Reel Drive Technology

What Reel Drive Technology does

REEL Antriebstechnik GmbH is a German manufacturer of industrial couplings and drive elements, headquartered in Troisdorf. The company operates more than 50 years of continuous history under owner-management, with Torben Hummert and Jens Woltmann serving as managing directors. Its commercial footprint extends across international markets, with documented reach in EMEA, and it sells to general industrial machinery manufacturers as a B2B supplier of mechanical drivetrain components.

The core product portfolio is built around six proprietary sub-brands — ELBO-B, ELBO-R, Reelflex, Zariflex and the DIN 115 / DIN 116 standards lines — covering rigid and flexible couplings across a torque range of approximately 120 to 1,300,000 Nm. In parallel, the company runs a trading program that distributes third-party coupling brands including ARPEX, BOWEX, N-EUPEX, ROTEX and ZAPEX, positioning it as both a manufacturer and a channel partner in the European coupling market. Technical content emphasizes engineering specifications, materials and application-fit rather than digital or software-defined features.

The business model is B2B direct sales of engineered components to machinery OEMs and industrial buyers, augmented by third-party product distribution. The firm is a private GmbH with 11–50 employees and no disclosed external funding; in February 2018 it relocated to Gierlichsstraße 18, Troisdorf, signaling reinvestment in fixed assets. No revenue, AI capability, or customer-segment concentration data is publicly disclosed, leaving the company's scale, digital maturity and customer mix to be inferred from benchmark comparisons rather than primary disclosure.

Name

Reel Drive Technology

Legal name

REEL Antriebstechnik GmbH

Website

https://reel-antriebstechnik.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

REEL Antriebstechnik GmbH is a German manufacturer of industrial couplings and drive elements, including the proprietary ELBO-B and ELBO-R series, serving general machinery and industrial manufacturers in EMEA via direct B2B sales and a third-party trading program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Couplings and Power Transmission Components

NAICS

Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612)

SIC

Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)

akta.pro primary industry

Linear Motion & Mechanical Power Transmission (Ball/roller screws, linear guides, bearings, couplings) (IMAHAGAM)

Keywords

• Industrial couplings
• Power transmission components
• Flexible shaft couplings
• Drive elements manufacturing
• Custom machined couplings

Headquarters

HQ city

Troisdorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coupling Manufacturing and Sales: Manufacture and sale of proprietary elastic couplings, torsionally stiff couplings, and drive elements. Products sold directly to industrial customers.
2. Trading Program: Distribution of third-party coupling products and drive elements through their trading program, offering customers a comprehensive range of industrial drive solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Reel Drive Technology manufactures and distributes industrial couplings and drive elements under its own product lines (Reelflex, Zariflex, ELBO-R, ELBO-B, DIN 115, DIN 116) as well as customer-specific Antriebselemente. The company also operates a trading program for complementary third-party drive technology products. Production is in-house in Troisdorf, Germany.

Product overview

Reel Drive Technology (REEL Antriebstechnik GmbH) is a German manufacturer of industrial couplings and drive components. The company offers a portfolio of flexible couplings (Elastische Kupplungen) including their own-brand products Reelflex, Zariflex, ELBO-R, and ELBO-B, as well as torsionally rigid couplings (Drehstarre Kupplungen) such as DIN 115 and DIN 116. Additionally, they provide custom-made drive elements and distribute an extensive range of coupling products from various manufacturers including ARPEX, BOWEX, N-EUPEX, ROTEX, and ZAPEX. The products serve general machinery applications requiring reliable torque transmission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• REEL: Elastische Doppelnockenkupplung (elastic double cam coupling)
• REELTEX
• REEFLEX
• ZARIFLEX
• ELBO-B
• ELBO-R

Products and services

• Reelflex Flexible shaft coupling from Reel Drive Technology's standard product line, used in industrial power transmission applications to connect rotating shafts and accommodate misalignment.
• Zariflex Flexible coupling from Reel Drive Technology's standard product line for industrial shaft connections.
• ELBO-R Flexible claw coupling from Reel Drive Technology's standard product line, used for torsionally flexible shaft connections in industrial drives.
• ELBO-B Flexible bolt coupling from Reel Drive Technology's standard product line for industrial power transmission.
• DIN 115 Disc coupling manufactured to the German DIN 115 standard, sold as part of Reel Drive Technology's standardized coupling portfolio.
• DIN 116 Shell coupling manufactured to the German DIN 116 standard, sold as part of Reel Drive Technology's standardized coupling portfolio.
• Antriebselemente (Custom Drive Elements) Customer-specific drive elements manufactured by Reel Drive Technology on request, serving OEMs and machinery builders that need non-standard or engineered-to-order power transmission components.

Quantifiable outcome

• Torque capacity: ELBO-R up to 1,300,000 Nm, ELBO-B up to 450,000 Nm
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• SKF: SKF is a global bearings and power-transmission manufacturer offering couplings alongside bearings, seals, and lubrication. Overlaps in coupling supply to industrial OEMs but is a vastly larger diversified industrial group.
• Regal Rexnord: Regal Rexnord (including Lovejoy, Kop-Flex, Rexnord) is a major global industrial power-transmission manufacturer. Overlaps with Reel in couplings for industrial machinery but operates at global scale with a much broader portfolio including bearings and gearboxes.
• Voith: Voith is a large German industrial technology group with couplings and drive solutions for hydropower, paper, and heavy industry. Comparable in heavy-torque coupling technology but operates as a diversified global engineering incumbent.
• Flender (Siemens): Flender, owned by Siemens, is a global incumbent in mechanical drive systems including couplings, gearboxes, and generators. Overlaps with Reel in coupling supply to heavy industry and wind-energy drivetrains but operates at vastly larger scale across a broader portfolio.
• Timken (Rollix / Drives): Timken, owner of the Lovejoy coupling line, supplies elastomeric and gear couplings to industrial machinery builders globally. Directly comparable coupling product portfolio to Reel but operates within a much larger diversified industrial bearings and power-transmission business.

Direct peers

• Bondioli & Pavesi: Bondioli & Pavesi is an Italian manufacturer of drive shafts, PTO shafts, and couplings for agricultural and industrial machinery. Comparable as a specialty European drive-component manufacturer with similar B2B industrial customer base.
• Jakob Antriebstechnik: Jakob is a German manufacturer of metal bellows and elastomer couplings for precision machinery and servo drive applications. Closely comparable product type (flexible couplings), German Mittelstand positioning, and target customer profile.
• Mayr Power Transmission: Mayr is a German manufacturer of safety clutches/brakes and torque-limiting couplings for industrial machinery. Directly comparable as a specialty German drive-technology supplier serving similar machinery-OEM customers.
• R+W Antriebselemente: R+W is a German precision-coupling specialist serving machine builders, metrology, and test-rig applications. Closely comparable as a Mittelstand German coupling manufacturer targeting engineered, higher-precision niches.
• KTR Systems: KTR Systems is the leading German manufacturer of elastic and torsionally rigid couplings (including ARPEX, BOWEX, ROTEX, ZAPEX — the very brands Reel distributes). Highly comparable product portfolio, target customers, and Made-in-Germany positioning make it Reel's closest direct peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ReelAntriebstechnik
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/REEL-Antriebstechnik-GmbH/139014139524485
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reel-antriebstechnik-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Reel Drive Technology