AK Industries

What AK Industries does

AK Industries is a privately held French manufacturer of industrial sensors for linear displacement and angular position measurement, founded in 1998 and headquartered in Thal-Marmoutier near Strasbourg. The company designs and produces a comprehensive portfolio of sensor technologies from a single integrated facility housing both the design office (bureau d'étude) and production factory, including wire-draw cable sensors (ranges from 500mm to 50,000mm), optical and magnetic rotary encoders (incremental and absolute, up to 25-bit resolution), analog angular sensors, LVDT inductive sensors (PPM12 and VR20 series for metrology and harsh environments), eddy current sensors (TX series, nanometer resolution), linear potentiometers (MS series, up to 450mm and 25 million cycle life), and proprietary measurement/display instruments (CMM data acquisition modules, PU5 process displays). Products support multiple industrial output protocols (potentiometric, voltage, current, SSI, Profibus, CANopen, DeviceNet) and are routinely customized for demanding applications including ports, cranes, hydraulic presses, machine tools, elevators, scientific research, and defense.

The business operates a direct, consultative sales model focused on custom-engineered solutions rather than catalog distribution. Revenue derives from three streams: hardware sales (sensors and encoders), mechanical subcontracting services (CNC turning, 5-axis milling, EDM, hobbing for 1–5,000 piece series), and an aftermarket repair service with a one-week average turnaround. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, reflecting the bespoke nature of orders. The customer base includes enterprise and government entities such as Huisman Equipment B.V. (shipbuilding, GIANT-4 vessel for the KURSK submarine refloat in 2001), CERN (30 LVDT sensors for the LHC), and Communauté Urbaine de Bordeaux (4 cable sensors on the Bacalan Bridge in 2013), with the company explicitly citing defense and military applications as an additional vertical.

AK Industries has 11–50 employees, no disclosed external funding, no subsidiaries, and no parent company; the legal representative and director of publication is Roland KLOTZ. The company appears to be founder-owned and independently operated, with commercial reach centered on Europe (France, with DACH-region signaling through German-language website content).

Name

AK Industries

Legal name

AK INDUSTRIES

Website

https://ak-industries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AK Industries, founded 1998 in Thal-Marmoutier, France, designs and manufactures custom industrial sensors—cable sensors, rotary encoders, LVDT, eddy current, and linear potentiometers—for displacement and angle measurement, serving OEMs in heavy machinery, infrastructure, defense, and scientific research through direct consultative sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Sensors (Displacement and Position Measurement)

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAGAJAO

Industrial-Grade Sensors & Transducer Components (Discrete sensing elements, transducers, MEMS sensors)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Electrical Equipment & Industrial Electronics/Electronic Components for Industrial Applications (Passive/active components, industrial-grade modules)

SECONDARYIMAGAJAB

Electromechanical Components (Relays, Switches, Potentiometers, Encoders)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Electrical Equipment & Industrial Electronics/Electronic Components for Industrial Applications (Passive/active components, industrial-grade modules)

Keywords

• Industrial displacement sensors
• Linear cable sensors
• Rotary encoders
• LVDT position sensors
• Eddy current sensors

Headquarters

HQ city

Thal-marmoutier

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

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. Industrial Sensors and Encoders: Design, manufacture, and sale of linear cable sensors, rotary encoders, angular sensors, LVDT sensors, eddy current sensors, linear potentiometers, and measurement instruments. Products are available in standard and custom configurations with various output types (potentiometer, voltage, current, incremental, absolute).
2. Mechanical Subcontracting Services: Machining services for mechanical parts, assembly of sub-assemblies, and integration of electronics for small to medium series of 1 to 5000 pieces in materials including steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, bronze, and plastics.
3. Repair Services: Repair services for products with average repair time of one week. Provides economic solution for product durability.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

AK Industries designs, manufactures, and sells industrial sensors for the measurement of linear and angular displacement, including cable (wire-draw) sensors, optical and magnetic rotary encoders, analog angular sensors, LVDT inductive sensors, eddy current sensors, and linear potentiometers. Products are offered in standard and custom configurations with various output options (potentiometric, voltage, current, incremental, absolute, SSI, CANopen, Profibus, DeviceNet). The company also offers mechanical subcontracting (CNC machining, assembly, electronics integration for 1–5,000 piece batches) and product repair services from its single integrated facility near Strasbourg, France.

Product overview

AK Industries is a specialized manufacturer of industrial sensors for displacement and position measurement, founded in 1998 and headquartered near Strasbourg, France. The product portfolio centers on two core product families: (1) Cable Linear Sensors (Seilzugwegsensoren) including CD/CDS series with potentiometric, analog voltage/current, incremental encoder, and absolute encoder outputs, covering measurement ranges from 500mm to 50,000mm; (2) Rotary Encoders including optical and magnetic incremental (CIO/G/D series) and absolute encoders (CAO/CHO/CHM, MHM/MHK, PHM/PHO/PHU series) in sizes from Ø24mm to Ø90mm. Supporting products include Analog Angular Sensors (AS40/AS58), Inductive LVDT Sensors (PPM12, VR20), Eddy Current Sensors (TX series), Linear Potentiometers (MS-94/13/19), Measurement Data Acquisition Modules (CMM), and PU5 Process Displays. The company also offers mechanical subcontracting services (CNC machining, assembly) and sensor repair. All products can be customized for specific applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Capteurs linéaires à câble (Linear Cable Sensors / Wire-Draw Displacement Sensors) Linear displacement sensors using a tensioned wire mechanism to measure position, distance, speed, and velocity of moving elements. Available in analog versions (potentiometer, voltage, current output) and digital versions (incremental or absolute rotary encoder output). Measurement ranges from 500mm to 50,000mm. Used in industrial automation, heavy machinery, port equipment, cranes, and bridges.
• Codeurs rotatifs optiques et magnétiques (Optical and Magnetic Rotary Encoders) Rotary encoders for monitoring angular movement, rotation speed, and positioning of rotating elements. Includes optical incremental (CIO series) and absolute (CAO/CHO/CHM series) encoders, magnetic absolute encoders (MHM, MHK, PHM, PHO, PHU series), and accessories. Sizes from Ø24mm to Ø90mm with SSI, Parallel, CANopen, Profibus, and DeviceNet outputs. Used in industrial automation, robotics, and precision measurement instruments.
• Capteurs angulaires analogiques (Analog Angular Sensors)

Quantifiable outcome

• Measurement ranges from 2mm to 50,000mm depending on sensor type
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SICK AG: Germany-based global leader in industrial sensors including encoders, position sensors, and instrumentation. Direct competitor across cable sensors, rotary encoders, and measurement instruments serving factory automation and process industries.
• Heidenhain: German precision measurement specialist producing high-accuracy linear and angle encoders, including incremental and absolute rotary encoders competing with AK's CIO/CAO/CHM/MHM/PHM product families in machine tools and automation.
• Baumer Group: Swiss-headquartered sensor and encoder manufacturer offering optical and magnetic incremental/absolute encoders plus custom sensing solutions — closely overlaps AK Industries' rotary encoder and custom-engineered sensor portfolio.
• Pepperl+Fuchs: German industrial sensor manufacturer covering position, displacement, and angle measurement plus encoder products for harsh industrial environments. Directly competes with AK in factory automation and process sensing.
• Novotechnik (AMETEK): German specialist in linear and angular position sensors including rotary, linear potentiometric, and contactless encoders — directly comparable to AK Industries' linear potentiometers (MS series) and angular sensors (AS series).
• Balluff: Global industrial automation sensor manufacturer offering position feedback, linear transducers, and rotary encoders. Competes with AK Industries across displacement and angle measurement for industrial automation customers.
• WayCon Positionsmesstechnik: German niche manufacturer of position measurement technology including draw-wire (cable) sensors, LVDT sensors, and rotary encoders — a closely comparable SME competitor to AK Industries in displacement measurement with similar application focus.
• ASM Sensors (Amphenol): Manufacturer of displacement and position sensors including cable-extension (wire-draw), magnetostrictive, LVDT, and rotary encoders — a direct competitor in AK Industries' cable sensor, LVDT, and encoder product categories serving industrial applications.
• MTS Systems (Temposonics) — part of Amphenol: US/German manufacturer of magnetostrictive and Temposonics linear position sensors used in hydraulics, factory automation, and heavy machinery — overlaps with AK Industries' cable-sensor and LVDT displacement-measurement applications.

Broad incumbents

• Bourns (Precision Potentiometers): Large US-based electronics manufacturer with an established precision potentiometer product family — competes with AK Industries' MS series linear potentiometers while also serving as a broad component supplier rather than a niche specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/akindustries67
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ak-industries-67

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 AK Industries