What Munk + Schmitz does

Munk + Schmitz Oberflächentechnik GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held German industrial manufacturer founded in 1880 in Cologne, operating in two complementary domains: industrial abrasive blasting systems and proprietary tank coating systems. Under the Problast® brand, the company designs and builds compressed-air blasting equipment including Rücksaugstrahlanlagen (closed-circuit, dust-free machines), pressure-fed and suction-fed blast machines, blast cabinets, blast rooms with waffle-floor recovery, and a range of specialized systems for rollers, wheelsets, plates, edges, tubes, cylinders, boilers, and nuclear decontamination. Under the Munkadur® brand, the company develops and supplies high-solid coating systems — Munkadur® GL for beverage tanks and Munkadur® TW Bfree for potable water tanks — formulated in-house and continuously updated for food-safety compliance.

The company generates revenue through six streams: capital equipment sales (Problast® systems and special equipment), coating product sales (Munkadur®), contract toll blasting services (Kölner Strahlservice at the Cologne site with three blast rooms up to 10 × 6 × 6 m), spare parts and wear components (with compatibility maintained for 30+ year-old systems), maintenance and service contracts, and licensing royalties from international application partners. Distribution is primarily direct, supplemented by a network of license and application partners — Landaluce (Spain/Argentina), Emplast (South Africa), and Niles Industrial Coatings (North/Central America) — who apply Munkadur® coatings to the same quality standards as headquarters. The company is DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 certified through 06.01.2029 and operates as a family-owned GmbH & Co. KG led by Managing Director Heinz-Leo Schröder, with R&D led by Dr. Peter Cierniak.

Name

Munk + Schmitz

Legal name

Munk + Schmitz Oberflächentechnik GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://munk-schmitz.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Munk + Schmitz is a German family-owned manufacturer (founded 1880, Cologne) of Problast® industrial abrasive blasting systems and Munkadur® tank coating systems, serving breweries, water utilities, metalworking, shipbuilding, railway, and nuclear clients via direct sales and international license partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Surface Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

Surface Preparation & Abrasive Blasting (Sand/Grit/Shot/Waterjet) (IMAIAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Surface Preparation Equipment (Shot Blasting, Scarifiers, Grinders) (IMAHALAL), Dust Collection & Air Filtration Equipment (Industrial) (IMAHALAF), Surface Treatment & Finishing Equipment (Coating, Plating, Deburring, Shot Blasting) (IMAHADAJ)

Keywords

• Abrasive blasting systems
• Tank lining coatings
• Industrial surface treatment
• Dust-free blasting machines
• Contract blasting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Blasting Equipment Sales: Design and manufacture of customized pressure-fed blasting systems including Problast® closed-circuit machines, blast cabinets, blast rooms, and special equipment. Equipment sales represent primary revenue stream for metalworking industry customers.
2. Munkadur® Tank Lining Coatings: Sale of proprietary Munkadur® tank coating products (GL and TW Bfree) for beverage tanks and potable water containers. Applied worldwide by own specialists or trained licensees.
3. Toll Blasting Services (Lohnstrahlen): Contract blasting services at Cologne location for customers needing surface treatment without purchasing equipment. Professional surface processing for corrosion protection preparation, derusting, or decorative finishes.
4. Spare Parts and Aftermarket: Supply of replacement parts and wear components for blasting equipment. Spare parts available from stock, including for systems operational for 30+ years due to parts compatibility.
5. Maintenance and Service: Regular maintenance services by service technicians, including inspection of blasting systems, recovery systems, and control units. Tailored service packages and maintenance agreements available.
6. Licensing Royalties: Revenue from international license partners (Landaluce, Emplast, Niles Industrial Coatings) who apply Munkadur® coatings under license in their regions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Munk + Schmitz designs, manufactures, and services industrial abrasive blasting systems (Problast® brand) — including dust-free closed-circuit, pressure-fed, and injection-fed machines, blast cabinets, blast rooms, and customized special equipment for rollers, wheelsets, plates, tubes, cylinders, boilers, and nuclear decontamination. The company also produces and applies Munkadur® high-solid tank lining coatings (GL for beverage tanks, TW Bfree for potable water tanks) and operates a Cologne-based contract blasting service (Kölner Strahlservice).

Product overview

Munk + Schmitz is an industrial surface technology company founded in 1880, offering two core product lines: (1) Industrial Abrasive Blasting Systems including Problast® Rücksaugstrahlanlagen (dust-free closed-circuit blast machines), Problast® Druckstrahlanlagen (pressure blast machines), Problast® Injektorstrahlanlagen (injection blast machines), Handstrahlkabinen (blast cabinets), Strahlräume (blast rooms), and various Spezialanlagen (special equipment) such as roller, wheelset, panel, edge, tube, cylinder, boiler, and decontamination blast machines; (2) Munkadur® Tank Lining Systems including Munkadur GL for beverage tanks and Munkadur TW Bfree for potable water tanks. The company also provides Strahlmittel (blast media) consumables and Kölner Strahlservice (contract blasting services). Products are applied worldwide by own specialist staff or specially trained licensees, with license partners in Spain/Argentina (Landaluce), South Africa (Emplast), and North America (Niles Industrial Coatings).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Problast®: Brand name for Munk + Schmitz's range of closed-circuit/dust-free blasting machines, including Rücksaugstrahlanlagen (vacuum blast machines) and pressure-fed blast machines.
• Munkadur®
• Emaillit®
• Kölner Strahlservice

Products and services

• Problast® Rücksaugstrahlanlagen (Dust-Free Closed-Circuit Blast Machines) Dust-free blast machines with closed-circuit blast media system for industrial metalworking and surface treatment. The blast media is extracted and reprocessed immediately after hitting the workpiece, maintaining abrasive quality and enabling dust-free blasting at any location.
• Problast® Druckstrahlanlagen (Pressure-Fed Blast Machines) Pressure-fed blast machines where blast media is stored in a pressure vessel and accelerated through the blast nozzle to supersonic velocity. Used for rust removal, descaling, cleaning, paint stripping, roughening, and shot peening of metalwork.
• Problast® Injektorstrahlanlagen (Injection/Suction-Fed Blast Machines) Injection-fed blast machines where blast media is drawn to the nozzle by a venturi generated within a special gun assembly. Used mainly for mattening with non-metallic media such as glass beads and aluminium oxide.
• Problast® Powerpacks Mobile power units for retrofitting existing and equipping new blasting systems, particularly special systems or blast rooms with retrofitted extraction floors (multihopper).
• Handstrahlkabinen (Blast Cabinets) Blast cabinets operated from the exterior where spent blast media is recovered via efficient reclaiming and recycled. Available in pressure-fed and injection-fed versions for industrial component cleaning.
• Strahlräume (Blast Rooms with Waffle Floor) Blast rooms with waffle floor system using pneumatic recovery without mechanical conveying systems. Suitable for foundation-free installation, large workpieces, optimal visibility, and multiple blast media switching.
• Walzenstrahlanlagen (Roller Blast Machines) Custom blast machines for rollers and cylinders used for mattening, cleaning, roughening, and creating homogeneous surfaces. Includes roller blast devices and roller blast cabinets.
• Radsatzstrahlanlagen (Wheelset Blast Machines) Blast machines for wheelsets, wheelset shafts, and wheel components. Used for roughening before coating or paint-stripping for crack detection, primarily for railway maintenance facilities.
• Portalstrahlanlagen (Panel/Plate Blast Machines) Gantry systems for dust-free blasting of flat workpieces like shipbuilding plates and press plates. Uses Problast® Rücksaugstrahlanlagen as power source.
• Kantenstrahlanlagen (Edge Blast Machines) Blast machines for processing sheet metal and profile edges, primarily used in shipbuilding for weld seam preparation.
• Rohrstrahlanlagen (Tube Blast Machines) Internal blasting systems for tubes and coils. Includes blast-through systems for IDs up to 50mm and lance blasting systems for larger diameters.
• Flaschenstrahlanlagen (Cylinder Blast Machines) Blast machines for descaling and derusting compressed gas and breathing air cylinders. Available with manual, robot, or cabinet handling.
• Boilerstrahlanlagen (Boiler Blast Machines) Internal blasting systems for boilers and water heaters used for surface preparation before wet or powder enamelling.
• Dekontstrahlanlagen (Decontamination Blast Machines) Blast systems for removing radioactive deposits and adhesions from surfaces, pipes, and workpieces in nuclear facilities.
• Munkadur® GL Tank Linings (Beverage Tanks) High-solid tank coating for maximum service life of beverage containers. Offers chemical resistance against acids, alkalis and disinfectants, food safety compliance, and long-term corrosion protection. Used in breweries, sparkling wine cellars, and bottling plants.
• Munkadur® TW Bfree Tank Linings (Potable Water Tanks) Tank coating for optimum protection of potable water tanks, physiologically harmless and compliant with drinking water regulations. Used by water management companies for drinking water storage tanks.
• Strahlmittel (Blast Media Consumables) Comprehensive range of blast media consumables including mineral (corundum, glass beads, ceramic beads), metallic (steel grit, steel shot, stainless steel), and organic (plastic, walnut shells) media. Includes Alodur® corundum distributed under Imerys contract dealer arrangement.
• Kölner Strahlservice (Contract Blasting Services) Professional contract blasting services at the Cologne location with 3 blast rooms up to 10 x 6 x 6m, offering versatile procedures and short lead times for industrial customers needing surface treatment without purchasing equipment. Covers corrosion protection preparation, derusting, and decorative finishes.

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LandalucecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicense partner for Munkadur® coatings in Spain and Argentina. Antonio Herrera serves as contact. Applies Munkadur® tank linings to the same high quality standards as Munk + Schmitz headquarters, extending market presence in Iberian and South American markets.
• EmplastcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicense partner for Munkadur® coatings in South Africa. Gilbert Theron serves as contact. Enables Munk + Schmitz to serve African beverage and water treatment markets through qualified local application partner.
• Niles Industrial CoatingscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerApplication partner for Munkadur® coatings in North and Central America (USA). Extends Munk + Schmitz market presence to North American beverage and industrial coating markets with local application capability.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vogel Industriewerk: Germany-based manufacturer of industrial blasting systems with comparable custom-engineering capabilities. Shares Munk + Schmitz's focus on special-purpose blasting equipment for industrial applications, including shot blasting and wheel/rail applications.
• Blastrac: Manufacturer of surface preparation equipment including shot blasting, grit blasting, and dust-collection systems. Overlaps with Munk + Schmitz's waffle-floor blast rooms and Problast® dust-free technology in industrial surface preparation.
• Clemco Industries: US-based manufacturer of abrasive blasting equipment, blast rooms, and blast cabinets. Directly comparable in pressure-fed and suction-blast machines, with similar specialty-equipment positioning for industrial and surface preparation customers.
• Rösler Oberflächentechnik: German-headquartered manufacturer of surface finishing and shot blasting equipment serving the same industrial customer base. Overlaps directly with Munk + Schmitz on mass finishing and abrasive blasting systems for metalworking customers, with comparable custom engineering and global presence.
• Steuler Industrial Solutions (KCH Group): German industrial coating specialist providing tank linings and corrosion protection systems for chemical, beverage, and water industries. Most direct competitor to Munkadur® GL and TW Bfree in tank lining coatings for breweries and potable water.
• Guyson International: UK-based manufacturer of blast finishing and surface preparation equipment, including suction-blast and pressure-blast systems. Competes directly with Problast® Rücksaugstrahlanlagen and pressure-fed machines in industrial surface treatment markets.
• Airblast: Global manufacturer of blasting equipment, blast rooms, and abrasive materials. Directly comparable in dust-free and conventional blasting systems serving oil & gas, marine, and industrial customers across multiple geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Wheelabrator (Noritake Surface Treatment): One of the largest global manufacturers of shot blasting and surface preparation equipment. Competes with Munk + Schmitz across metalworking, wheel, and plate blasting categories, with broader product scale and a globally diversified footprint.
• Atlas Copco (Industrial Air / Power Technique): Global industrial equipment conglomerate with broad blasting, compression, and surface preparation product lines. Competes with Munk + Schmitz at the broad-incumbent level with significant scale and R&D that could threaten the niche dust-free positioning.
• Pangborn (by Keyvest / Vimercati Group): Global manufacturer of shot blasting and surface preparation equipment with a long history comparable to Munk + Schmitz's 1880 origins. Overlaps on custom-engineered wheel, plate, and component blasting systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 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 Munk + Schmitz