly — delivered across five plants in Germany, Czechia, China, and Mexico.

Product overview

Kunststoff Helmbrechts AG (KH) is a global plastics manufacturing group offering the full production repertoire from a single source — from construction, tool making, and injection molding through to surface technology, assembly, and research & development. The product portfolio is organized around three end markets: Automotive (with sub-products including Control Panels, Control Buttons, Lighting, Decorative Elements, Driving Assistance, Remote Keys, Gear Selection Lever, Steering Wheel Switches such as the award-winning Vibra for VW ID.3/4/5, and Rotary Light Switches), Medical (contract manufacturing of single-use medical devices and assemblies in ISO Class 7/8 clean rooms, including the three-material eye funnel and disposable endoscopes, delivered through the KH Medical division and KH Czechia clean rooms), and Industrial (including shower fittings and other consumer/industrial applications). KH's surface technology capabilities — a key differentiator — include In-Mold Labelling (IML), In-Mold Decoration (IMD), CoolBrush chrome replacement, Deep Metal indium-coated foils, SmartWave capacitive 3D controls, and Functional Foil Bonding (FFB), all backed by an in-house mold construction shop producing over 150 series and pre-series tools annually. Production is delivered through a global network of subsidiaries integrated into the central KH Group: KH Czechia (Chodov, Czech Republic), KH Unikun (Suzhou, China), KH Mexico (Querétaro, Mexico), and the Sparneck plant in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KH Medical: Medical technology contract manufacturing business unit: clean room (ISO 14644-1 Class 7/8) assemblies, single-use medical devices, decorated medtech casings.
• KH Foliotec
• KH Innovation

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,150 employees across 5 locations in 4 countries on 3 continents
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature12 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RuhlamatsecondaryTechnology or Integration · 18 February 2021Ruhlamat (based in Thuringia, Germany, with a subsidiary in Suzhou) supplies automation technology to KH Unikun in Suzhou, China, for the automated production of high-quality face masks. The collaboration supports the 'Germany-Chinese mask maker' initiative, combining German engineering quality with Chinese manufacturing scale, with automation equipment installed at KH Unikun's Suzhou facility.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Polytec Group: Austrian-headquartered automotive plastics supplier with global manufacturing footprint producing interior trim, exterior parts, and acoustic components for European OEMs. Closely comparable to KH in target customers (European automotive OEMs), materials (plastics), and end-use applications (interior plastic components), though at larger scale.
• Hans Fischer GmbH (Fischer Group): German automotive interior systems supplier specializing in high-quality decorative plastic surfaces and functional trim for premium OEMs. Comparable to KH in surface technology, customer base (German automotive OEMs), and focus on decorative interior plastic components.
• Quin GmbH: German plastics manufacturer specializing in decorative and functional interior trim for automotive OEMs (e.g., premium cockpit surfaces). Closely comparable to KH in automotive interior surface technology, premium OEM customers, and German manufacturing base.

Broad incumbents

• Leonhard Kurz Stiftung & Co. KG: Global leader in hot stamping and decorative foil technology for automotive, electronics, and packaging applications. Comparable to KH because Kurz foils are often integrated with IML processes for which KH is a converter; both serve similar OEM customers with surface-decoration solutions.
• Gerresheimer AG: German-headquartered global manufacturer of primary packaging and medical devices using plastics and glass. Comparable to KH through KH Medical: both serve regulated medical device customers with high-quality plastic/glass components requiring ISO 13485 and clean room production.
• Röhm GmbH: German manufacturer of PMMA and other specialty plastics used in automotive, lighting, and medical applications. Comparable to KH as a Germany-based specialty plastics business serving overlapping automotive and medical end markets, though at the materials level rather than finished components.
• Constantia Flexibles: Austrian-headquartered global manufacturer of flexible packaging films and printed films. Comparable to KH in printed film and surface decoration capabilities used in automotive and consumer applications, though Constantia is much larger and packaging-focused.

Others

• Treofan Group: European manufacturer of BOPP and other specialty films used in labels, packaging, and industrial applications. Comparable to KH as a foil supplier and technology partner for IML processes where decorated films are back-injection molded into plastic components.
• WITTMANN Battenfeld: Austrian/German manufacturer of injection molding machines, robots, and auxiliaries. Comparable to KH as a key equipment supplier for the 139-machine installed base; not a direct competitor but a tightly linked ecosystem participant in plastics processing technology.
• B. Braun Melsungen AG: German global medical device and pharmaceutical company with significant plastics manufacturing for medical devices. Comparable to KH Medical as a downstream customer/peer in the medical plastics value chain, particularly for single-use devices and clean-room-assembled components.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Kunststoff Helmbrechts AG