Exner Process Equipment

What Exner Process Equipment does

Exner Process Equipment GmbH is a German owner-managed manufacturer of process fittings and optical sensors for industrial liquid analysis, headquartered in Ettlingen in the Karlsruhe technology region. The company was founded in 2009 by Detlef Exner and Michael Tottewitz, both previously at Endress+Hauser, and converted from an OHG to a GmbH in May 2009. Its product portfolio comprises two main categories: process armatures (static probe housings EXstatic, immersion fittings EXdip, pneumatic and manual retractable housings EXtract, electro-pneumatic control units EXmatic, and flow-through fittings EXflow) and optical sensors for NIR absorption and turbidity measurement (EXcell, EXplore, EXspect, EXpure), supported by calibration accessories (EXcap) and communication interfaces (ECI-01/02/03 with Modbus RTU/RS485 and 4-20 mA outputs).

Underlying technology centers on optical sensor technology for liquid analysis, including NIR (near-infrared) absorption and turbidity measurement. Differentiated features include a wear-free sapphire lens, an integrated 850 nm LED light source, nephelometric 90-degree scattered-light measurement for low-turbidity water applications, configurable optical path lengths of 5/10/20 mm with multiple measurement units (AU, OD, EBC, FAU, mg/l, % turbidity), hygienic CIP/SIP-capable stainless-steel design with Ra<0.37 µm surface finish and EHEDG/3-A certifications, and a unique integrated orbital sensor cleaning system in immersion fittings. Products are ISO 9000 certified and meet pharmaceutical standards (USP Class VI, FDA, ADCF), with chemical-resistant variants available in Alloy C22 and titanium for high-pressure and corrosive environments.

The business model is hardware-centric: revenue is generated primarily from sales of process armatures and optical sensors, supplemented by maintenance, repair, training, and support services, plus OEM and custom product development revenue. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and follows a quote-based model delivered through direct sales in Germany and an exclusive partner-per-country distribution network covering more than 20 countries (Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Thailand, Türkiye, USA, and Uruguay). End markets are pharmaceutical and biotechnology, food and beverage, chemical processing, water and wastewater treatment, and energy and environmental technology.

Name

Exner Process Equipment

Legal name

Exner Process Equipment GmbH

Website

https://e-p-e.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Exner Process Equipment GmbH is a German manufacturer of process fittings and NIR optical sensors for liquid analysis (pH measurement, biomass and turbidity monitoring), serving pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food and beverage, chemical, water treatment, and energy industries through a 20+ country sales partner network plus direct and OEM channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Process Measurement Equipment

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Process Analytical Instrumentation (Gas analyzers, spectroscopy, pH/ORP, conductivity) (IMAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Process Automation Instrumentation & Control (DCS, Valves, Actuators, Analyzers) (IMAHAHAM)

Keywords

• Process measurement sensors
• Optical turbidity sensors
• NIR absorption sensors
• Process probe housings
• Retractable fittings

Headquarters

HQ city

Ettlingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Process Armatures (Valves/Fittings): Manufacture and sale of high-quality process armatures for pH measurement including static installation fittings (EXstatic series), immersion fittings (EXdip series), pneumatic retractable housings (EXtract 8XX series), manual retractable housings (EXtract 8XXM series), control units (EXmatic), and flow-through fittings (EXflow).
2. Optical Sensors: Sale of optical sensors for liquid analysis including absorption sensors (EXcell series), compact turbidity sensors (EXplore, EXspect, EXpure series), and associated accessories (EXcap reference sets) and interfaces (ECI communication interfaces).
3. Services and Support: Maintenance, repair, return consignments, training, and support services for process armatures and optical sensors.
4. Product Development and OEM: Custom product development and OEM manufacturing services for specialized applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Exner Process Equipment GmbH manufactures and sells high-quality process fittings (probe housings, retractable housings, immersion fittings, control units) for installing pH, oxygen, and conductivity sensors, along with NIR optical sensors for liquid analysis including turbidity measurement, absorption measurement, and biomass/cell growth monitoring. Products are designed for hygienic and harsh industrial process environments in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food & beverage, chemical processing, water treatment, and energy/environmental applications. The company offers configurable, customer-specific solutions with special material options such as Alloy C22 and titanium, and supports OEM/custom development of sensor-based solutions.

Product overview

Exner Process Equipment GmbH offers a comprehensive portfolio of process fittings for pH measurement and optical sensors for liquid analysis. The product line includes two main categories: (1) Process-Armaturen (probe housings) encompassing EXstatic static probe housings (models 310, 311, 312, 315, 340), EXdip immersion probe housings (910, 920), EXtract pneumatic retractable probe housings (810, 811, 815, 820, 821, 825, 830) and manual variants (810M-850M), EXmatic control units (470, 471) for automated operation, EXconnect accessories, and EXflow flow-through fittings (710, 720); and (2) Optische Sensoren (optical sensors) for absorption and turbidity measurement including EXcell absorption sensors (231, 241), EXplore compact sensors (131, 171), EXspect compact sensors (231, 271), EXpure turbidity sensors (191), EXcap calibration accessories (110, 120), and ECI communication interfaces (ECI-01, ECI-02, ECI-03). The company also provides services including process fittings, optical sensors, maintenance and repair, training and support, and product development/OEM solutions. All products are ISO 9000 certified and serve industries including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food and beverages, chemical processing, energy, and water treatment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EXstatic: Static probe housings for permanent installation of sensors in tanks or pipelines
• EXdip
• EXtract
• EXmatic
• EXconnect
• EXflow
• EXcell
• EXplore
• EXspect
• EXpure
• EXcap
• ECI

Products and services

• EXstatic Series Static Probe Housings (310, 311, 312, 315, 340) Static probe housings for permanent installation of Ø12mm/120mm sensors in DN25 welding sockets (G1¼" thread) or ¾"/1" NPT sockets, used in tanks or pipelines across pharmaceutical, food/beverage, and chemical processes. Stainless steel 1.4435 construction with surface finish meeting hygienic requirements.
• EXdip Series Immersion Probe Housings (910, 920) Immersion probe housings with flanged connection or suspended holder and integrated orbital sensor cleaning system for DN50/2" nominal diameter installations. Available in stainless steel (EXdip 910) or plastic (EXdip 920) variants for industrial process tanks and open vessels.
• EXtract Series Pneumatic Retractable Probe Housings (810, 811, 815, 820, 821, 825, 830) Pneumatically operated retractable probe housings for installation of Ø12-225mm sensors (and up to 325mm in extended variants) on tanks or pipelines, allowing fully automated sensor treatment and replacement without process interruption. Available in stainless steel (810, 811, 815, 830) and plastic (820, 821, 825) variants; EXtract 815 and 825 include an integrated PTFE scraper for DN25 weld-in sockets in rough processes.
• EXtract Series Manual Retractable Probe Housings (810M-850M) Manually operated retractable probe housings with a unique rotary drive unit for installation of Ø12-225mm sensors on tanks or pipelines, allowing sensor replacement without process interruption. Available in stainless steel (810M, 811M, 815M, 830M, 840M, 850M) and plastic (820M, 821M, 825M) variants; 815M is rated for operation at process pressure up to 16bar, and 840M includes a safety lock against unintentional unlocking at high pressures.
• EXmatic Electro-Pneumatic Control Units (470, 471) Electro-pneumatic control units for fully automatic control of pneumatic retractable probe housings of the EXtract 8XX series. EXmatic 470 controls a single housing; EXmatic 471 controls two. Both feature plug-and-play installation with integrated connection hose and individual programming for automated sensor treatment cycles.
• EXflow Series Flow-Through Fittings (710, 720) Flow-through fittings enabling optimal sensor positioning directly in the process flow. EXflow 710 is stainless steel for use with EXtract 810/810M and EXstatic 310; EXflow 720 is PVDF for use with EXtract 820/820M.
• EXconnect 170 Multi-Connection Hose Multi-connection hose accessory for quick, easy installation between EXmatic 470/471 control units and EXtract 8XX pneumatic retractable probe housings, including associated flushing valves.
• EXcell Series NIR Absorption Sensors (231, 241) High-precision digital NIR absorption sensors designed for DN25 weld-in sockets in biotech, food, and pharmaceutical applications. Used for biomass/cell growth monitoring. Features configurable measuring units (AU, OD, FAU, EBC, mg/l), wear-free sapphire windows, LED technology, and integrated digital amplifier. EXcell 241 supports sterile installation in fermentation vessels with configurable immersion lengths and O-ring positions.
• EXplore Series Compact NIR Sensors (131, 171) Compact NIR sensors for monitoring production processes. EXplore 131 is a compact NIR turbidity sensor with 4-20 mA output for food and beverage industry; EXplore 171 is a compact NIR backscattering turbidity sensor for medium and high turbidity in food industry and process applications. Both feature robust stainless steel housing, wear-free sapphire lens, and integrated amplifier.
• EXspect Series High-Precision NIR Compact Sensors (231, 271) High-precision NIR compact sensors for monitoring production processes in food and pharmaceutical industries. EXspect 231 supports configurable measuring units (turbidity, absorption, EBC, FAU, mg/l, AU, OD) up to 0-6 AU with integrated digital amplifier and touch display; EXspect 271 is a high-precision compact NIR turbidity sensor with medium and high turbidity range, integrated display, and programmable alarm limits.
• EXpure 191 NIR Turbidity Sensor Highly accurate compact NIR turbidity sensor using nephelometric 90-degree scattered light measurement for very low turbidity detection in water, swimming pool, and drinking water applications. Compliant with DIN EN 27027 and ISO 7027 standards.
• EXcap Series Calibration Accessories (110, 120) Optical reference filters and backscattering reference normals for verification, adjustment, or calibration of Exner NIR sensors. EXcap 110 is a set of optical reference filters for NIR sensors; EXcap 120 is a set of optical reference normals for backscattering sensors. Both include up to three individually selectable filters/normals traceable to NIST standard.
• ECI Communication Interfaces (ECI-01, ECI-02, ECI-03) Communication interfaces for parameterization and integration of Exner optical sensors. ECI-01 enables parameterization of EXcell, EXspect, EXpure sensors via PC/USB using EXpert software, with variants for laboratory operation. ECI-02 provides galvanic isolation of power supply and sensor signals for reliable Modbus RTU transmission to RS485, supporting multi-sensor installations. ECI-03 converts EXcell sensor values to standardized 0/4-20 mA output, supplies sensor voltage, and includes limit value and alarm contacts with graphic touch display.
• Maintenance, Repair, Training, and Support Services Lifecycle services for Exner process fittings and optical sensors, including maintenance, repair, return consignments, training, and technical support.
• Custom Product Development and OEM Manufacturing Custom engineering, product development, and OEM manufacturing services for specialized applications, allowing OEM customers to integrate Exner sensors into their own products or to develop custom-fit solutions for unique process requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Paper consumption reduced by approximately 500 kg per year through digital product documentation

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered regional.

• TechWater Inteligência em Análises Ltda (Brazil)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Brazil, located in São Paulo. Handles distribution of Exner products in the Brazilian market.
• Jadler Industries Ltd. (Canada)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Canada, located in Calgary, Alberta. Distributes Exner products in the Canadian market.
• CONTROLPART SPA (Chile)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Chile, located in Santiago. Handles distribution of Exner products in the Chilean market.
• Chromservis s.r.o. (Czech Republic)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Czech Republic and Poland (Warsaw office). Located in Prague, handles distribution in Czech and Polish markets.
• Insatech A/S (Denmark)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Denmark, located in Præstø. Distributes Exner products in the Danish market.
• CultiXcell A/S (Denmark)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Denmark, located in Vordingborg. Specializes in cell culture and biotechnology applications.
• Kontram Oy (Finland)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Finland, located in Vantaa. Handles distribution of Exner products in the Finnish market.
• CellD SARL (France)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for France, located in Roquemaure. Distributes Exner products in the French market.
• Process Instrument Solutions Ltd. (Great Britain)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Great Britain, located in Suffolk. Handles distribution of Exner products in the UK market.
• LOBA Kft. (Hungary)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Hungary, located in Budapest. Distributes Exner products in the Hungarian market.
• Parshvi Technology (India) Pvt. Ltd. (India)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for India, located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Handles distribution of Exner products in the Indian market.
• Six023 Scientific Ltd (Ireland)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Ireland, located in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Distributes Exner products in the Irish market.
• Tarom Applied Technologies Ltd. (Israel)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Israel, located in Petach-Tikva. Handles distribution of Exner products in the Israeli market.
• Ital Control Meters Srl (Italy)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Italy, located in Carate Brianza (MB). Distributes Exner products in the Italian market.
• Chromservis SK s.r.o. (Slovakia)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Slovakia, located in Bratislava. Handles distribution of Exner products in the Slovakian market.
• OmniProcess AB (Sweden)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Sweden, located in Solna. Distributes Exner products in the Swedish market.
• MPT TECHNO SOLUTION CO. LTD (Thailand)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Thailand, located in Bangkok. Handles distribution of Exner products in the Thai market.
• IO PROCESS ELEKTRONIK MAKİNE SAN. VE TİC. A.Ş. (Türkiye)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Türkiye, located in İzmir. Distributes Exner products in the Turkish market.
• SOUTH FORK INSTRUMENTS (United States)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for USA, located in Auburn, California. Handles distribution of Exner products in the American market.
• Circular S.A. (Uruguay)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Uruguay, located in Montevideo. Distributes Exner products in the Uruguayan market.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• s::can: Austrian manufacturer of inline optical water quality sensors using UV-Vis and NIR spectroscopy. Comparable to Exner's EXpure and EXspect turbidity sensors in drinking water and wastewater applications, with similar Mittelstand positioning and channel-based distribution.
• Knick Elektronische Messgeräte: German specialist manufacturer of pH, conductivity, and electrochemical sensors for industrial process applications. Closely comparable to Exner in size, German Mittelstand positioning, and specialization in high-quality process fittings and pH measurement.
• Hamilton Bonaduz: Swiss manufacturer of pH, dissolved oxygen, and optical sensors for bioprocess and laboratory applications. Directly comparable to Exner's EXcell biomass sensors and process probe housings, particularly in pharmaceutical fermentation and cell culture monitoring.
• optek-Danulat: German-based manufacturer of inline NIR absorption and turbidity sensors for process industries. Directly competes with Exner's EXcell and EXspect series in pharma, food/beverage, and chemical applications using the same fundamental optical measurement principles.

Broad incumbents

• Hach (Danaher): Global water analysis specialist under Danaher, manufacturing turbidity, pH, conductivity, and optical sensors for water and wastewater applications. Overlaps directly with Exner's EXpure 191 low-turbidity sensor and water/wastewater segment focus.
• Sartorius: Leading bioprocess equipment supplier offering single-use sensors and bioreactor analytics. Competes with Exner's EXcell biomass sensors and hygienic probe housings in pharmaceutical fermentation, though from a much larger and broader bioprocessing platform.
• Mettler Toledo: Major process analytical instrumentation manufacturer with Ingold line of pH and bioreactor sensors for pharmaceutical and biotech applications. Competes with Exner's EXtract and EXcell products in fermentation/bioprocess monitoring, with significantly broader product breadth.
• Endress+Hauser: Global leader in process instrumentation including pH sensors, conductivity, and analytical measurement. Both Exner founders previously built the special-constructions department here. Endress+Hauser's Memosens and Liquiline platforms overlap directly with Exner's probe housings and sensor offerings, but at a vastly larger scale.
• Emerson (Rosemount Analytical): Major process instrumentation supplier through its Rosemount Analytical division, offering pH, conductivity, and analytical sensors. Overlaps with Exner's offerings in chemical processing and water treatment, though bundled within Emerson's automation ecosystem.
• Yokogawa Electric: Japanese industrial automation and process instrumentation conglomerate offering pH, conductivity, and optical sensors across multiple verticals. Competes with Exner in pharma and chemical process monitoring as part of a much broader control-systems portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Exner Process Equipment