What IMF Engineering does

IMF Engineering Srl is an Italian industrial-equipment manufacturer headquartered in Pero (Milan) that has specialized in the pretreatment, surface finishing, and industrial painting of metal-manufactured products since 1978. For more than four decades the company has designed and engineered custom plants and machines for the automotive sector (brake pads, wheels, and EV battery components), aluminum packaging (beverage cans, aerosol cans), and steel packaging (drums and containers), serving as a recognized center of excellence across more than twelve countries on four continents. The firm is independently owned with no parent company, public listing, or external investment disclosed.

The product portfolio centers on washing machines (capable of processing up to 3,400 aluminum cans per minute or 1,700 EV battery cases per minute), infrared (IR) and convection heat-treatment ovens for brake-pad curing with 5-15 minute cycle times, walking-beam paint booths constructed in aluminum, high-efficiency powder-coating lines, and pretreatment systems. Core technologies include Corona electrostatic powder application for adhesion and corrosion resistance, infrared thermal treatment with precise temperature curves, a patented transport system for prismatic aluminum battery cases, and aluminum-bodied walking-beam handling that reduces mechanical stress. The company delivers complete turnkey plants engineered for integration into customer production lines, with Industry 4.0 connectivity enabling remote monitoring and dynamic process control. One registered invention patent protects the battery-case transport system.

IMF operates on a project-based custom-engineering business model. Each plant is tailor-made to customer specifications, with quote-based pricing and multi-year contract structures. Sales are executed through direct enterprise engagement with major OEMs and tier-one suppliers, supplemented by a worldwide distribution partnership with AFT-COMEC Grinding & Presses (part of Lambda Investments AG) for friction applications under the COMEC brand and a regional channel partner (Risus Venture) for India. Revenue comes from one-time equipment sales plus recurring aftermarket spare parts and maintenance through the customer care division. The company maintains ISO 9001:2015 certification, has begun an ESG journey as of 2024, and actively participates in major industry exhibitions (Eurobrake, PaintExpo, Metpack, Battery Show Europe, CFSMA, Asia Brake).

Name

IMF Engineering

Legal name

IMF ENGINEERING Srl

Website

https://imfeng.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMF Engineering Srl is an Italian industrial equipment manufacturer that designs custom pretreatment, surface-finishing, and painting plants for metal products. The firm serves automotive OEMs (brake pads, wheels, EV batteries) and metal packaging producers globally with tailor-made turnkey systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pero

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Industrial Equipment Manufacturing: IMF Engineering designs, engineers, and manufactures custom industrial painting plants and machines including heat treatment ovens, powder painting lines, washing machines, paint booths, and automated systems. Revenue is generated through one-time equipment sales with associated installation, commissioning, and after-sales service support.
2. Aftermarket and Spare Parts: The company provides spare parts, maintenance, and support services for installed equipment through its customer care division.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IMF Engineering designs, engineers, and manufactures custom industrial plants and machines for the pretreatment, surface finishing, and painting of metal manufactured products. Its portfolio includes washing machines, heat treatment ovens, paint booths, powder coating lines, and complete turnkey production lines serving automotive (brake pads, wheels, EV battery cases) and metal packaging (aluminum and steel cans and drums) manufacturers. Projects are delivered as tailor-made, fully integrated systems rather than catalog products.

Product overview

IMF Engineering is a centre of excellence for pretreatment and industrial painting of metal manufactured products, operating for over 40 years. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of advanced machines and tailor-made plants including washing machines (for beverage cans, aerosol cans, battery cases, steel drums), heat treatment ovens (IR ovens, convection ovens, tray ovens), paint booths, powder coating lines, and pretreatment equipment. Products serve sectors including automotive (brake pads, wheels), aluminum and steel packaging, and industrial/electric applications. The company operates on a project-based custom engineering model rather than a standard software platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Painting Plants
• Washing Machines
• Heat Treatment Ovens
• Paint Booths
• Powder Coating Lines
• Pretreatment Equipment
• Battery Case Washing Machines
• Brake Pad Painting Lines
• Wheel Painting Plants
• Steel Drum Painting Systems
• Aftermarket and Customer Care Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Wheel plant capacity: 600 pieces/hour with 3+ million wheels/year production capability
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• AFT-COMEC Grinding & PressescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 22 July 2020AFT-COMEC Grinding & Presses, part of Lambda Investments AG, serves as worldwide distributor for IMF Engineering machines related to friction applications under its own brand. The agreement strengthens competitiveness by offering complete best-in-class manufacturing machinery sets covering the entire brake pad production process for OEM, OES, and Aftermarket applications.
• UCIFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarco Leva, General Manager of IMF Engineering, serves as President of UCIF (Unione Costruttori Impianti di Finitura), the main Italian association for surface finishing technology. IMF Engineering actively participates in UCIF events and conferences on smart finishing technologies.
• Risus VenturestrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic collaboration partnership in the Indian automotive market. Founded by Shishir Gupta with deep industry expertise and years of experience, Risus Venture provides local market access and business development for IMF Engineering in India.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Dürr AG: Dürr AG is a leading global mechanical and plant engineering group with a dedicated 'Paint and Final Assembly' division supplying automotive painting, surface finishing, and pretreatment systems — directly comparable to IMF Engineering's core offering but at vastly greater scale and global footprint.
• Eisenmann (Dürr): Eisenmann, now part of Dürr, historically supplied turnkey industrial painting, finishing, and material flow systems for automotive and general industry — overlapping directly with IMF's pretreatment, painting plant, and conveyor business.
• Nordson Corporation: Nordson's Industrial Precision Solutions segment includes powder coating systems, liquid painting, and curing/oven equipment serving automotive, packaging, and industrial customers — overlapping with IMF's paint booths, ovens, and powder coating lines.

Direct peers

• Gema Switzerland (Graco): Gema (a Graco brand) is a global leader in powder coating equipment — electrostatic application, booths, and recovery systems — directly comparable to IMF's powder coating lines and Corona electrostatic application technology for brake pads and metal packaging.
• SAMES KREMLIN: SAMES KREMLIN designs and manufactures industrial paint application equipment (airspray, electrostatic, powder) for automotive and general industry — directly comparable to IMF's Corona electrostatic painting technology for brake pads and metal parts.
• J. Wagner GmbH: Wagner is a German manufacturer of industrial surface coating systems, including powder coating, liquid painting, and application equipment — directly comparable to IMF's painting plants, powder coating lines, and electrostatic application offerings.
• Sprimag: Sprimag is a German specialist in industrial painting systems, coating lines, and surface finishing equipment for automotive, packaging, and general industry — a close peer to IMF in both scope (custom-engineered painting plants) and customer verticals.
• Venjakob Maschinenbau: Venjakob designs and builds custom industrial surface finishing systems including painting, drying/curing ovens, and pretreatment equipment — a similar niche German engineering firm with comparable product portfolio to IMF.
• Bürkle Maschinenbau: Bürkle produces coating and laminating lines for wood, glass, and metal surfaces — overlapping with IMF's painting and surface finishing lines for industrial metal products, particularly in packaging and flat-surface applications.

Others

• Hansen Industrial Transmissions (for industrial finishing integrators): While not a direct competitor, Hansen and similar industrial finishing integrators participate in the same end-market ecosystem (metal surface treatment equipment for automotive and packaging), and are useful comparables for IMF's custom engineered plant business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imf-engineering

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 IMF Engineering