SAE Schaltanlagenbau Erfurt

What SAE Schaltanlagenbau Erfurt does

SAE Schaltanlagenbau Erfurt GmbH is a privately held German industrial manufacturer specializing in custom control panels, enclosures, and surface coating services for the automation, machine-building, and plant-engineering sectors. Founded in 1948 in Erfurt, Thuringia, the company operates a 30,000 m² production facility with 20,000 m² dedicated to control cabinet assembly, employing 180-200 people. Its core offering is an integrated four-division portfolio: Steuerungsbau (control system manufacturing for individual and series production), Gehäusebau (enclosure manufacturing in steel and stainless steel including welding), Beschichten (automated powder coating, wet painting, and 2-component seal foaming offered as contract services), and Engineering (CE-to-UL conversion, hardware/software engineering, prototyping, and testing with in-house Prüffeld capable of high-voltage testing up to 5kV/7.5kV AC/DC). The company distinguishes itself through combined single-source delivery — enclosures are manufactured, coated, equipped, and tested in-house — with 75% of control cabinets delivered with pre-wired external cabling for plug-and-play machine integration.

The company's go-to-market is B2B direct sales led by an enterprise field sales team targeting industrial OEMs across machine building, automotive, food and beverage, rail, and renewable energy. Manufacturing is project-based and quote-driven, with no public price list; revenue is generated through one-time custom orders plus engineering and contract coating services. SAE holds critical regulatory certifications including UL508A/cUL for North American markets (with quarterly UL International Germany GmbH factory inspections), CE marking, ISO 9001:2015 (renewed through 2027), and EN 15085-2 for rail vehicle welding. The company leverages a deep supplier ecosystem — Eaton, Schneider Electric, WAGO, Beckhoff, Rittal, Striebel & John, Weidmüller, Lapp Kabel, and others — and has operated an independent Hungarian subsidiary (SAE Kft.) since 2007. Independent since a 2004 management buy-out from the Moeller Group, SAE is led by managing directors Sandra Köditz and Steve Kühleis, with no institutional or private equity ownership disclosed.

Name

SAE Schaltanlagenbau Erfurt

Legal name

SAE Schaltanlagenbau Erfurt GmbH

Website

https://sae-erfurt.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SAE Schaltanlagenbau Erfurt is a German Mittelstand manufacturer of custom control panels, enclosures, and surface coating services for industrial automation, machine building, rail, and renewable energy OEMs, with integrated engineering and UL508A-certified North American market capabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Control Systems Manufacturing

NAICS

Switchgear and Switchboard Apparatus Manufacturing (335313)

SIC

Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Control Panels & Enclosures (Panel Building, MCCs, Integration) (IMAGABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial Control Cabinets & Power Distribution (Panels, Switchgear for Automation) (IMAHAHAK)

Keywords

• Control panel manufacturing
• Switchgear systems
• Custom enclosures fabrication
• UL508A certified manufacturing
• Industrial automation engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Erfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Control Panel Manufacturing: Custom manufacturing of control panels and automation systems for machines and plants. Products include individual and series controls, fully assembled and wired control cabinets delivered as plug-and-play units with pre-wired external cabling. Revenue generated through project-based manufacturing orders.
2. Enclosure/ Housing Manufacturing: Custom enclosure manufacturing including special cabinets, operator panels, cladding parts in standard and special designs from steel and stainless steel. Also includes modification of standard cabinets (e.g., Rittal) to customer specifications.
3. Surface Coating Services (Powder Coating): Powverbeschichtung (powder coating) as pure contract service (Lohnleistung). Components processed through automated system with color specifications per customer requirements.
4. Contract Coating Services: Sealing foam and wet painting services offered as separate labor-only services to external customers.
5. Engineering Services: Engineering services including UL conversion (CE to UL/cUL/CSA), hardware engineering with EPLAN P8, mechanical engineering with Autodesk Inventor, prototyping, and after-sales support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SAE Schaltanlagenbau Erfurt is a manufacturer of switchgear, control systems, and custom enclosures for industrial automation, machine building, and plant construction. The company delivers individual and series control panels with integrated engineering, custom enclosures in steel and stainless steel, in-house surface coating (powder coating, wet painting, seal foaming), and UL508A-certified manufacturing for North American markets — providing a complete from-design-to-tested-product service for industrial customers.

Product overview

SAE Schaltanlagenbau Erfurt is a specialist provider of control systems and enclosures (Schaltschrankbau) offering an integrated four-division portfolio: Steuerungsbau (control system manufacturing), Gehäusebau (enclosure/ cabinet manufacturing), Beschichten (surface coating services), and Engineering (design and UL certification). The company provides individual and series control systems with integrated wiring, custom and standard enclosures in steel and stainless steel, powder coating and wet painting as contract services, seal foaming, and specialized UL508A/NFPA79 engineering for North American markets. Its offerings are coordinated across divisions — enclosures are manufactured and coated in-house, then equipped with control systems and tested in the company's own testing field — providing a complete from-construction-to-tested-product service for industrial automation customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Steuerungsbau (Control Systems Manufacturing) Construction and manufacturing of individual and series control systems for machines, processes, energy and automation plants. Includes complete electrical construction, wiring, testing, cable confectioning and external wiring delivered as plug-and-play units for machine and plant builders.
• Gehäusebau (Enclosure Manufacturing) Custom enclosure and cabinet manufacturing in standard and special forms from steel or stainless steel, including modification of standard enclosures (e.g., Rittal) with corrosion protection and surface finishing. Includes MAG welding, spot welding robots, corner welding automatons, stud welding equipment, and stainless steel welding for distribution cabinets.
• UL-zertifiziertes Schrankgehäuse (UL-Certified Cabinet Enclosure) UL-certified cabinet enclosure for North American and Canadian markets. Part of the Gehäusebau portfolio with integrated UL508A compliance to enable export of standard enclosure solutions for machine builders.
• Pulverbeschichten (Powder Coating Contract Service) Automated circulating powder coating system with 4-zone pretreatment (degreasement, rinsing, DI rinsing, iron phosphatizing) handling parts up to 3000x1200x800 mm and 150 kg per piece. Offered both in-house for SAE enclosures and as a pure contract service (Lohnleistung) to external customers with custom color specifications.
• Nasslackierung (Wet Painting) Wet painting of surfaces including primers, fillers, and sanding, producing high-gloss finishes for decorative machine builder requirements, with integrated screen printing capability.
• Dichtungsschäumen (Seal Foaming Contract Service) 2-component foam sealing application for panel and cabinet sealing to achieve IP protection classes. Seal dimensions from 5x3 to 25x12 mm, temperature resistance from -40°C to +80°C (briefly 160°C). Offered as a contract service (Lohnleistung) to external customers.
• Engineering Services Engineering services including CE to UL/cUL/CSA conversion, hardware engineering with EPLAN P8/EB Engineering Base/ElCad, software engineering with visualization, mechanical engineering with Autodesk Inventor, prototype construction, and UL labeling authority for industrial control panels.
• UL508A / NFPA79 Manufacturing Design and manufacture of UL- and cUL-approved control panels for the North American and Canadian markets, including conversion of CE-standard systems to UL508A/NFPA79 requirements, with quarterly factory inspections by UL International Germany GmbH.
• Prototypenbau (Prototype Construction) Prototype construction of control panels, functional test rigs, and test stands, including cable length determination, wiring lists, and transition to series production status.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% of control cabinets delivered with external cabling pre-wired
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Striebel & JohncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Leading manufacturer of energy distribution systems. Since mid-2009, SAE cooperates with Striebel & John in stainless steel distribution cabinets. SAE builds and sells the stainless steel version of Striebel & John's proven wall and standing cabinets for distribution engineering. SAE also handles module customization with standard components.
• EatoncoreTechnology or IntegrationEaton is a world leader in electrical systems and components for power distribution and control. SAE works closely with Eaton for UL508A conversion projects, particularly for electrical components and solutions for the North American market.
• Schneider ElectriccoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal specialist in energy management and automation solutions. Schneider Electric products are used in SAE's control panel manufacturing.
• WAGOcoreTechnology or IntegrationInternational leading provider of electrical connection and automation technology. WAGO components are used in SAE's control panel manufacturing.
• BeckhoffcoreTechnology or IntegrationRealizes open automation systems based on PC-based control technology. Products include industrial PCs, I/O components, drive technology, and automation software.
• RittalcoreTechnology or IntegrationWorld-leading system provider for control cabinets, power distribution, climate control, IT infrastructure. SAE modifies and customizes Rittal standard cabinets to customer specifications.
• Schkeuditzer Metallveredelung GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCooperation partner for galvanic coatings (zinc plating). SAE coordinates through this partner for electroplating services.
• Autodesk (Inventor)coreTechnology or Integration3D construction and simulation software used in SAE's design department for custom enclosure and control cabinet design.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hensel Electric: German manufacturer of low-voltage distribution boards, cable junction boxes, and enclosure systems for industrial and infrastructure applications. Closely comparable as a Mittelstand electrical enclosure and distribution specialist.
• Rittal: World-leading manufacturer of control cabinets, enclosures, and power distribution systems. Rittal is SAE's core enclosure supplier whose standard cabinets SAE routinely modifies and customizes — making it the closest direct comparable on enclosure-building and panel integration.
• Striebel & John: Leading manufacturer of energy distribution systems and a long-standing SAE partner for stainless steel distribution cabinets. Directly comparable in wall and standing distribution cabinet production for industrial and infrastructure customers.
• Weidmüller: Provider of electrical connectivity, transmission, and conversion solutions for industrial environments. Directly comparable as a control cabinet component and assembly specialist serving similar industrial OEM and machine-builder customers.
• Beckhoff Automation: PC-based automation specialist offering industrial PCs, I/O, drives, and automation software used in SAE's control panel builds. Directly comparable in industrial automation integration serving machine builders and plant engineers.
• Spelsberg: German specialist manufacturer of electrical enclosures, junction boxes, and distribution cabinets. Closely comparable as a Mittelstand enclosure and cabinet producer serving industrial and building electrical customers.
• WAGO: International provider of electrical interconnection and automation technology whose components are integrated into SAE control panels. Comparable as a supplier into the same industrial automation and control cabinet value chain.

Broad incumbents

• Eaton: Global power management company providing electrical components, power distribution, and control assemblies. Both a Core SAE partner for UL conversion projects and a competitor in the industrial control panel and switchgear market.
• Schneider Electric: Global energy management and automation specialist whose components populate SAE-built panels. Competes with SAE in industrial control cabinet assembly while simultaneously serving as a key component supplier.
• nVent Hoffman: Global enclosure and electrical connection solutions provider serving industrial customers. Directly comparable as an enclosure manufacturer but at significantly larger scale and with broader portfolio breadth than SAE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 SAE Schaltanlagenbau Erfurt