KGM Kugelfabrik

What KGM Kugelfabrik does

KGM Kugelfabrik GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held, family-owned German manufacturer of precision balls, founded in 1913 in Frankfurt and headquartered in Fulda since 1919. The company produces steel, stainless steel, plastic, ceramic, and specialty-material balls (including carbide, titanium, and Hastelloy), spanning diameters from 1 mm upward, across a catalog of more than 3,500 products and approximately 140 different materials. CNC-machined custom configurations — flattened balls, balls with bores/threads, and ball mushrooms — extend the standard range into application-specific shapes. Application-specific lines cover sealing, switching, polishing, filtering, bearing, measuring, and valve use cases.

Manufacturing follows a zero-defect strategy in which every produced ball undergoes 100% final inspection for shape, dimensional accuracy, material consistency, and surface quality. The Fulda facility has been progressively expanded (notably in 2016) and is supported by hydropower dating to 1919. KGM holds IATF 16949 for automotive, ISO 9001 (since 1998), ISO 14001, ISO 50001, DIN EN 16247 energy audit, and AEO-C certifications, and operates a Ball Finder online tool to support customer product selection.

KGM sells directly to industrial B2B customers worldwide — automotive, aerospace, medical technology and pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, and general industrial manufacturing — via direct sales with technical consultation, with a €250 minimum invoice and €150 minimum line value. Revenue is transactional (one-time product sales plus CNC processing services); no recurring or subscription revenue is evidenced. The company is led by Matthias Richter (Managing Director), Stefan Steinmetz (Technical Managing Director), and Jörg Eberhard (Commercial Managing Director, joined 2024).

Name

KGM Kugelfabrik

Legal name

KGM Kugelfabrik GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://kgm-kugeln.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

German family-owned precision ball manufacturer founded in 1913, producing over 4 billion balls annually from approximately 140 materials for automotive, aerospace, medical, food, cosmetics, and industrial customers worldwide via direct B2B sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fulda

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Precision Ball Sales: One-time product sales of precision balls to industrial customers. Products are sold in various materials (steel, stainless steel, plastic, ceramic, special materials) and configurations. Revenue generated through direct B2B sales with minimum order values of €250. No recurring revenue model; transactional manufacturing business.
2. Custom Ball Processing Services: CNC machining services for customized ball solutions including drilling, milling, and flattening operations. Additional processing fees may apply for non-standard requirements. Part of the overall product revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KGM Kugelfabrik manufactures and sells precision balls across multiple material categories (steel, stainless steel, plastic, ceramic, and special materials such as carbide, titanium, and Hastelloy) for industrial customers. The company produces more than 4 billion balls per year across over 3,500 products in approximately 140 materials, including standard catalogue balls and CNC-machined custom solutions (flattened balls, balls with bores, ball mushrooms). Its products serve as functional components in automotive, aerospace, medical, food, cosmetics, and general industrial applications.

Product overview

KGM Kugelfabrik is a precision ball manufacturer with over 110 years of experience, offering a comprehensive portfolio of precision balls. The core product line includes steel balls (bearing steel, low-alloy, corrosion-resistant), stainless steel balls (hardened and non-hardened), plastic balls (POM, PA, PP, PEEK, PUR), ceramic balls, and special material balls (carbide, titanium, Hastelloy). These are complemented by CNC-machined custom balls with holes, threads, or flattened designs. Application-specific products include sealing balls, switching balls, polishing balls, filter balls, bearing balls, measuring balls, and valve balls. The company supports product selection through an interactive Ball Finder tool and provides comprehensive technical documentation. With approximately 140 different materials and precision starting from 1mm diameter, KGM serves diverse industries including automotive, food, medical technology, aerospace, cosmetics, and industrial manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Steel Balls (Stahlkugeln) Precision steel balls manufactured from bearing steel, low-alloy steel, and corrosion-resistant steel variants, used in rolling bearings, automotive components, and general industrial machinery.
• Stainless Steel Balls (Edelstahlkugeln) Precision stainless steel balls available in hardened and non-hardened grades for industrial applications requiring corrosion resistance and hygienic surface properties.
• Plastic Balls (Kunststoffkugeln) Precision plastic balls manufactured from POM, PA, PP, PEEK, and PUR materials for low-friction, chemical-resistant, and lightweight industrial applications including valves and check valves.
• Ceramic Balls (Keramikkugeln) High-performance ceramic balls (e.g., silicon nitride) featuring exceptional hardness, minimal wear, and outstanding durability for demanding industrial and high-speed applications.
• Special Materials Balls (Sonderwerkstoffe) Precision balls manufactured from special materials including carbide (Hartmetall), titanium, and Hastelloy for extreme hardness, strength, lightness, or corrosion resistance requirements in aerospace, chemical, and specialized industrial applications.
• CNC-Machined Custom Balls (CNC-bearbeitete Kugeln) Custom CNC-machined precision balls produced in small batches, including individually machined balls with holes or threads, flattened balls, and ball mushrooms (Kugelpilze) for specialised industrial applications requiring non-standard configurations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% final inspection of every ball manufactured
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Schaeffler Group: German automotive and industrial supplier (brands INA, FAG, LuK) and former parent of KGM under FAG Kugelfischer (1966–1993). Major bearing manufacturer with in-house ball production, illustrating both vertical integration risk and historical supplier relationship.
• JTEKT Corporation: Japanese bearing and steering systems major (Koyo brand) with vertically integrated ball manufacturing. Comparable broad incumbent serving automotive and industrial customers across the same vertical segments as KGM.
• SKF Group: Swedish bearing giant with vertically integrated ball manufacturing capabilities serving automotive, industrial, and aerospace markets. Represents both a major customer profile for KGM and a potential competitor for in-house ball production.
• NTN Corporation: Japanese bearing manufacturer with integrated ball and roller production serving automotive, industrial machinery, and aerospace. Represents the same broad-incumbent profile as SKF/NSK, with overlapping ball sourcing requirements.
• Timken Company: US-based engineered bearings and power transmission manufacturer with internal ball/roller production serving industrial, automotive, and aerospace markets. Broad incumbent with comparable customer verticals and vertical integration profile.
• NSK Ltd. Japanese bearing and precision components major with internal ball production, serving automotive, industrial machinery, and aerospace globally. Broad incumbent whose in-house ball capabilities overlap with KGM's bearing ball product line.
• NMB (Minebea Mitsumi): Japanese manufacturer of miniature and small-diameter bearings and ball bearings with in-house ball production, particularly strong in precision miniature balls — directly overlapping KGM's miniature ball specialty (diameters from 1mm).

Direct peers

• Winsted Precision Ball Corporation: US specialty precision ball manufacturer producing bearing-quality balls in multiple materials and grades for industrial and aerospace customers. Comparable niche specialty ball supplier with similar custom ball capabilities.
• Salem Specialty Ball Company: US-based specialty precision ball manufacturer offering steel, stainless, plastic, ceramic, and specialty alloy balls in small to mid volumes. Closely comparable niche specialty ball supplier serving similar industrial customer segments.
• Tsubaki Nakashima Co., Ltd. Japan-based global leader in precision steel ball manufacturing, offering a comparable multi-material ball portfolio (steel, stainless, ceramic, plastic) to industrial customers worldwide. Closest pure-play competitor to KGM across product breadth and customer segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/kgm-kugelfabrik-gmbh-&-co-kg

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 KGM Kugelfabrik