Olbrich

What Olbrich does

Olbrich, founded in 1949 and headquartered in Bocholt, Germany, designs and manufactures specialty industrial machinery for demanding continuous manufacturing processes. Its core technology portfolio spans calendering, coating, embossing, laminating, and printing/lacquering lines, complemented by a comprehensive technical rollers offering (calender/smoothing rollers, heat transfer and chill rollers, steel cores, custom rollers, and refurbishment/spare parts). The company serves global enterprise customers across battery manufacturing (separator films, dry electrode, primer coatings), technical films and decorative surfaces, printing and inks (including vegetable oil-based sustainable inks), textiles and flooring, and general industrial substrates (metal, paper and board, plastics and film). Since 2025, Olbrich has operated as a brand under Matthews Engineering, the engineering business unit of Matthews International Corporation (NASDAQ: MATW), positioned alongside sister brands Saueressig Engineering and Polytype Converting.

Olbrich's business model is enterprise B2B equipment sales: revenue is generated through one-time sales of high-value, custom-engineered production lines and technical roller systems, plus an aftermarket stream of refurbishment services, spare parts, and field installation. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with complex industrial capex sales. Go-to-market relies on direct enterprise field sales supported by a global network of partners and distributors, supplemented by industry events (e.g., The Battery Show Europe 2026, Aufwind 2026, Energy Summit 2025), an insights/content platform, and a new digital product configurator for the GK 300 L 6R. The company maintains a state-of-the-art Development Center in Vreden housing the proprietary MEODEO™ line, enabling customers to simulate, validate, and scale new processes under real-world conditions before committing to full-scale production lines.

Technology differentiators include the MEODEO™ development line, Trajectory Mixing high-speed dry electrode technology developed in partnership with hs-tumbler, and Industry IoT-enabled connected manufacturing solutions. A 75-year accumulated engineering base, materials science expertise, and purpose-built custom equipment capability underpin the company's positioning in segments where precision, reproducibility, and scaling from lab to production are decisive purchasing criteria.

Name

Olbrich

Legal name

Olbrich

Website

https://olbrich.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Olbrich, a German industrial engineering company founded in 1949 and now a brand within Matthews Engineering (Matthews International), designs and manufactures specialty coating, calendering, embossing, laminating, and printing machinery plus technical rollers for global enterprise customers in battery, technical films, printing, textiles, and general industrial markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bocholt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialty Machines & Equipment: Design and manufacture of specialty machines and production equipment for industrial manufacturing processes including coating lines, calendering systems, embossing systems, and laminating lines

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Olbrich designs and manufactures specialty machines and production equipment for demanding, continuous industrial manufacturing processes, including calendering systems, coating lines, embossing systems, laminating lines, and printing and lacquering lines. The company also produces precision technical rollers and provides custom-built equipment, field installation, and refurbishment services to global enterprise customers across battery, technical films, packaging, automotive, and industrial materials sectors.

Product overview

Olbrich, now a Matthews Engineering brand, offers a comprehensive portfolio of specialty machines and technical rollers for demanding continuous industrial manufacturing processes. The product portfolio consists of Specialty Machines (Calendering Systems, Coating Lines, Embossing Systems, Laboratory Machines, Laminating Lines, Printing & Lacquering Lines, and Purpose Built Equipment), Technical Rollers (Calender & Smoothing Rollers, Heat Transfer & Chill Rollers, Steel Cores & Bodies, Custom Rollers, and Roller Refurbishment & Spare Parts), and Field Service & Installation support. Core manufacturing technologies include calendering, coating, embossing, laminating, and printing processes serving industries such as Automotive, Battery, Construction, Healthcare, Packaging, and more. The brand also offers development center capabilities and digital product configuration tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Olbrich: A Matthews Engineering brand specializing in advanced production machinery including coating lines for technical films, decorative surfaces, and battery materials

Products and services

• Calendering Systems Advanced calendering machinery for processing substrates through heated rollers to achieve desired thickness, smoothness, and surface properties; for industrial manufacturers.
• Coating Lines Production coating lines for applying coatings to technical films, decorative surfaces, and battery materials with precision and efficiency; for enterprise manufacturers.
• Embossing Systems Industrial embossing systems for creating textured patterns and surface designs on various substrates; for industrial manufacturers.
• Laboratory Machines Small-scale laboratory machines for formulation development, testing, and process validation before full-scale production; for R&D teams and industrial manufacturers.
• Laminating Lines Industrial laminating lines for bonding multiple layers of materials together for enhanced performance characteristics; for industrial manufacturers.
• Printing & Lacquering Lines Continuous printing and lacquering production lines for industrial surface treatment and decoration applications; for industrial manufacturers.
• Purpose Built Equipment Custom-designed and built machinery tailored to specific customer requirements and unique production challenges; for enterprise customers with specialized needs.
• Calender & Smoothing Rollers Precision-engineered calender and smoothing rollers for achieving uniform surface finish and thickness in industrial processes; for industrial manufacturers.
• Heat Transfer & Chill Rollers Specialized rollers for temperature control applications including heat transfer and chilling in continuous manufacturing processes; for industrial manufacturers.
• Steel Cores & Bodies Precision-manufactured steel cores and roller bodies as foundational components for industrial rolling systems; for industrial manufacturers.
• Custom Rollers Tailored roller solutions designed and manufactured to meet specific application requirements and operational parameters; for industrial manufacturers.
• Roller Refurbishment & Spare Parts Comprehensive refurbishment services and spare parts for maintaining and extending the operational life of industrial rollers; for existing roller customers.
• Field Service & Installation On-site installation, commissioning, and technical support services for Olbrich production equipment worldwide; for enterprise customers of Olbrich machinery.
• MEODEO™ Line Advanced production line launched at the Development Center in Vreden, enabling customers to simulate, validate, and scale new processes under real-world conditions; for enterprise R&D and process engineering teams.
• GK 300 L 6R Digital Product Configurator Digital configuration tool for specifying and customizing the GK 300 L 6R product model; for enterprise customers configuring industrial equipment.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• hs-tumblercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026Matthews Engineering and hs-tumbler joined forces to enable high-speed dry electrode manufacturing through Trajectory Mixing technology. This partnership focuses on developing innovative battery manufacturing solutions.
• RicohcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlbrich and Japan-based Ricoh collaborated to develop a vegetable oil-based wide-format printer ink, advancing sustainable ink development across Europe. This partnership represents an innovation in eco-friendly printing technology.
• Matthews Industrial TechnologiescoreOthersOlbrich operates as a brand under Matthews Engineering, which is a business unit within the Matthews Industrial Technologies division of Matthews International Corporation.
• Saueressig EngineeringminorOthersSaueressig Engineering is another trusted brand under Matthews Engineering, alongside Olbrich and Polytype Converting.
• Polytype ConvertingminorOthersPolytype Converting is another trusted brand under Matthews Engineering, alongside Olbrich and Saueressig Engineering.
• Constantia Patz Ges.m.b.H.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCustomer relationship for coating line conversion project for electric heating applications.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Voith: A major industrial machinery manufacturer with coating, calendering, and film production lines serving paper, film, and battery markets — direct overlap with Olbrich's core process technologies and customer segments.
• Andritz: Global supplier of industrial process equipment including calendering, coating, and drying lines used in nonwovens, films, and battery separator production — comparable machinery categories and enterprise customer base to Olbrich.
• Bühler Group: Swiss industrial machinery group with coating, calendering, and continuous process equipment across food, mobility, and chemicals — broader portfolio but overlapping customer industries and equipment categories.

Direct peers

• KAMPF: German manufacturer of specialized coating, laminating, and converting machinery for technical films and flexible materials — closely aligned product portfolio and German manufacturing footprint, serving overlapping industrial customers with Olbrich.
• Bobst: Swiss-based supplier of printing, coating, and laminating equipment for packaging and industrial web-converting applications — directly competes with Olbrich's printing & lacquering and laminating product lines for similar end-markets.
• Kroenert: German specialist in coating and drying systems for functional films, battery materials, and printed electronics — competes head-to-head with Olbrich on film coating lines and battery separator equipment.
• Hosokawa Alpine: German manufacturer of film extrusion and processing systems including coating and calendering technologies serving battery, packaging, and technical film customers — direct competition with Olbrich's core specialty machines lineup.
• TRESU Group: Specializes in industrial printing, coating, and lacquering equipment for packaging and converting — competes in Olbrich's printing & lacquering lines category with comparable web-converting customer base.
• Coatema Machinery: German engineering firm focused on coating, laminating, and printing pilot-to-production lines including for battery and fuel cell applications — closely comparable to Olbrich's MEODEO-style development-to-production approach.

Others

• Matthews International Corporation: The publicly-traded parent conglomerate (NASDAQ: MATW) of Matthews Engineering; relevant as the ultimate acquirer/owner and as the corporate vehicle through which Olbrich's value is currently held.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Olbrich