IBS Filtran GmbH

What IBS Filtran GmbH does

IBS Filtran GmbH, legally registered as IBS Filtran Kunststoff-/ und Metallerzeugnisse GmbH, is a privately held Tier-1 automotive supplier founded in 1986 and headquartered in Morsbach-Lichtenberg, Germany, approximately 80 km from Cologne. The company designs, develops, and manufactures fluid filtration systems (pressure oil filters, suction oil filters, oil pans with integrated filters, and proprietary filter media) for automatic transmissions used in passenger and commercial vehicles with combustion, hybrid, and fully electric drivetrains. It describes itself as a European market leader and supplies all major European automotive and transmission manufacturers, including for DCT, CVT, and automatic transmissions.

The company's core technology combines plastic and metal filtration components manufactured using proprietary laser welding processes, which the company claims as a world-first in series production for plastic filtration systems. The SuFiS proprietary CFD simulation software is used daily to predict pressure losses, flow velocities, and efficiencies under varying oil types, media, temperatures, and geometries. It also holds branded filter media grades (Smart Media, CombiMedia, and V-Pore) and a portfolio of six US patents. Since 2001 it has produced the world's first series-production plastic oil pan with integrated suction oil filter, achieving weight savings of more than 1 kg versus metal pans.

IBS Filtran sells directly to OEM customers under individually negotiated contracts with no public pricing; the company provides an all-in-one service from product development through series production. Design and production locations span Germany, the United States, China, Mexico, and the Czech Republic, supplemented by partner companies in Japan and Korea. Required-for-OEM qualifications include IATF 16949, ISO 14001 (valid until 2027-12-10), ISO 50001 (valid until November 2028), TISAX, and AEO-C (No. 127578). The company is a subsidiary of an American parent, with Christopher McLean serving as Geschäftsführer of the German entity; financial figures and headcount trends are not publicly disclosed.

Name

IBS Filtran GmbH

Legal name

IBS Filtran Kunststoff-/ und Metallerzeugnisse GmbH

Website

https://ibs-filtran.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tier-1 supplier of automotive fluid filtration systems serving all major European OEMs and transmission manufacturers. Products include pressure filters, suction filters, integrated oil pan modules, and proprietary filter media. Global manufacturing in Germany, USA, China, Mexico, and Czech Republic.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Fluid Filtration Systems

NAICS

Fluid Power Valve and Hose Fitting Manufacturing (332912), Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391)

SIC

Gaskets, Packg & Sealg Devices & Rubber & Plastics Hose (3050)

akta.pro primary industry

Filtration, Condition Monitoring & Fluid Management (Filters, Breathers, Oil Analysis, Cooling) (IMAHAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB), Hydraulic Components (Pumps, Motors, Cylinders) (IMAHAGAA)

Keywords

• Automotive fluid filtration
• Transmission oil filters
• Integrated oil pan filters
• Filter media materials
• Automotive Tier-1 supplier

Headquarters

HQ city

Morsbach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fluid Filter Systems for Automotive OEMs: IBS Filtran generates revenue as a Tier-1 automotive supplier by designing, developing, and manufacturing fluid filtration systems (pressure oil filters, suction oil filters, oil pans with integrated filters, and filter media) sold directly to automotive and transmission manufacturers for use in combustion engine, hybrid, and fully electric vehicles.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

IBS Filtran GmbH designs, develops, and manufactures fluid filtration systems for automatic transmissions and automotive powertrains. The portfolio includes pressure oil filters, suction oil filters, integrated oil pan filter modules, and proprietary filter media (SmartMedia®, CombiMedia®, V-Pore®), supplied as Tier-1 components to OEMs for combustion, hybrid, and fully electric vehicles.

Product overview

IBS Filtran offers a comprehensive portfolio of fluid filter systems and filter media for perfect oil cleanliness in automotive and transmission applications. The product lineup includes four core product categories: (1) Druckolfilter und Systeme (Pressure Filters and Systems) - plastic pressure oil filter elements for modern transmissions; (2) Saugolfilter (Suction Filters) - available in all-metal, composite, and all-plastic designs; (3) Olwanne mit integriertem Filtersystem (Oil Pan with Integrated Filter System) - high-tech multi-function modules combining oil pan and filtration; and (4) Filtermaterialien (Filter Media) - including branded materials like SmartMedia®, CombiMedia®, V-Pore®. The company also developed proprietary CFD simulation software called SuFiS® for filter performance simulation. All products serve combustion engines, hybrid, and fully electric drives for automotive and transmission manufacturers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SuFiS®: Proprietary CFD software for simulation of filter performance, flow processes, and particle separation in filter systems.
• SmartMedia®
• CombiMedia®
• V-Pore®

Products and services

• Druckölfilter und Systeme (Pressure Oil Filters and Systems) Pressure oil filters and systems engineered to increase oil cleanliness in modern transmissions, including DCT, CVT, and automatic transmissions. Specialized in plastic pressure oil filter elements with function integration, weight optimization, and easy disposal.
• Saugölfilter (Suction Oil Filters) Suction oil filters available in all-metal, composite, and all-plastic designs, used in transmissions of numerous automobile models. Innovative design and connection techniques ensure reliable function under all operating conditions, including critical low-temperature ranges.
• Ölwanne mit integriertem Filtersystem (Oil Pan with Integrated Filter System) High-tech system component combining oil pan with integrated filtration system, achieving weight savings up to >1 kg compared to metal oil pans while integrating multiple components and functions with optimal use of available installation space.
• Filtermaterialien (Filter Media) Specialized filter media for suction and pressure filtration applications, including SmartMedia®, CombiMedia®, V-Pore®, SPFM, MFT, and TF materials made from temperature- and oil-resistant materials such as metal, glass, or synthetic fibers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Weight savings of up to >1 kg per oil pan compared to metal oil pans in specific applications
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• Partner Companies in JapansupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner companies in Japan supplement the global production and design network, enabling IBS Filtran to meet global customer requirements alongside primary locations in the USA, China, Mexico, and Czech Republic.
• Partner Companies in KoreasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner companies in Korea supplement the global production and design network, enabling IBS Filtran to meet global customer requirements alongside primary locations in the USA, China, Mexico, and Czech Republic.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Donaldson Company: US-listed global filtration manufacturer serving on- and off-road vehicles, industrial and life-sciences markets. Comparable to IBS Filtran in automotive and industrial filtration technology, but operates much more broadly and at significantly larger scale.
• Parker Hannifin (Filtration Group): US-listed industrial conglomerate with a major filtration division producing hydraulic, lubrication and process filters. Comparable to IBS Filtran in fluid filtration for hydraulic and lubrication systems, but with much broader industrial scope and global Tier-1 footprint.
• Mann+Hummel: Global German-headquartered filtration leader with deep automotive OEM relationships across oil, air, fuel and cabin filtration. Highly comparable to IBS Filtran in automotive filtration, but operates at much greater scale and across multiple filter categories rather than specializing in transmission fluid filtration.
• Freudenberg Filtration Technologies: German filtration division of Freudenberg Group producing industrial and automotive filtration solutions including oil and air filters. Comparable to IBS Filtran in automotive fluid filtration but part of a much larger diversified industrial group.
• Bosch Automotive (Filtration / Powertrain Components): World's largest Tier-1 automotive supplier offering filtration components and integrated powertrain modules across combustion, hybrid and electric drivetrains. Comparable to IBS Filtran as a global automotive OEM supplier with integrated filtration and powertrain products, though much larger and broader in scope.
• Mahle: Major German automotive supplier offering engine and filtration components, including oil filter modules integrated into housings and pans. Comparable to IBS Filtran in integrated filtration modules for transmissions, but Mahle is a broad incumbent across engine, thermal management and filtration rather than a transmission-filtration specialist.

Direct peers

• UFI Filters: Italian Tier-1 automotive filtration supplier with strong European OEM presence in oil, fuel and transmission filtration. Closely comparable to IBS Filtran in transmission fluid filter products and direct B2B supply to European car manufacturers.
• Hengst SE: German family-owned automotive filtration specialist supplying oil, fuel and air filters as a Tier-1 supplier to European OEMs. Direct overlap with IBS Filtran in transmission and engine fluid filtration for European automotive customers.
• Sogefi Group: Italian automotive filtration and fluid handling supplier owned by CIR, serving European OEMs with oil, air, fuel and cabin filters plus filtration modules. Direct peer to IBS Filtran in transmission oil filtration modules for European OEMs.

Others

• Filtran LLC: American parent company of IBS Filtran and itself a producer of fluid filtration products for automotive and industrial applications. Most directly comparable entity due to shared ownership and product overlap, though publicly presented as the group's US-based operation rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ibs-filtran-gmbh

Compliance5 records

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 IBS Filtran GmbH