What Alimex does

Alimex is a German-headquartered manufacturer of high-precision aluminium cast plates (ACP), precision-milled plates (PLANAL), and custom CNC-machined aluminium components, founded in 1970 by Helmut Geller in Willich. The company invented the aluminium cast plate process in the 1970s and has refined it for over 50 years; the proprietary process yields plates with a homogeneous, low-stress structure that eliminates direction-dependent properties found in conventional rolled plate. Operations are anchored by a 600-tonne annealing furnace (one of Europe's largest, operational since October 2017), in-house CNC machining (including 5-axis milling), precision measurement using ZEISS coordinate machines, and dedicated R&D capabilities led by a Head of Research & Development. The firm sells primarily to industrial customers in solar, medical technology, semiconductor, mechanical engineering, optical, and aerospace/racing end-markets, with the product portfolio spanning multiple ACP alloy variants (5080, 5754, 7, 6000, ELOXPURE, GIANT) and complementary PLANAL rolled-plate grades (5083, 6082, 7075).

Revenue is generated predominantly through hardware sales of cast plates, milled plates, and components, supplemented by subcontract manufacturing, heat treatment services, technical consulting, and precision measurement. The go-to-market model is direct enterprise field sales targeting high-tech industrial buyers, with global production sites in Germany, the USA (Columbia, South Carolina), and Malaysia (Iskandar Puteri, Johor) and sales offices in the Netherlands and China. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is provided via direct inquiry, consistent with engineered-to-order specification work. Alimex is a privately-held German family business (Mittelstand); its current shareholders include CEO Dr. Philip Grothe (appointed 2014 after serving as turnaround consultant following a 60% sales drop in 2009) and Christiane Springmeier. The company holds ISO 9001 quality certification, ASI Performance Standard certification, and DINÖ sustainability certification, and contributed to developing DIN SPEC 91529, the first standardised specification for aluminium cast plates.

Name

Alimex

Legal name

alimex GmbH Precision in Aluminium

Website

https://alimex.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Alimex is a German family-owned manufacturer, founded in 1970, producing proprietary high-precision aluminium cast plates (ACP), precision-milled plates (PLANAL), and custom CNC components for industrial customers in solar, medical technology, semiconductor, mechanical engineering, optical, and aerospace sectors, with production in Germany, the USA, and Malaysia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Aluminium Products

NAICS

Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting) (331524), Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing (33131), Aluminum Sheet, Plate, and Foil Manufacturing (331315), Secondary Smelting and Alloying of Aluminum (331314)

SIC

Nonferrous Foundries (Castings) (3360), Sheet Metal Work (3444)

akta.pro primary industry

Aluminum Casting & Ingot/Billet/Slab Production (IMAKACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aluminum Rolling (Flat-Rolled Products: Sheet, Plate, Foil) (IMAKACAF), Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL)

Keywords

• Aluminum cast plates
• Precision aluminum components
• CNC aluminum machining
• Aluminum heat treatment
• Industrial aluminum materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Willich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Aluminium Cast Plates and Components: Production and sale of aluminium cast plates (ACP products), precision-milled plates (PLANAL products), custom cuts, and complex aluminium components manufactured to customer specifications. Core business generating primary revenue through product sales.
2. Contract Manufacturing/Subcontracting: Subcontract processing services supporting partners with cost-effective solutions, efficient process design, and capacity bottleneck management. Services include CNC machining, 5-axis milling, turning, surface coatings, and precision measurements.
3. Technical Consulting and Advisory: Technical advice and consultation services including material selection, alloy determination, feasibility studies, and development projects. Expertise applied to aerospace, solar, semiconductor, and optical industries.
4. Heat Treatment Services: Annealing and heat treatment services for aluminium materials. State-of-the-art furnaces provide stress-relief, corrosion resistance optimisation, and individual material property adjustment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Alimex manufactures and sells proprietary aluminium cast plates (ACP) and precision-milled rolled plates (PLANAL) for industrial customers across high-tech sectors, complemented by custom CNC-machined aluminium components and engineering services including heat treatment, material development, technical consulting, subcontracting, and precision measurement. The company invented the ACP cast plate process in the 1970s and operates one of Europe's largest annealing furnaces with 600-tonne batch capacity.

Product overview

Alimex offers a comprehensive portfolio of aluminum products based on its proprietary cast plate technology. The core offering consists of ACP (Aluminum Cast Plate) precision plates in various alloys (EN AW-5083, EN AW-5754, EN AW-7021, Type 7xxx) available in milled (ACP 5080/5754/7/6000) and sawn (R-suffix) variants, with specialized grades including ELOXPURE for anodising applications and GIANT for extra-large dimensions. Complementing the ACP line are PLANAL precision-milled rolled plates (5083, 6082, 7075) that combine rolled plate properties with precision surface finish. Value-added services include custom CNC component manufacturing, material development, heat treatment (annealing), technical consulting, subcontracting, precision measurements, and macro-microscopic assessment—all delivered through vertically integrated operations at German, US, and Malaysian production sites.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACP (Aluminium Cast Plate): Proprietary aluminium cast plate product line including ACP 5080, ACP 5080R, ACP 5080(R)S, ACP 5080(R) GIANT, ACP 5080(R) ELOXPURE, ACP 5754(R) ELOXPURE, ACP 7(R), and ACP 6000 variants.
• PLANAL

Products and services

• ACP 5080

Quantifiable outcome

• Temperature fluctuations of just 10 degrees Celsius can lead to changes in aluminium structure - alimex heat treatment controls this precisely
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TUfast Racing Team (Technical University of Munich)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Co-sponsorship since 2019. Students develop race cars for Formula Student competitions. alimex provides aluminium components that are essential parts of the racing car due to aluminium's advantages (light, high-strength, dimensionally stable, easy to work with). Dr. Philip Grothe serves as enthusiastic supporter of the collaboration.
• RWTH Aachen UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for material development and innovation in aluminium technology. Close cooperation with renowned research institutes to stay at the forefront of technological development and open up new application possibilities.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for aluminium technology development. Cooperative relationship for research and development of new alloys and annealing processes.
• Jülich Research CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for aluminium technology development. Cooperative relationship supporting innovation in aluminium processing.
• Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI)coreOthersalimex is a member of ASI in the area of production and transformation. Certified against ASI Performance Standard V3. Demonstrates commitment to responsible aluminium production considering environmental and social criteria.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Gränges: Swedish aluminum rolling company specializing in heat exchanger and specialty rolled aluminum products. Comparable as a European specialty flat-rolled aluminum producer serving industrial customers, though focused on different end-use niches.
• Norsk Hydro: Vertically integrated aluminum major producing primary metal, extrusions, and rolled products across automotive, construction, and packaging. Comparable as a broad aluminum incumbent serving industrial OEMs with flat products, but operating at vastly greater scale and commodity focus.
• Constellium: Global aluminum rolled products and extrusions producer with strong presence in aerospace, automotive, and packaging. Comparable as a large incumbent offering flat-rolled aluminum products to similar industrial customers, though much broader portfolio than alimex's specialty cast plates.
• Arconic (Howmet Aerospace): Large global aluminum and lightweight metals producer serving aerospace, automotive, and industrial markets. Comparable as an aluminum rolled and extruded products incumbent with overlapping customers in aerospace and industrial applications, though vastly larger scale.
• Speira (formerly Hydro Rolled Products): European aluminum rolling and recycling company producing flat-rolled aluminum products for automotive, packaging, and industrial applications. Comparable as a European aluminum rolled products incumbent, though focused on higher-volume commodity and automotive sheet.

Direct peers

• AMAG Austria Metall: Austrian-based aluminum specialist producing cast and rolled aluminum products, including specialty plate for aerospace, automotive, and industrial applications. Highly comparable to alimex as a mid-sized European specialty aluminum plate manufacturer serving similar high-tech customers.
• Otto Fuchs KG: German-based manufacturer of aluminum and titanium semi-finished products including forged and extruded components for aerospace and automotive. Comparable as a German Mittelstand specialty aluminum components maker serving similar high-tech industrial customers.
• Impol Group: Slovenian aluminum processor producing rolled and extruded products, including billet and special alloys. Comparable as a European specialty aluminum semi-finished products manufacturer serving industrial and automotive customers.
• Kaiser Aluminum: US-based specialty aluminum mill producing rolled, extruded, and drawn products for aerospace, automotive, and industrial markets. Comparable as a specialty aluminum plate producer serving high-tech and aerospace customers, similar mid-sized enterprise positioning.
• Leichtmetall Aluminium Giesserei Hannover: German aluminum foundry producing sand and chill cast aluminum components for aerospace, defense, and general engineering. Comparable as a German specialty aluminum casting company serving similar high-tech industrial segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/alimexgmbh
• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/alimexAluminium
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/alimex-gmbh-precision-in-aluminium

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Alimex