J. Zimmer Maschinenbau

What J. Zimmer Maschinenbau does

J. Zimmer Maschinenbau, operating commercially as Zimmer Austria, is an Austrian industrial machinery manufacturer specializing in custom-engineered printing, coating, and finishing equipment for the global textile and carpet industries. Founded in 1874 (with origins referenced to 1870), the company operates two specialized production sites: Kufstein (headquarters and digital printing systems including the COLARIS inkjet platform and CHROMOJET spot-color printers) and Klagenfurt (screen printing and modular coating systems, including ROTASCREEN, MAGNOPRINT, and MAGNOROLL). Its principal proprietary technology is the trademarked MAGNET SYSTEM PLUS magnetic roll-rod system, which delivers uniform application across working widths exceeding five meters. The product offering also includes hot-air drying and steaming lines under the MODUS brand with THERMOCURE heat-treatment technology, secondary backing and PVC back-coating systems for carpets, and complementary finishing equipment.

The business model rests on four revenue streams: (1) one-time capital-equipment sales of custom-built, project-priced machinery (working widths 1,650–5,200 mm, up to 24 printing stations, modular configurations); (2) recurring spare-parts supply (printheads, magnet bars, screens, wear components) from a central Klagenfurt warehouse and decentralized stocks; (3) professional lifecycle services (installation, commissioning, training, preventive maintenance, remote service, software upgrades, plus the Printhead Re-Condition Center for FUJIFILM Dimatix Starfire printheads); and (4) contract manufacturing (CNC machining, welding, sheet metal, assembly, surface treatments) for external customers in mechanical engineering, packaging, forestry technology, and additive manufacturing from both sites. Go-to-market is exclusively direct enterprise field sales from Kufstein and Klagenfurt, targeting industrial manufacturers across ten documented segments: carpets and flooring (primary), home textiles, apparel and fashion, terry products, pile fabrics, technical textiles (Buildtech, Clothtech, Hometech, Agrotech, Geotech, Mobiltech, Packtech, Protech, Sportech), military and defense, nonwovens, glass fibre, and paper and foil. Pricing is opaque and project-quoted based on configuration, working width, station count, and customization.

The company is controlled by the Johannes Zimmer Private Foundation via the holding company Johannes Zimmer Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs GmbH (95% in J. Zimmer Maschinenbau Gesellschaft mbH; the remaining 5% held by managing director Ing. Anton Naschberger). Management includes three managing directors (Dr. Jörg Schönbacher, Ing. Anton Naschberger, Dr. Gerhard Fresacher) plus site-level authorized representatives at Kufstein (Thomas Mentler, Andreas Raß) and Klagenfurt (Horst Ros, Jürgen Scheriau). The company reports 5,100+ machines operating globally across 2,690+ customers and claims 100% global market leadership in digital printing machines for carpets and heavy textiles. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

J. Zimmer Maschinenbau

Legal name

J. Zimmer Maschinenbau Gesellschaft mbH

Website

https://zimmer-austria.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1870

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

J. Zimmer Maschinenbau (Zimmer Austria) is an Austrian industrial machinery manufacturer of custom digital and screen printing, coating, and finishing equipment for global textile and carpet manufacturers, anchored by its proprietary MAGNET SYSTEM PLUS technology and a 5,100+ machine installed base worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Klagenfurt

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Machinery Sales: Sale of custom industrial printing and coating machinery including digital printing systems (COLARIS, CHROMOJET), screen printing machines (ROTASCREEN, MAGNOPRINT), coating lines (MAGNOROLL), and finishing equipment. Machines are custom-designed and built to customer specifications with pricing based on configuration, size, and complexity.
2. Spare Parts Supply: Supply of original spare parts from central warehouse in Klagenfurt and multiple decentralized stocks for fast delivery. Parts include printheads, magnet bars, roll rods, screens, and wear components.
3. Service and Maintenance: Comprehensive lifecycle support including installation, commissioning, staff training, preventive maintenance, remote service support, and software upgrades to ensure maximum machine availability throughout equipment lifecycle.
4. Contract Manufacturing: Precision contract manufacturing services from both Kufstein and Klagenfurt locations including CNC machining, welding, sheet metal work, assembly, and surface treatments for external customers in mechanical engineering, packaging, forestry technology, and additive manufacturing industries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

J. Zimmer Maschinenbau (trading as Zimmer Austria) designs, manufactures, and services industrial machinery for the textile and carpet industry. Its portfolio covers digital printing systems (COLARIS, CHROMOJET), rotary and flat screen printing machines (ROTASCREEN, MAGNOPRINT), modular coating lines (MAGNOROLL), and finishing equipment such as dryers and steamers (MODUS, THERMOCURE), all unified by the proprietary MAGNET SYSTEM PLUS roll rod technology. Machines are custom-engineered at two Austrian production sites in Kufstein (digital printing) and Klagenfurt (screen printing and coating).

Product overview

J. Zimmer Maschinenbau (Zimmer Austria) delivers a comprehensive portfolio of textile and carpet printing, coating, and finishing solutions through two main production sites: Kufstein (digital printing) and Klagenfurt (screen printing and coating). The product portfolio centers on three technology pillars: Digital Printing systems (COLARIS inkjet printers with FUJIFILM Dimatix Starfire technology and CHROMOJET spot color systems for carpets), Screen Printing equipment (ROTASCREEN TG/TU and RSDM V rotary screen printers, MAGNOPRINT flat screen printers, ROTASCREEN MIDI-II for sampling, and STR System WENK for screen maintenance), and Coating Systems (MAGNOROLL multipurpose coating machines with interchangeable MAGNOKNIFE, MAGNOJET, and VARIOPRESS modules, plus MAGNET SYSTEM PLUS patented uniform application technology). The offering is complemented by finishing solutions (MODUS/MODUS.MIDI dryers and steamers with THERMOCURE technology), secondary backing and PVC back-coating systems for carpets, and comprehensive services including contract manufacturing, Technology Centers for R&D and sampling, and Lifecycle Support with global field service and Printhead Re-Condition Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• COLARIS: Digital inkjet printer technology for textiles and carpets
• CHROMOJET
• ROTASCREEN
• MAGNOPRINT
• MAGNOROLL
• MODUS
• THERMOCURE
• MAGNET SYSTEM PLUS
• ZIMMER Academy

Products and services

• COLARIS Digital inkjet textile printer featuring FUJIFILM Dimatix Starfire printheads with permanent ink circulation and an open ink system compatible with reactive, acid, disperse, and pigment inks. Designed for high-performance printing on woven, knitted, nonwoven fabrics, carpets, and technical fabrics with modular configurations supporting up to 72 printheads.
• CHROMOJET High-volume digital spot color printing system for tufted and woven carpets, delivering deep ink penetration and brilliant long-lasting color. CHR400 offers 1,280 jets per color; CHR800 offers 1,024 jets per color at 76 dpi, with production speeds up to 7 m/min.
• ROTASCREEN TG/TU Rotary screen printing machine with MAGNET SYSTEM PLUS Roll Rod Technology reaching speeds up to 120 m/min. TG version features a closed bearing system for durability; TU version has an open bearing system for fast, safe setup. Repeat sizes from 64-102 cm and widths from 1,650-3,300 mm.
• ROTASCREEN RSDM V Compact rotary screen printing machine with V-Type open bearing print head, digital panel, and MAGNET SYSTEM PLUS for uniform color application at speeds up to 120 m/min.
• MAGNOPRINT Flat screen printing machine for all textile fabrics with individually adjustable repeat length, speed, squeegee strokes, and magnetic power per station. Printing widths from 165-330 cm, up to 24 stations, speeds up to 30 m/min, repeat lengths from 60-600 cm.
• ROTASCREEN MIDI-II Compact sampling and laboratory rotary screen printing system for creating perfect printing samples before production. Widths 165-330 cm, 1-2 printing stations, repeat size 64-102 cm.
• STR System WENK High-pressure rotary screen stripping and ironing machine that removes photoresist lacquer from screen sleeves for up to 20 recoats and smooths wrinkles and creases to restore sleeves to near-new condition.
• MAGNOROLL Multipurpose modular coating machine combining knife coating, screen printing/coating, magnet roll coating, slot foam/paste coating, and VARIOPRESS foam application. Swappable coating modules are exchanged in just a few steps, with ATEX-certified equipment available for explosive or solvent-based environments.
• Secondary Backing & Lamination Systems Carpet finishing solutions including embossed latex gel-foam, latex action back, fleece/felt backing, and PVC with glass fiber fleece for enhanced stability, comfort, and durability of carpet tiles, broadloom, and runners.
• PVC Back-Coating Systems Carpet backing systems for mats and tiles with options for PVC paste-dot coating, fiberglass mesh, and fleece lamination to provide dimensional stability.
• MODUS / MODUS.MIDI Hot-air nozzle dryers and loop steamers featuring THERMOCURE technology for flawless drying and dye fixation on printed and dyed fabric qualities.
• Printhead Re-Condition Center In-house service for restoration and maintenance of FUJIFILM Dimatix Starfire printheads used in COLARIS digital printing systems.
• Contract Manufacturing Precision contract manufacturing services at Kufstein (CNC machining, sheet metal work, assembly, surface treatments) and Klagenfurt (welded structures, modules, surface treatments) for external customers in mechanical engineering, packaging, forestry technology, and additive manufacturing industries.
• Technology Center Services R&D, sampling, and process development facilities in both Kufstein and Klagenfurt for product development, application testing, and customer training, equipped with COLARIS Multi-Lab Printers, CHROMOJET systems, and finishing lines.
• Lifecycle Support Comprehensive after-sales support including installation, commissioning, staff training, preventive maintenance, spare parts supply, remote service, and software support for installed machines worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,100 machines operating globally
• +3 more outcomes

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Baldwin Technology: US-headquartered supplier of textile finishing technologies including spray and coating systems (Baldwin/Jemtex). Baldwin overlaps with Zimmer's MAGNOROLL coating business for technical textiles and finishing lines, representing a focused emerging competitor in the coating subsystem category.
• Xeikon (Flint Group): Digital production printing press manufacturer (now part of Flint Group) with activity in décor, wallpaper, and label printing applications. Xeikon overlaps with Zimmer's paper, foil, and wall-covering digital print offerings in adjacent industrial print segments.

Direct peers

• SPGPrints: Dutch-based specialist in rotary screen and digital inkjet printing machinery for the textile industry. SPGPrints is the most direct competitor to Zimmer Austria, with overlapping product lines in rotary screen printing, digital textile printing (PIKE), and engraving systems serving similar carpet and apparel textile customers worldwide.
• EFI Reggiani: Italian manufacturer of industrial digital inkjet printers for textiles, now part of Kornit Digital's portfolio. Reggiani's textile digital printers (e.g., BOLT, COLORS) directly compete with Zimmer's COLARIS and CHROMOJET systems in digital textile and carpet printing for similar industrial customers.
• Durst Group: Italian-headquartered manufacturer of industrial inkjet printing systems with a growing presence in textile and décor printing (Alpha series). Durst competes with Zimmer in digital industrial printing for textiles, wall coverings, and similar substrates, and shares a comparable OEM-led, capital-equipment business model.
• MS Printing Solutions: Italian manufacturer of digital inkjet printers for textiles (now part of the SPGPrints group). MS's direct-to-fabric and pigment inkjet systems overlap with Zimmer's COLARIS offering for apparel, home textile, and similar industrial textile printing customers.

Broad incumbents

• HP (Industrial Print): Hewlett-Packard's industrial printing division produces large-format and industrial inkjet systems with growing footprint in textile and décor applications. HP's scale, R&D, and PageWide/Tango-like platforms compete with Zimmer for industrial digital textile printing capex at very large enterprise customers.
• Mimaki Engineering: Japanese manufacturer of inkjet printers, cutting plotters, and digital printing systems with a textile and apparel printing product line. Mimaki competes with Zimmer in smaller-scale and sample-level digital textile printing, though its positioning skews toward mid-market rather than Zimmer's heavy-industrial installations.
• Kornit Digital: Israeli-headquartered, publicly traded leader in digital direct-to-garment (DTG) and roll-to-roll textile printing. While Kornit's center of gravity is apparel DTG rather than Zimmer's carpet and heavy-textile focus, its scale, software ecosystem, and integration of Reggiani position it as a broader incumbent competing for adjacent textile-printing budgets.
• Epson (Robotics / Industrial Printing): Japanese technology conglomerate with industrial digital printing (PrecisionCore, Monna Lisa) relevant to textile and décor printing. Epson's Monna Lisa digital textile press competes with Zimmer's COLARIS in apparel and home-textile applications, leveraging a far larger parent balance sheet and broader software ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zimmer-austria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 J. Zimmer Maschinenbau