Held Systems

What Held Systems does

Held Systems GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer of custom-built industrial laser cutting and laser welding systems, headquartered in Dietzenbach near Frankfurt and operating since 1974. The company designs and produces special machines (Sondermaschinenbau) for high-precision processing of metals, technical textiles, and plastics, serving enterprise customers globally in automotive safety, shipbuilding, aerospace, and general industrial manufacturing.

The product portfolio is organized around four proprietary platforms: Contilas (remote laser cutting for single-layer technical textiles including airbag fabric and fibre composites), Multilayerschneidsysteme (revolving-grid multi-layer cutting systems for airbag production with a standard working area of 8m x 2.6m), Pedilas (modular 2D, 2.5D, and 3D laser cutting and welding systems with large-format working areas up to 20,000mm x 5,000mm), and Laserblanking (coil-fed laser blanking systems that cut automotive outer skin parts directly from coil). Underlying technologies include fibre-guided and CO2 beam sources, redundant axis systems for dynamic precision, proprietary camera-based reference mark detection, and a SQL-based TDBManager system for storing machine-, workpiece-, and process-dependent parameters. Process knowledge is supported by collaborations with research institutes and specialized engineering talent in control systems (Beckhoff, Siemens 840) and software (C++/Qt).

Held Systems operates a direct enterprise field-sales motion with no intermediary channels. Revenue is generated through one-time sales of customized special machines and accompanying professional services covering consulting, design, programming, implementation, commissioning, and on-site maintenance. The company has delivered more than 300 laser systems worldwide over its 40-plus-year history. It is managed by two Geschäftsführer, Gunnar Held and Achim Zinke, and is registered as HELD SYSTEMS GmbH in Offenbach, Germany, with no identified parent company or external institutional investment.

Name

Held Systems

Legal name

HELD SYSTEMS GmbH

Website

https://held-systems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Held Systems GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer of custom industrial laser cutting and welding systems for metals, technical textiles, and plastics, serving enterprise customers in automotive safety, shipbuilding, aerospace, and general industrial manufacturing since 1974.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Laser Systems

NAICS

Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (33351), Cutting Tool and Machine Tool Accessory Manufacturing (333515)

SIC

Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541), Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540)

akta.pro primary industry

Sheet Metal Machinery (Laser/Plasma/Waterjet Cutting, Punching) (IMAHADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Welding, Joining & Soldering Equipment (Arc, Resistance, Friction, Brazing) (IMAHADAH)

Keywords

• Industrial laser cutting
• Laser welding systems
• Special machine construction
• Automotive airbag manufacturing
• Coil laser blanking

Headquarters

HQ city

Heusenstamm

HQ country

Germany

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Special Machine Sales: Production of customized laser cutting and welding machines tailored to customer specifications. Machines are built to order based on individual customer requirements in metal processing, technical textiles, and plastics applications.
2. Engineering & Implementation Services: Comprehensive services including consulting, planning, design, programming, implementation, commissioning, and on-site maintenance of laser systems.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Held Systems designs and manufactures custom-built laser cutting and laser welding systems (special machines) for high-precision processing of metals, technical textiles, and plastics. The four core product lines are Contilas, Multilayerschneidsysteme, Pedilas, and Laserblanking. Services cover consulting, planning, design, programming, implementation, commissioning, and on-site maintenance for international enterprise customers.

Product overview

Held Systems is a manufacturer of custom industrial laser machinery with over 40 years of experience. The product portfolio consists of four core laser system product lines: Contilas (laser cutting system for technical textiles including airbag fabric and fiber composites), Multilayerschneidsysteme (multi-layer cutting systems for airbag production with revolving cutting grid), Pedilas (modular 2D/2.5D/3D laser cutting systems for large format metal processing), and Laserblanking (coil laser blanking systems for sheet metal processing). These systems are offered alongside application capabilities for laser cutting, laser welding, and cutting of technical textiles. The company provides comprehensive services including consulting, planning, design, programming, implementation, commissioning, and on-site maintenance. Over 300 laser systems have been delivered to international customers worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Contilas: Laser cutting system for efficient and high-quality cutting of single-layer technical textiles, based on remote laser cutting technology.
• Pedilas
• Multilayerschneidsysteme
• Laserblanking

Products and services

• Contilas Laser cutting system for efficient and high-quality cutting of single-layer technical textiles including airbag fabric, fiber composites (GRP, CFRP), cardboard, and paper. Based on remote laser cutting technology with redundant axis systems for high precision and dynamic values. Modular design with standard widths of 2,500mm, 2,800mm, and 3,100mm, including a proprietary camera system for OPW fabric reference mark detection. Targets automotive safety systems manufacturers.
• Multilayerschneidsysteme (Multi-layer Cutting Systems) Multi-layer system for airbag cutting featuring a revolving cutting grid system with standard working area of 8m x 2.6m. Features one or two cutting bridges attached upside down to a solid support system for high cutting speeds and accuracies. Includes conveyor belt material feed/discharge and a highly dynamic Cartesian cutting system. Targets automotive airbag manufacturers.
• Pedilas Laser systems for large format 2D processing available in 2D, 2.5D (five-axis for non-linear bevel cuts), and 3D configurations. Modular design easily adaptable to customer specifications with optional welding functionality. Supports CO2 or fibre-guided beam sources. 2.5D variant enables non-linear bevel cuts for weld edge preparation using five axes, with a special optical system that minimizes compensating movements in bevel cuts. Targets industrial manufacturers, shipbuilding, and aerospace.
• Laserblanking (Coil Laser Blanking System) Coil laser blanking system enabling direct cutting from coil or production of nesting-compliant blanks via non-linear separating cuts. Highly dynamic Cartesian axis system combined with fibre-guided lasers. Modular adaptability to working widths and lengths. No pit required as material buffer (dynamic suction box). Belt conveyor system for scratch-free conveying of automotive outer skin parts. Provides material savings, greater flexibility, and eliminates tool maintenance compared to conventional punching processes. Targets automotive body panel manufacturers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ laser systems deployed worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TRUMPF: Global leader in industrial laser cutting and welding machines, with a broad portfolio covering automotive, aerospace, and general metal fabrication. Highly comparable to Held Systems as the dominant benchmark in laser machine tools, though TRUMPF serves a much wider customer base and offers more standardized product lines.
• Bystronic: Swiss manufacturer of laser cutting, bending, and automation systems for sheet metal processing. Directly comparable to Held Systems' Pedilas and Laserblanking product lines, but operating at much larger scale with standardized rather than custom-built machines.
• Prima Power: Manufacturer of laser machines, sheet metal fabrication systems, and 3D laser cutting for automotive and industrial applications. Overlaps with Held Systems in laser blanking and large-format cutting, with broader product breadth and stronger global service network.
• LVD Group: Manufacturer of sheet metalworking machinery including laser cutting, punching, bending, and automation. Comparable to Held Systems in laser cutting for industrial fabrication, with broader product portfolio and global dealer network.
• Mazak: Major Japanese manufacturer of multi-axis laser machines and machine tools for industrial applications. Comparable to Held Systems' Pedilas 2.5D/3D configurations in offering high-precision multi-axis laser cutting for metal processing.
• Han's Laser: Large Chinese manufacturer of laser equipment for cutting, welding, and marking across industrial applications. Overlaps with Held Systems' laser cutting and welding portfolio, particularly in sheet metal and automotive applications.
• ESAB: Global supplier of welding and cutting equipment, including laser-based systems, for heavy industrial and shipbuilding applications. Directly comparable to Held Systems' shipbuilding stiffener welding product line.

Direct peers

• Messer Cutting Systems: Specialized manufacturer of cutting systems including laser, plasma, and oxyfuel for industrial metal processing. Directly comparable to Held Systems' Pedilas metal-cutting product line in serving custom industrial cutting application needs.
• MicroStep: European manufacturer of CNC cutting systems (laser, plasma, waterjet) and special machines for industrial applications. Comparable to Held Systems as a similarly-sized European specialist in custom cutting systems.

Emerging players

• BLM Group: Italian manufacturer of laser tube cutting and sheet metal processing systems. Comparable to Held Systems' laser cutting portfolio with a focus on specialized industrial applications, though serving different primary use cases (tube vs. flat sheet and specialty textiles).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Held Systems