Kühme Armaturen
Kühme Armaturen GmbH is a German Mittelstand manufacturer founded in 1967 that designs and produces pneumatic special valves for safety-critical fuel shut-off in power plants, refineries, gas turbine systems, and nuclear facilities worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersBochum, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Kühme Armaturen does
Kühme Armaturen GmbH is a privately held German Mittelstand manufacturer founded in 1967 in Bochum, specializing in pneumatic special valves for safety-critical fuel shut-off in energy and process plants. The company designs, engineers, and produces engineered-to-order quick-closing ESD valves, hybrid control/shut-off valves, single-plate slide gates, butterfly flap valves, Duplex Gas Valves, HIPPS-function quick-closing valves, and fully integrated valve skids and stations. Its core technology is self-medium (pneumatic) control — valves operate autonomously without auxiliary power, delivering closing times below 0.1 seconds, absolute zero leakage (100% helium-tight), and over 200,000 switching cycles, with H2-ready variants certified for hydrogen content up to 97.4%. The company holds key certifications including TÜV, DVGW, ISO 9001 (since 1994), and HAF 604 for the Chinese nuclear market, and operates a patent-pending Automatic Leakage Control Device for liquid media.
Kühme serves primary segments in power generation (coal, gas, nuclear, CHP, HRSG, gas turbines), process industries (refineries, petrochemical, steel, glass, marine gas engines), and specialized use cases in hydrogen service and aviation refueling. The business model is built on direct enterprise field sales from Bochum, supported by a partner network of 40+ valve specialists across 16+ countries, with a wholly-owned Indian subsidiary (KUHME Valves India Pvt. Ltd., Pune, established 2016) serving the Indian market and acting as a production hub for Asia. Revenue is generated through project-based, quote-based sales of engineered equipment with high unit prices (reference projects include DN 1100 butterfly flap valves at 1,900 kg per unit, and 200+ valve stations / 1,000+ quick-closing valves delivered to Indian customers in a single year). Typical named customers include Vattenfall Europe Wärme AG, TIANWAN Nuclear Power Plant (China), SADARA (Saudi Arabia), Vattenfall Berlin CCGT, and large Rhineland refineries and steel mills.
The company is described as a Hidden Champion and one of the global market leaders in special valve technology for fuel safety shut-off, active in 50+ countries with no public listing, no external institutional investment, and ownership continuity under founder Klaus Reusch and co-Managing Director Peter Reusch. Marketing and customer development rely on industry events (TU Dresden Power Plant Technology Colloquium), technical seminars (KWS), trade publications, a bilingual website, and direct application engineering — reflecting a high-touch, technical-credibility-driven B2B sales motion rather than broad consumer outreach.
Kühme Armaturen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kühme Armaturen
- Legal name
- KÜHME Armaturen GmbH
- Website
- https://kuehme.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Kühme Armaturen GmbH is a German Mittelstand manufacturer founded in 1967 that designs and produces pneumatic special valves for safety-critical fuel shut-off in power plants, refineries, gas turbine systems, and nuclear facilities worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kühme Armaturen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Safety Valves (Energy Technology)
- NAICS
- Industrial Valve Manufacturing (332911), Metal Valve Manufacturing (33291), Fluid Power Valve and Hose Fitting Manufacturing (332912)
- SIC
- Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Valves & Cartridge Valves (Directional, Pressure, Flow Control) (IMAHAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Reactor Vessel, Internals & Primary Circuit Components (RPV, piping, pumps, valves) (EUAKADAE)
Keywords
Where Kühme Armaturen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bochum
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Kühme Armaturen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Special Industrial Valves: KÜHME designs, engineers, and manufactures custom pneumatic special valves (quick-closing valves, ESD valves, hybrid valves) for safety-critical fuel shut-off in energy and process plants. Products are sold on a project/quote basis as engineered-to-order equipment. Payment terms for orders above EUR 30,000 include 1/3 down payment, 1/3 at readiness for dispatch, and 1/3 within 30 days of delivery (max 60 days after readiness).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Custom valve products (quote-based) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kühme Armaturen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KÜHME Armaturen designs, develops and manufactures pneumatic special valves (quick-closing valves, ESD valves, hybrid shut-off/control valves) for safety-critical fuel shut-off in energy and process plants. The product portfolio spans individual valves, valve combinations and fully integrated valve stations / skids, with autonomous self-medium-controlled operation (no auxiliary power required), closing times under 0.1 seconds, 100% helium-tight zero leakage and hydrogen-ready capability. All products are engineered to individual customer specifications and delivered as turnkey subsystems to power plants, refineries, gas turbine operators, steel works and aviation refueling facilities worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Schnellschlussventile (Quick-Closing Pneumatic ESD Valves)
Companies that use Kühme Armaturen
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kühme Armaturen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Kühme Armaturen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered regional and core.
- Conai Equipamentos Industriais Ltda.regionalBrazilian industrial equipment partner that recently equipped a combustion gas train with KÜHME automatic quick-closing safety shut-off valves (KVII/F series). The application operates with residue gas containing up to 97.4% hydrogen. KÜHME valves provided proven first-class internal and external tightness for the Brazilian customer's industrial combustion system.
- KUHME Valves India Pvt. Ltd. (KVI)coreWholly-owned subsidiary in Pune, India, established following KÜHME Germany's onboarding to the 'Make in India Mittelstand' program in 2015. Certificate of Incorporation granted March 2016. Specializes in production of highly integrated valve skids tailored for individual power plant applications. Serves the important local Indian market with KÜHME technology under the 'Make in India' initiative. Acts as production hub for other Asian countries. ISO 9001 certified. Contact: Mr. Sharadchandra Karkhanis.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Kühme Armaturen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Pentair (Flow & Filtration Solutions): US-listed diversified flow control company serving industrial, commercial, and infrastructure markets. Overlap in industrial valves for commercial and process heating, cooling, and energy applications.
- Flowserve Corporation: US-listed global leader in pumps, valves, seals, and flow control automation for power, oil & gas, chemical, and water industries. Larger incumbent with overlapping products in safety/ESD valves for power and process plants.
- Emerson Electric (Fisher / Anderson Greenwood): Global automation conglomerate whose Fisher and Anderson Greenwood lines supply control and safety valves to power, refinery, and process industries. A broad incumbent competitor in industrial safety shut-off valves and integrated skid solutions.
Direct peers
- IMI plc: UK-listed global specialist in motion and fluid control technologies, including severe-service industrial valves for power, petrochemical, and oil & gas. Direct competitor in engineered safety and control valves for power/process plants.
- Samson AG: Frankfurt-based German industrial valve specialist focused on control valves and process automation. Highly comparable to Kühme as a privately-held German Mittelstand manufacturer of high-spec industrial valves for power, chemical, and refinery applications.
- CIRCOR International (Crane Co.): Specialty valve manufacturer (now part of Crane Co.) serving power generation, oil & gas, and process industries with critical-service valves and skid solutions. Comparable product overlap in ESD and quick-closing valves for fuel shut-off.
- Koso Group (Koso Group Int.): Japanese specialist manufacturer of industrial control valves, safety valves, and process automation for power plants, petrochemical, and steel. Comparable in engineerd-to-order safety and control valves for power and process industries.
- KSB SE & Co. KGaA: German-listed manufacturer of pumps, valves, and related service for power generation, water, and process industries. Comparable as a German industrial fluid-handling specialist with overlap in power plant and process safety valve applications.
- Velan Inc. Canadian manufacturer of industrial valves including severe-service and nuclear-grade products. Comparable in power generation, nuclear, and process industry safety valve applications with similar engineering-driven GTM.
Regional players
- Neway Valve (Suzhou Neway Valve): Chinese manufacturer of industrial valves for oil & gas, power, and chemical applications. Comparable in safety shut-off and severe-service valves, primarily competing in Asia where Kühme also has its Indian subsidiary.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kühme Armaturen social profiles
Digital presenceKühme Armaturen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kühme Armaturen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Kühme Armaturen subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Kühme Armaturen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kühme Armaturen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kühme Armaturen
What does Kühme Armaturen do?
KÜHME Armaturen designs, develops and manufactures pneumatic special valves (quick-closing valves, ESD valves, hybrid shut-off/control valves) for safety-critical fuel shut-off in energy and process plants. The product portfolio spans individual valves, valve combinations and fully integrated valve stations / skids, with autonomous self-medium-controlled operation (no auxiliary power required), closing times under 0.1 seconds, 100% helium-tight zero leakage and hydrogen-ready capability. All products are engineered to individual customer specifications and delivered as turnkey subsystems to power plants, refineries, gas turbine operators, steel works and aviation refueling facilities worldwide.
Is Kühme Armaturen a public or private company?
Kühme Armaturen is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Kühme Armaturen founded?
Kühme Armaturen was founded in 1967. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Kühme Armaturen based?
Kühme Armaturen is headquartered in Bochum, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Kühme Armaturen make money?
One revenue line is on record: special Industrial Valves.
Who are Kühme Armaturen's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Pentair (Flow & Filtration Solutions), Flowserve Corporation and Emerson Electric (Fisher / Anderson Greenwood). Direct peers are IMI plc, Samson AG, CIRCOR International (Crane Co.), Koso Group (Koso Group Int.), KSB SE & Co. KGaA and Velan Inc.. Neway Valve (Suzhou Neway Valve) is listed as a regional player.
Does Kühme Armaturen have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kühme Armaturen.
What industry is Kühme Armaturen in?
Kühme Armaturen's product category is Industrial Safety Valves (Energy Technology). Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAGAE, Valves & Cartridge Valves (Directional, Pressure, Flow Control), with a secondary code of EUAKADAE, Reactor Vessel, Internals & Primary Circuit Components (RPV, piping, pumps, valves). Its NAICS code is 332911 and its SIC code is 3533.