Lapinus

What Lapinus does

Lapinus is a product brand under ROCKWOOL Core Solutions, a division of the publicly traded Danish parent ROCKWOOL A/S (Nasdaq Copenhagen: ROCK B). Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Roermond, Netherlands, the company develops, manufactures, and distributes engineered stone wool mineral fibres and complementary specialty raw materials for automotive friction applications, primarily brake pads used in passenger cars, trucks, trains, motorbikes, airplanes, elevators, wind turbines, and industrial equipment.

The core technology centres on high aspect ratio mineral fibres that reinforce friction materials through two documented mechanisms — an anchoring effect (short fibres forming primary and secondary plateaus) and a reservoir effect (longer fibres retaining wear debris) — that together contribute to a stable third body layer between the brake pad and rotor. This reduces wear, noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), and extends pad lifetime. The portfolio comprises Lapinus Mineral Fibres as the core product, complemented by PROMAXON-D Calcium Silicates (exclusively distributed from Promat International N.V., tolerant to 1500°C) and Heracron Aramid Pulp (exclusively distributed from Kolon Industries) for high-performance formulations. An in-house Application Development Centre with pilot plant, full-scale passenger car noise dynamometer and Krauss testing equipment supports customer formulation development.

Lapinus operates as a B2B industrial raw materials supplier using a hybrid go-to-market model: direct enterprise sales from ROCKWOOL Core Solutions headquarters in Hedehusene, Denmark, combined with an exclusive regional distributor network spanning 15 countries (including China, Italy, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, and others). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The customer base targets friction material manufacturers as the primary segment and automotive OEMs and brake system manufacturers as a secondary segment, with explicit positioning for electric and hybrid vehicle brake systems and Euro 7 regulatory compliance.

Name

Lapinus

Legal name

ROCKWOOL A/S

Website

https://lapinus.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lapinus, a brand of ROCKWOOL Core Solutions, develops and distributes engineered stone wool mineral fibres and complementary specialty materials (PROMAXON-D, Heracron) for automotive friction material manufacturers serving brake pad producers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Friction Materials

NAICS

Mineral Wool Manufacturing (327993)

akta.pro primary industry

Composite Reinforcement Textiles (Carbon/Glass/Aramid Fabrics & Preforms) (IMAOADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Calcium Silicate Bricks & Blocks (IMADABAD)

Keywords

• Mineral fibres automotive
• Friction materials
• Brake pad reinforcement
• Stone wool fibres
• Automotive raw materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Roermond

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mineral Fibre Raw Materials: B2B sale of mineral fibre raw materials to friction material manufacturers and brake pad producers. Products include Lapinus mineral fibres, PROMAXON-D calcium silicates, and Heracron aramid pulp sold directly to automotive brake pad manufacturers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lapinus develops, manufactures, and distributes stone wool mineral fibre products used as reinforcement ingredients in automotive friction materials such as brake pads, brake linings, and friction paper. Its high aspect ratio mineral fibres play an active role in forming the third body layer between pad and rotor, reducing wear, noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) and extending pad lifetime. The portfolio is complemented by PROMAXON-D calcium silicates for high-temperature porosity control and Heracron aramid pulp for mechanical bonding.

Product overview

ROCKWOOL Core Solutions offers a portfolio of mineral fibre products for the automotive friction industry under the Lapinus® brand. The core offering is Lapinus® Mineral Fibres, which provide reinforcement for friction materials used in brake pads. This core product is complemented by PROMAXON®-D Calcium Silicates for high-temperature porosity control (withstands up to 1500°C) and Heracron® Aramid Pulp for mechanical bonding enhancement. Together, these products enable safe and comfortable braking by reducing wear, noise, vibration, and harshness while maintaining stable friction behaviour and extended pad lifetime.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lapinus®: Premium quality mineral fibres brand for the friction industry, offering stone wool fibres that reinforce friction materials in brake pads.

Products and services

• Lapinus® Mineral Fibres High aspect ratio stone wool mineral fibres that reinforce friction materials in automotive braking systems by contributing to the formation of a third body layer. Sold to friction material manufacturers for use in brake pads, brake linings, and friction paper for passenger cars, trucks, trains, motorbikes, airplanes, elevators, wind turbines, and industrial equipment.
• PROMAXON®-D Calcium Silicates
• Heracron® Aramid Pulp

Quantifiable outcome

• Stable friction behaviour and extended pad lifetime through third body layer formation

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Promat International N.V.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPromat International N.V. produces PROMAXON-D Calcium Silicates which is exclusively represented by ROCKWOOL Core Solutions in the friction industry. PROMAXON-D features unique spherical, porous morphology with needled cavity structure and withstands temperatures up to 1500°C.
• Kolon IndustriescoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKolon Industries produces Heracron Aramid Pulp - high-tenacity, fibrillated aramid fibres for high-performance brake pads. Distributed exclusively through ROCKWOOL Core Solutions, these fibres improve mechanical bonding within friction materials.
• Shanghai Briway Technology Co., Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres and friction material solutions in China.
• Itaprochim S.p.A.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres in Italy.
• Risus Ventures (OPC) Pvt. Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres in India.
• P.T. Seroja BumipersadaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres in Indonesia.
• Aichi Sangyo Co. Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres in Japan.
• WMC ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres in Malaysia.
• DMK Mexico S.A. de C.V.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres in Mexico.
• Introtech ccminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres in South Africa.
• Dure CorporationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres in South Korea.
• Keiron Chemicals SLminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres in Spain.
• Heptatech Co. Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres in Taiwan.
• ACME InternationalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres in Thailand and Vietnam.
• Kempro Kimyasal Mad. Ve. Dis Tic. Tld. Sti.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres in Turkey.
• Bang & BonsomerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor of Lapinus mineral fibres in Ukraine.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Promat International: Producer of PROMAXON-D calcium silicates and high-temperature insulation products. Strategic supplier-partner to Lapinus (and a competitor's potential source for the same chemistries); comparable in advanced calcium-silicate materials relevant to friction and high-temperature applications.

Broad incumbents

• 3M: Diversified industrial materials company supplying abrasive and reinforcement materials into friction and automotive applications. Comparable as a deep-R&D, global-distribution incumbent whose materials touch friction-formulation value chains.
• Johns Manville: Berkshire Hathaway-owned manufacturer of mineral wool insulation and engineered products. Comparable as a stone-wool/mineral-fibre producer with similar upstream process know-how, although its portfolio skews toward building and industrial insulation.
• Knauf Insulation: Major mineral wool insulation producer with deep stone-wool manufacturing capability. Comparable in raw mineral-wool production technology and parent-company scale (like ROCKWOOL), though focused on building insulation rather than friction applications.
• Owens Corning: Major insulation and composites producer with mineral wool/fibreglass capabilities. Comparable as a fibre-reinforcement materials manufacturer serving industrial and automotive end-markets, though with a much broader product mix.
• Saint-Gobain (Isover): Global building-materials group with Isover as its mineral wool brand. Comparable as a large-scale mineral wool manufacturer with R&D resources that could credibly enter friction-grade fibre applications.

Regional players

• Brembo: Premium brake-system and disc-brake manufacturer with proprietary pad formulations. Downstream comparable — uses Lapinus-type fibres in its friction formulations — illustrating the customer-side technology direction Lapinus must serve.

Emerging players

• Trelleborg: Engineered polymer and fibre solutions provider serving automotive, industrial and aerospace markets. Comparable as a specialty engineered-materials supplier with potential overlap in friction reinforcement and NVH components.
• Morgan Advanced Materials: Manufacturer of technical ceramics and advanced materials including components used in friction, thermal and wear applications. Comparable as a high-temperature, engineered-material supplier serving brake-system and industrial customers.

Direct peers

• Unifrax: Specialty high-temperature and fibrous insulation products including fibres used in friction and automotive applications. Closest direct comparable to Lapinus in engineered mineral/specialty fibres for friction materials, with overlapping customer base of brake-pad manufacturers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Lapinus