UIC

What UIC does

UIC GmbH is a German engineering firm founded in 1952 and headquartered in Alzenau-Hörstein, focused on the design, manufacture, and servicing of short path distillation (Kurzwegverdampfer) and thin film evaporation (Dünnschichtverdampfer) systems. These are used for the gentle, low-pressure molecular distillation of thermally sensitive liquid mixtures — short path units operate down to 0.001 mbar and thin film units down to 1 mbar. The product line spans lab scale (KDL1/KDL5, 0.2 kg/h), pilot scale (KD6/KD10, 3–50 kg/h), and industrial plants with wipe areas up to 100 m² and throughputs reaching three-digit t/h. The company also offers accessories such as the Separable Head Plate and a digital control layer, V-Tab Smart Distillation Control. Since 2018, UIC has operated as a subsidiary of VTA Verfahrenstechnische Anlagen GmbH & Co. KG (part of the STREICHER Group); it was previously held by BDI BioDiesel International AG (from 2008) and was subject to a 2000 management buyout.

The business model is engineered capital-equipment sales supplemented by spare parts, service, and — through the parent VTA group — toll distillation services. Pricing is custom-configured and quote-based for capital projects, with multi-year contracts and a recurring aftermarket revenue layer on an installed base of ~2,000 plants globally. Distribution is enterprise field sales from HQ supported by 23 international representatives and a wholly-owned sales subsidiary in Beijing (VTA Process Equipment Beijing); customer trials are run through an in-house Innovation Center used as a bottom-of-funnel conversion asset. Primary end markets are chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, and oils & fats; secondary verticals include polymers, recycling, and fragrances & flavors.

Strategically, UIC is reinforcing digital control (V-Tab), expanding in China, and pushing into the cannabis/hemp processing vertical via a partnership with Root Sciences, while maintaining industry visibility through ACHEMA 2027 and seminars in Cambridge, UK and Barcelona, Spain. The company employs 51–100 people and reports 6,078–9,000 completed customer projects and 10,805–16,000 customer trials cumulatively.

Name

UIC

Legal name

UIC GmbH

Website

https://uic-gmbh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

UIC GmbH, a German engineering firm founded in 1952 and since 2018 a subsidiary of STREICHER Group, designs short path distillation and thin film evaporation systems for chemical, pharmaceutical, food, and oils-and-fats processors worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Distillation Equipment

NAICS

Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Drying & Evaporation Equipment (Dryers, Evaporators, Crystallizers) (IMAHAEAD)

Keywords

• Short path distillation
• Thin film evaporation
• Molecular distillation equipment
• Industrial process plants
• Vacuum distillation systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Alzenau

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Distillation Plants: Custom-designed and manufactured distillation plants for industrial-scale continuous production, including thin film evaporators and short path evaporators. Sales include turnkey delivery with engineering, construction, commissioning, and training.
2. Laboratory & Pilot Equipment: Smaller-scale distillation units for research and development, pilot testing, and small-batch production. Includes modular KDL and KD series units with various automation levels.
3. Spare Parts & Service: Replacement parts, maintenance services, and after-sales support for installed equipment worldwide.
4. Contract Distillation (via VTA): Toll distillation services offered through parent company VTA for product development at industrial scale or to address customer capacity constraints.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UIC GmbH designs, manufactures, and sells equipment for the gentle (molecular) distillation of liquid mixtures under fine and high vacuum, spanning laboratory, pilot, and industrial scales. Core offerings are Short Path Evaporators (Kurzwegverdampfer) and Thin Film Evaporators (Dünnschichtverdampfer), supplied as modular glass laboratory units (KDL1, KDL5), stainless steel pilot units (KD6, KD10), and custom-engineered turnkey industrial plants with capacities up to three-digit t/h. The company supports every sale with feasibility studies, pilot trials, installation/commissioning, and aftermarket service through its on-site Innovation Center.

Product overview

UIC GmbH offers a comprehensive portfolio of short path distillation and thin film evaporation equipment across laboratory, pilot, and industrial scales. The product line centers on two core technologies: Short Path Evaporators (Kurzwegverdampfer) operating under high vacuum for maximum product gentleness, and Thin Film Evaporators (Dünnschichtverdampfer) for efficient separation under fine vacuum conditions. Laboratory-scale offerings include the KDL1 and KDL5 series in glass construction for feasibility studies and small-scale production. Pilot-scale units (KD6, KD10) in stainless steel enable process development and scale-up validation. Industrial-scale plants provide turnkey solutions with capacities up to three-digit t/h. The portfolio is complemented by the V-Tab Smart Distillation Control system for enhanced process monitoring and the Separable Head Plate accessory for improved maintenance accessibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thin Film Evaporator (Dünnschichtverdampfer) High-performance thin film evaporator for gentle distillation of liquid mixtures under fine vacuum conditions, providing optimal heat and mass transfer through turbulent thin-film formation on the heated wall; serves process industries (chemistry, pharma, food, oils/fats, polymers, recycling, fragrances) requiring purification, concentration, removal of low boilers, color improvement, or drying.
• Short Path Evaporator (Kurzwegverdampfer) Short path (molecular) distillation system operating at extremely low pressures down to 0.001 mbar with an internal condenser, designed for maximum product gentleness and minimal thermal stress on temperature-sensitive products; intended for chemistry, pharma, food, oils/fats, polymers, recycling, and fragrance/flavor processors that require ultra-gentle thermal separation.
• KDL1 Laboratory Unit Borosilicate-glass short path distillation laboratory unit with 0.01 m² wiped heating surface, the smallest available KDL unit, suitable for distillation of small quantities and laboratory experiments at temperatures up to 250°C and pressures down to 10⁻³ mbar; targets R&D labs, universities, and pilot feasibility work in chemistry, pharma, food, and related fields.
• KDL5 Laboratory Unit Series Short path distillation glass laboratory unit series with 0.05 m² wiped heating surface, available in five models (MANUAL, MANUAL+, SEMI+, CONTI, CONTI+) for discontinuous, semi-continuous, and continuous distillation at temperatures up to 300°C and pressures down to 10⁻³ mbar; targeted at R&D laboratories and small-scale process development across UIC's served industries.
• KD6 Pilot Unit Compact stainless-steel short path distillation pilot plant with 0.06 m² wiped heating surface, designed for process development and small-scale production at temperatures up to 350°C and pressures down to 10⁻³ mbar; serves pilot/scale-up activities for chemistry, pharma, food, oils/fats, polymers, recycling, and fragrance applications.
• KD10 Pilot Unit Stainless-steel short path distillation pilot plant with 0.1 m² wiped heating surface and integrated degassing stage for process development and small-scale production at temperatures up to 350°C and pressures down to 10⁻³ mbar; targeted at pilot-scale validation ahead of industrial plant design.
• Industrial Distillation Plants Custom-engineered, large-scale industrial distillation plants for continuous production, individually designed with capacities up to three-digit t/h, wiped/heated areas up to approximately 100 m², and operating pressures from 0.001 to 100 mbar; delivered as turnkey packages including engineering, construction, commissioning, and training for enterprise process-industry customers in chemistry, pharma, food, oils/fats, polymers, recycling, and fragrances.

Quantifiable outcome

• Working pressures down to 0.001 mbar (10⁻³ mbar)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VTA Verfahrenstechnische Anlagen GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Parent company of UIC GmbH since 2018 acquisition. VTA provides toll distillation (contract manufacturing) services, enabling UIC customers to access industrial-scale production capabilities or bridge capacity constraints. UIC and VTA share technology and expertise in the STREICHER Group.
• STREICHER GruppecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent group providing financial stability and operational support. All process equipment manufactured within the STREICHER Group at the Alzenau headquarters and group facilities, ensuring high quality standards and vertical integration.
• Scitek Australia Pty LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive representative for Australia covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• VACUQUIP Solutions (PTY) LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive representative for South Africa covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• MES, PLLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for USA and Canada covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• Root SciencesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialized representative for USA covering hemp and cannabis industry applications
• Exothermo Representações TécnicasminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Brazil covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• VTA Process Equipment Beijing Co., LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOwn subsidiary office in Beijing, China for direct sales and support of UIC distillation equipment in the Chinese market
• SepTech LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for China covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• Sawant Process Solutions Private LimitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for India covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• Teow Kian HongminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• Pfintech Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Japan covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• Chemsys Co., LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Republic of Korea covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• Bon Race Enterprise Co. LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Taiwan covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• PTS Process Technology and Services Co. LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Thailand covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• RECOWAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for France covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• HellamcominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Greece and Macedonia covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• MiTec S.R.L.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Italy covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• VAK-POL & GAZ Sp. z o.ominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Poland covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• MERCI, s.r.o.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Czech Republic covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• Holimex Engineering and Trading Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Hungary covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• Lödige España, S.A.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Spain covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• Suurmond BVminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Netherlands covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• Suurmond UK LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Great Britain and Ireland covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment
• RECOWA Industrial Equipment GmbhminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative for Switzerland covering sales and support of UIC distillation equipment

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• POPE Scientific: US-based manufacturer of molecular and short path distillation systems for laboratory, pilot, and production scale. Closely comparable to UIC in target applications (oils, nutraceuticals, specialty chemicals) and core technology.
• Artisan Industries: US-based process equipment manufacturer specializing in evaporation and distillation systems including thin film evaporators for chemical, pharmaceutical, and food applications. Direct peer in industrial-scale thermal separation equipment.
• LCW Technologies: US-based provider of short path distillation equipment and toll processing services for cannabinoid, nutraceutical, and essential oil purification. Closely mirrors UIC's specialized distillation offering and target verticals.
• Buss-SMS-Canzler: German manufacturer of thin film evaporators and process equipment for chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Directly competes with UIC in industrial-scale wiped film evaporation technology.
• BÜCHI Labortechnik: Swiss laboratory and process equipment manufacturer offering short path and thin film distillation units for R&D and small-scale production. Comparable to UIC's KDL and KD product lines in lab/pilot customer segments.
• GIGANT Process Engineering: German manufacturer of wiped film and short path evaporators for distillation of thermally sensitive products. Directly competes with UIC in the European process equipment market across chemistry, pharma, and food applications.
• InCon Processing Systems: US designer and manufacturer of thin film and short path evaporation systems serving pharmaceutical, chemical, and food industries. Direct peer in molecular/wiped film distillation equipment with similar industrial customer base.

Broad incumbents

• SPX Flow: Global process equipment manufacturer with evaporation and drying technologies serving food, dairy, chemical, and industrial markets. Broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in industrial thermal processing equipment.
• GEA Group: Large German process technology group offering evaporation and separation equipment across dairy, food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. Broad incumbent whose evaporation portfolio overlaps with UIC at industrial scale but as part of a much wider equipment portfolio.

Others

• VTA Verfahrenstechnische Anlagen: UIC's parent company providing toll distillation services and engineering support within the STREICHER Group. Ecosystem participant — enables UIC's customer offering through contract manufacturing and bridges capacity for end customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@UICGmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uic-gmbh-alzenau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 UIC