Elkom

What Elkom does

ELKOM-Elektroheizplatten-Technik GmbH, founded in 1981 and headquartered in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, is a privately held German industrial manufacturer specialising in custom heating, cooling and vacuum technologies. The company designs and produces electric and fluid-medium heating platens (including its patented ÖKOTHERM® system with ±1°C temperature accuracy), heating and cooling tables (such as VAKUTHERM vacuum presses), electric heating bars and preheating stations (MIKUTHERM and MULTITHERM® lines). Custom products are built to customer specification, with power ratings from 100 to 100,000 W, voltages up to 690V and platen lengths up to 8 metres, supported by in-house 5-axis CNC machining of aluminium platens and a test lab and training centre.

The business model blends custom hardware sales with project-based professional services: equipment is sold on a quote basis (no public pricing), standard items are dispatched within 2-3 weeks, and complementary services include a 24-hour express repair programme, on-site platen replacement, CNC machining services and feasibility/CAD engineering. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales direct to industrial buyers in trades/woodworking, aerospace (e.g., Wulfmeyer Aircraft), door systems (Rodenberg Türsysteme AG), automotive suppliers and European museums for art restoration, supplemented by trade-fair presence at LIGNA and JEC World and a wholly-owned North American subsidiary (ELKOM North America, Inc., Manalapan, NJ) plus a partner network across Europe and the USA. Reported scale is 11-50 employees and over 100,000 systems installed worldwide.

In 2024 the firm modernised its CNC capacity with an MKM uni_Portal 16/60 RO machining centre; in 2025 it executed a generational leadership change (Nils Uphoff and Marcel Kölling succeeding Angelika Uphoff as Managing Directors), launched a new brand identity at LIGNA 2025, opened Instagram and LinkedIn channels, and announced JEC World 2026 participation in Paris to extend into the composites vertical.

Name

Elkom

Legal name

ELKOM-Elektroheizplatten-Technik GmbH

Website

https://elkom.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ELKOM designs and manufactures custom industrial heating, cooling, and vacuum technologies including heating platens, cooling tables, vacuum presses, and preheating stations. The German privately held firm serves manufacturers in woodworking, aerospace, automotive, composites, and materials processing, with over 100,000 systems installed worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Heating Equipment

NAICS

Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414)

SIC

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567)

akta.pro primary industry

Boilers, Furnaces & Process Heating Equipment (IMAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Heat Transfer Equipment (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers) (IMAHAEAC), Thermoforming Machinery & Automation (IMANAHAK)

Keywords

• Industrial heating platens
• Cooling platens
• Vacuum press systems
• Thermoforming equipment
• Veneer press heating

Headquarters

HQ city

Bad Oeynhausen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Heating/Cooling Equipment Sales: Sale of custom heating platens, cooling platens, heating/cooling tables, electric heating bars, and preheating stations. Products are tailored to customer specifications with varying power ratings (100-100,000 W), voltages (up to 690V standard), and dimensions (up to 8 meters in length).
2. Express Repair Services: 24-hour express repair service for heating platens including third-party systems. On-site replacement services for veneer press heating platens completed within a single day.
3. CNC Machining/Processing Services: Precision CNC machining of aluminium platens up to 8 metres in length for customer-specific requirements. Includes milling, drilling, chamfering, and thread cutting services.
4. Custom Project Development: Development of customized heating solutions from initial consultation through to commissioning. Includes feasibility testing, CAD planning, and process validation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ELKOM designs, manufactures, and services industrial heating platens, cooling platens, heating/cooling tables, electric heating bars, and preheating stations for manufacturing processes. Its proprietary ÖKOTHERM® fluid-medium heating platen technology and VAKUTHERM vacuum press systems serve woodworking, aerospace, automotive, and composites industries. The company also provides CNC machining, express repair, and custom engineering services.

Product overview

ELKOM is a manufacturer of industrial heating, cooling, and vacuum technologies with over 40 years of experience. Their product portfolio consists of four main product families: (1) Heating & Cooling Platens including Combined Electrical, Electro-short Cycle, System Profile, Dual-system, and ÖKOTHERM® Fluid Medium types; (2) Heating & Cooling Tables including VAKUTHERM vacuum presses and standard tables; (3) Electric Heating Bars (EST model); and (4) Preheating Stations including MIKUTHERM Junior, MIKUTHERM Optimal, MULTITHERM® Basic, and MULTIHERM® Automatic. These products are complemented by services including CNC machining, express repair service, and a test lab & training centre. All products are manufactured in Germany using aluminium with materials sourced from Germany and the EU.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Combined Electrical Heating Platen (Elektro-Kombi-Heizplatte) Pressure-resistant electrical heating platen system compatible with all common veneer press brands (Bürkle, Felder, Höfer, Italpresse, Joos, Langzauner, OMC, Orma, Ott, SMC, Wieder). Designed for retrofitting older presses with quick operating temperature reach and easy operation for trades and woodworking manufacturers.
• Electro-Short Cycle Heating Platen (Elektro-Kurztakt-Heizplatte) Specialized electronic-control heating platen enabling short-cycle pressing at 130°C with double pressing capacity, boosting veneer output by up to 100% on standard and through-feed presses. Targets wood-processing manufacturers seeking higher throughput.
• Electrical System Profile Heating Platen (Elektro-Systemprofil-Heizplatte) Extremely pressure-resistant surface heating platen with increased heat storage capacity for improved temperature stability in solid wood lamination, panel bonding, and heated casting tables. Targets joinery, wood component, and panel manufacturers.
• Dual-System Heating Platen (Dualsystem-Heizplatte) Hybrid heating platen combining electric and fluid-medium heating based on patented ÖKOTHERM® technology. Maintenance-free, corrosion-resistant, designed for membrane presses, vacuum presses, moulding presses, and punching presses. Targets industrial press operators seeking energy cost savings.
• ÖKOTHERM® Fluid Medium Heating Platen Patented fluid-medium heating platen delivering consistent temperature distribution of ±1°C across the entire surface via continuously circulating pressurized medium. Corrosion- and wear-resistant, repairable, and adaptable for both heating and cooling. Serves aerospace, industrial, and composites manufacturers requiring high precision.
• VAKUTHERM Vacuum Press Premium vacuum press for industry and trades with integrated high-performance vacuum pump and reservoir tank. Used for thermoplastics, solid surface materials (Corian®, Hi-Macs®, Staron®), acrylic and composite components, coatings, veneer mouldings, gluing, and thermoforming processes. Targets industrial thermoforming and composite fabricators.
• Heating/Cooling Tables (Heiz-/Kühltische) Robust, durable, low-maintenance temperature-controlled tables with stable steel construction and central control of all main functions. Flexible for controlling temperatures across a wide range of materials, ideal for plastic cast parts and mould heating in industrial applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 100% increase in veneer output on standard presses using electro-short cycle heating platens
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Partner Network (Europe & USA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrong partner network across Europe and the USA supporting international distribution and service capabilities. ELKOM operates with international presence in North America, France, and partner networks throughout Europe and the USA.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Glenro: US industrial process heating equipment manufacturer with specialization in industrial ovens, heaters, and custom thermal systems. Comparable custom-engineering business model serving industrial manufacturing customers.
• Hotset: German specialist in industrial heating elements, heating cartridges, and hot runner systems for plastics processing. Adjacent product overlap with ELKOM's electric heating bars and preheating stations.
• Italpresse: Italian manufacturer of presses for the wood, plastics, and composites industries. Named by ELKOM as a compatible press partner and serves overlapping customers in thermoforming and laminating applications.
• Joos: German press manufacturer for the wood and laminating industry. Directly comparable to ELKOM as a system supplier into the woodworking trades segment where ELKOM's platens are specified.
• Langzauner: Austrian press manufacturer serving the wood, plastics, and composites industries. Comparable to ELKOM in serving industrial customers requiring custom temperature-controlled pressing solutions across DACH.
• Bürkle: German manufacturer of press systems for the wood and surface finishing industries. Bürkle presses use ELKOM-compatible heating platens and represent both a critical OEM customer and a system-level peer in the wood-press thermal processing value chain.
• Friedr. Freek: German manufacturer of electric heating elements and process heating solutions for plastics, packaging, and industrial applications. Overlaps with ELKOM in industrial heating technology for manufacturing processes.
• Casso-Solar Technologies: US-based manufacturer of infrared and process heating equipment for industrial applications. Comparable technology platform serving similar plastics, composites, and surface finishing end markets as ELKOM.
• Wemhöner Group: German supplier of surface finishing and press systems with deep involvement in heating platen technology for the wood-based panels industry. Direct overlap with ELKOM in large-format industrial heating for board and panel production.

Broad incumbents

• Vulcanic: Established European manufacturer of industrial electric heating elements, heat exchangers, and process heating systems. Comparable to ELKOM's broader heating portfolio but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple industrial heating verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elkom-elektro-heizplattentechnik-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/elkom_heizplattentechnik

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Elkom