RST

What RST does

RST GmbH is a privately held German industrial equipment manufacturer founded in 1965 and headquartered in Hamminkeln-Dingden, Germany, operating three coordinated divisions: Plant Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Sheet Metal Working. The company's flagship offering is ultra high-pressure water-jet cleaning systems operating at up to 4,000 bar, used for cleaning, decoating, decoring, and decontamination in foundries, automotive component manufacturing, nuclear decommissioning, chemicals, petrochemicals, steel, paper, and ship-building. Its technology stack combines proprietary high-pressure water delivery (including a patented-style helical pipe system feeding six-axis articulated robots at 25 l/min and 3,000 bar), closed-loop industrial water treatment (ultrafiltration and bag filtration down to 1 micron for 3-shift operation), and in-house automation, drive technology, and switchgear capabilities, allowing RST to deliver turnkey systems from a single source.\n\nThe company's go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales with three named sales managers covering each division (Matthias Finkenberg for plant engineering, Roland Kampen for sheet metal, Holger Sell for electrical engineering). RST commissions its systems worldwide, including offshore installations, supported by SCC certification for petrochemical work, FALK NUTEC certification for offshore, German WHG Section 19 I certification for water-handling, and SIMATIC PCS 7 process safety certification for nuclear applications. Revenue is generated primarily through custom one-off capital equipment sales and project-based engineering services (consulting, application engineering, refurbishments), with no disclosed pricing tiers, subscription component, or recurring software revenue stream.

Name

RST

Legal name

RST GmbH

Website

https://rst-gmbh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

RST GmbH is a German industrial equipment manufacturer that designs and commissions turnkey ultra high-pressure water-jet cleaning systems (up to 4,000 bar) and robotic automation for foundries, automotive suppliers, nuclear decommissioning, and heavy process industries worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Cleaning Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Pressure Washing & Jetting Equipment (IMAHALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ)

Keywords

• Ultra high-pressure cleaning
• Industrial water jet systems
• Plant engineering services
• Switchgear manufacturing
• Sheet metal fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamminkeln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Plant Engineering Systems (Turnkey): RST develops and manufactures turnkey cleaning machines and commissions them worldwide. Services span consulting, project engineering, 3D construction, hardware/software engineering, fabrication, assembly/installation, and commissioning. Revenue is generated through custom system design, manufacturing, and installation projects — typically one-time capital equipment sales with project-based pricing.
2. Electrical Engineering & Switchgear: Automation engineering, drive technology, switchgear manufacture, software engineering, process visualisation, and refurbishments for machines and plant. Delivered as complete electrical equipment from a single source, including special-purpose housings and turnkey solutions.
3. Sheet Metal Working & Fabrication: Sheet-steel constructions from steel, aluminium and stainless steel, including installation and wiring of electrical components. Products include sound-absorbing hoods, machine covers and guards, containers and tanks, control desks, housings, and vehicle modifications. Revenue from custom fabrication with in-house paintshop.
4. Application Engineering & Consulting: Customer-specific application engineering including specimen testing, parameter development (water pressures, throughput volumes, travel speeds, cycle times), and overall concept design for cleaning, paint removal, surface cleaning, heat-exchanger cleaning, tank cleaning, and abrasive cutting applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

RST GmbH designs, manufactures, and commissions turnkey ultra high-pressure water-jet cleaning systems (operating up to 4000 bar) for foundries, automotive suppliers, and the nuclear industry, integrated with six-axis robotic automation and closed-loop water treatment. Beyond plant engineering, the company delivers electrical engineering services (automation, switchgear, drive technology, process visualisation) and custom sheet metal fabrications (steel, aluminium, stainless steel) for industrial enclosures and vehicle modifications, all delivered as in-house single-source solutions.

Product overview

RST GmbH is an industrial equipment manufacturer operating three divisions: Plant Engineering (Anlagenbau), Electrical Engineering (Elektrotechnik), and Sheet Metal Working (Feinblechverarbeitung). The Plant Engineering division is the flagship offering, producing turnkey ultra high-pressure water-jet cleaning systems (up to 4000 bar) for foundries, automotive suppliers, nuclear industry and power stations, including robotic automation, water treatment units, and specialized equipment for core box cleaning, engine block decoring, crucible cleaning, and nuclear decontamination. The Electrical Engineering division provides automation, drive technology, switchgear manufacture, software engineering, and process visualisation services. The Sheet Metal Working division fabricates precision components from steel, aluminium and stainless steel including sound-absorbing hoods, machine guards, containers, control desks, and housings. The three divisions often work together, with RST supplying complete electrical equipment including installation and wiring of electrical components from a single source.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cleaning & Ultra High-Pressure Water Systems Turnkey high-pressure water-jet cleaning machines for cleaning, paint removal, decoating, decoring, and decontamination, available as manually operated or fully automated (including robotic) solutions, with operating pressures up to 4000 bar. Built for foundries, automotive suppliers, nuclear operators, chemicals, petrochemicals, steel, paper, and ship-building industries.
• Water Treatment Units High-performance water recovery and treatment units enabling complete recirculation in 3-shift environments, including ultrafiltration, bag filtration down to 1 micron, and inclined filters for solids/liquids separation. Supports pump operation at pressures up to 3000 bar with sub-1 micron particle requirements.
• Ultra High-Pressure Water-Jet Technology Plunger pump-based technology generating artificial high pressures for water jets used in cleaning and material processing across chemicals, petrochemicals, nuclear, steel, and paper industries. Pure-water operation without chemical agents.
• Robotics Systems Six-axis articulated robots enabling accurate path programming for optimum workpiece-cleaning results, combined with a newly developed high-pressure helical pipe for water supply. Key specification of 25 litres/min at 3000 bar.
• Core Box Cleaning Machine (KKRA) Automated high-pressure water cleaning system for foundry core boxes, reducing cycle time to under 20 minutes for engine block and cylinder head manufacturing.
• Engine Block Decoring Machine (MBEA) High-pressure water system for removing sand cores from cast engine blocks, ensuring complete removal from complex internal geometries including cooling channels.
• Crucible Cleaning Machine (TRA) Automated high-pressure water cleaning in soundproofed stainless steel housing for foundry crucibles, using rotating starburst nozzle with telescopic control.
• Decontamination Equipment High-pressure water decontamination unit operating at 2,500 bar and 20 l/min for radioactive components from decommissioned nuclear power plants and submarines, with HEPA filtration and 50 ACH air extraction.
• System Integration (Turnkey Commissioning) Turnkey cleaning machine development and worldwide commissioning, integrating water-jet systems, transfer systems, climate/drying, robotics, and electrical/sensor/control engineering.
• Application Engineering & Consulting Customer-specific application engineering including specimen testing, parameter development (water pressures, throughput volumes, travel speeds, cycle times), and overall concept design for cleaning, paint removal, surface cleaning, heat-exchanger cleaning, tank cleaning, and abrasive cutting applications.
• Automation Engineering Automation engineering for industrial processes, including controller programming and automation solutions for machines and plant systems.
• Drive Technology Drive systems and motor control solutions for industrial applications.
• Switchgear Manufacture Manufacturing of switchgear in special-purpose housings as turnkey solutions from a single source.
• Process Visualisation Systems

Quantifiable outcome

• Core box cleaning cycle times reduced to under 20 minutes for engine block and cylinder head manufacturing
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Jetstream of Houston: Jetstream manufactures high-pressure water-jetting equipment and tooling for industrial cleaning applications including heat exchangers, tanks, and surface preparation — a direct comparable to RST's tank/heat-exchanger cleaning capabilities in chemicals/petrochemicals.
• Flow International / Shape Technologies: Shape Technologies (formerly Flow International) is a global leader in ultra-high-pressure waterjet technology for cutting, cleaning, and surface preparation — competing with RST in waterjet pressure capabilities and industrial cleaning applications, though more focused on cutting.
• BvL Oberflächentechnik GmbH: BvL is a German manufacturer of industrial parts-cleaning systems and surface treatment equipment for foundries, automotive, and general manufacturing — competing with RST in precision cleaning of cast/engine components with comparable pressure ranges and automation integration.
• URACA GmbH & Co. KG: URACA is a German specialist in high-pressure plunger pumps and complete water-jet cleaning systems serving industrial cleaning, petrochemical, and process industries — a direct competitor in the same ultra-high-pressure cleaning niche with overlapping German industrial customers.
• NLB Corporation: NLB is a US-based manufacturer of ultra-high-pressure water-jet equipment (up to 40,000 psi / ~2,800 bar) for industrial cleaning, surface preparation, and concrete removal — a direct technology peer to RST in high-pressure water-jet cleaning equipment.
• Hammelmann GmbH: Hammelmann is a German manufacturer of high-pressure plunger pumps and complete ultra-high-pressure water-jet systems (up to 4000+ bar) for industrial cleaning, surface preparation, and cutting — directly competing with RST's flagship Anlagenbau division in foundries, automotive, and shipyards.
• Nijhuis Water Technology / Aquajet Systems AB: Aquajet Systems is a Swedish manufacturer of high-pressure water-jetting equipment for industrial cleaning, tube/pipe cleaning, and surface preparation — directly comparable to RST in technology, pressure range, and industrial cleaning applications.

Broad incumbents

• Dürr AG: Dürr is a larger German industrial engineering group with paint, sealing, and parts-cleaning systems for automotive and industrial customers — overlapping with RST in automotive cleaning/finishing systems but at substantially greater scale and broader scope.

Emerging players

• Stractec GmbH / Waveblade Technology: Smaller German engineering firms developing water-jet and laser-based surface treatment technologies for industrial applications — an emerging player in adjacent water-jet surface preparation with potential future overlap with RST's decoating/paint-removal lines.

Others

• Siemens AG (Digital Industries / Process Automation): Siemens supplies the SIMATIC PCS 7 automation platform used inside RST's turnkey systems and competes broadly in industrial automation, drive technology, and switchgear — the same categories RST's Elektrotechnik division addresses, but at vastly greater scale and product breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rst-gmbh

Compliance6 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 RST