K-Tron International

What K-Tron International does

Coperion K-Tron (formerly K-Tron International) designs, manufactures, and services industrial compounding, extrusion, feeding, and bulk material handling equipment under the Coperion brand owned by Hillenbrand (NYSE: HI). The portfolio is organized into three operating divisions (Polymer; Food, Health and Nutrition; and Aftermarket Sales and Service) and spans ZSK twin-screw extruders (Mc¹⁸, Mv¹⁴, MEGAlab, MEGAcompounder, NT, FilCo, Food, Pharma variants), STS extruders, Baker Perkins twin-screw extruders, CTE PLUS extruders, and the Kombiplast two-stage compounder, together with pelletizers (including the EGR eccentric pelletizer), extruder controls, and auxiliary equipment. The Process Equipment division provides feeders, rotary and diverter valves, discharge valves and samplers, mixers, EcoFresh silo degassing, Bulk-X-Change heat exchangers, elutriators, filters and separators, blower packages, bulk bag dischargers, vacuum loaders and receivers, dense-phase conveying, controls, thermal processing, pulverizing, milling/grinding, and the DewTector moisture analyzer. The Plants and Systems division delivers turnkey plastics manufacturing, compounding and processing plants plus pneumatic conveying and multi-ingredient handling systems, while the C-BEYOND digital platform layers OEE dashboards, data and energy monitoring, IT infrastructure, and the ServiceBox CSB 4.0 remote-service offering on top of the installed base.

Revenue is generated primarily through quote-based hardware sales of customized capital equipment, complete plants and systems, and a recurring aftermarket stream of spare parts, maintenance and repair, modernization, condition monitoring, service agreements, field service, training, and test-center work. Distribution runs through direct enterprise field sales backed by 50 owned locations and 150+ agency partners across North America, Europe, Asia (China, Vietnam, India), and Mexico, with the primary operating entity being Coperion GmbH in Nuremberg, Germany. End markets include plastics and plastics recycling, chemicals, battery manufacturing (lithium- and sodium-ion), food and pet food, pharmaceutical, minerals and infrastructure, and nonwovens, served by approximately 5,000 employees globally.

Name

K-Tron International

Legal name

Coperion GmbH

Website

https://ktron.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Coperion K-Tron (formerly K-Tron International) designs, manufactures, and services compounding and extrusion equipment, feeding systems, and bulk material handling plants for industrial processors in plastics, recycling, chemicals, battery manufacturing, food, and pharmaceutical markets worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pitman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 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. Process Equipment & Systems: Sale of compounding machines, extruders, feeders, rotary valves, and complete process systems. Revenue generated from equipment manufacturing, customization, and installation.
2. Plants & Systems: Design, engineering, and delivery of complete manufacturing plants including plastics processing, compounding, and pneumatic conveying systems
3. Aftermarket Services: Spare parts, maintenance and repair, modernization, field service, training courses, and service agreements for existing equipment installations

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

K-Tron International (operating as Coperion K-Tron) designs, manufactures, sells and services industrial process equipment — including twin screw extruders, compounders, feeders, rotary valves, pneumatic conveying systems, pelletizers, moisture analyzers and turnkey plants — for plastics, food, pharmaceutical, chemicals, battery, recycling, minerals and nonwovens manufacturers. Revenue is generated from sale of equipment, plants and systems, plus aftermarket services (spare parts, maintenance, modernization, training, field service).

Product overview

K-Tron International (now part of Coperion/Hillenbrand) offers a comprehensive portfolio of industrial process and material handling equipment organized into three main divisions: Extruders & Compounding Machines, Process Equipment (feeding, conveying, valves, controls), and Plants & Systems. The core product line includes ZSK Twin Screw Extruders (Mc¹⁸, Mv¹⁴, MEGAlab, MEGAcompounder, NT, FilCo, Food, Pharma variants), STS Extruders, Baker Perkins Extruders, CTE PLUS Extruders, and Kombiplast Two-Stage Compounder. Supporting the extruders are complementary products: Pelletizers (including the Eccentric Pelletizer EGR), Extruder Controls, and Auxiliary Equipment. The Process Equipment division provides Coperion Feeding Solutions, ProRate Feeding Systems, Rotary Valves, Diverter Valves, Discharge Valves & Samplers, Mixers, EcoFresh Silo Degassing, Bulk-X-Change Heat Exchangers, Elutriators, Filters & Separators, Blower Packages, Bulk Bag Dischargers/Hoppers/Bins, Vacuum Sequencing Receivers, Vacuum Loaders, Dense Phase Conveying Equipment, Controls, Thermal Processing, Pulverizing, Milling and Grinding, and the DewTector Moisture Analyzer. The Plants & Systems division delivers turnkey solutions including Plastics Manufacturing Plants, Compounding Plants, Plastics Processing Plants, Pneumatic Conveying Systems, and Multi-Ingredient Handling Systems. C-BEYOND adds digital capabilities through OEE Dashboard, Data Monitoring, Energy Monitoring, IT Infrastructure, and ServiceBox CSB 4.0. Comprehensive aftermarket services include Emergency Service, Spare Parts, Maintenance & Repair, Modernization, Extruder Condition Monitoring, Service Agreements, Service Consulting, Field Service, Training Courses, and Test Centers. The company serves diverse industries including Plastics, Plastics Recycling, Chemicals, Battery Manufacturing, Food & Pet Food, Pharmaceutical, Minerals & Infrastructure, and Nonwovens.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MyCoperion: Digital service platform for Coperion customers providing access to support, documentation, and service tools
• C-BEYOND
• ProRate
• DewTector
• EcoFresh

Products and services

• ZSK Twin Screw Extruders
• STS Twin Screw Extruders
• Baker Perkins Twin Screw Extruders
• CTE PLUS Extruders
• Kombiplast KP Two-Stage Compounder
• Coperion Feeding Solutions
• ProRate Feeding Systems
• Rotary Valves
• Dense Phase Conveying Equipment
• EcoFresh Silo Degassing
• Bulk-X-Change Bulk Solids Heat Exchanger
• DewTector Moisture Analyzer
• Plastics Manufacturing Plants
• Compounding Plants
• Pneumatic Conveying Systems
• Multi-Ingredient Handling Systems
• PET Recycling Systems
• C-BEYOND Digital Services
• Spare Parts Service
• Maintenance & Repair Service
• Modernization Service
• Service Agreements
• Field Service, Start-up and Site Management
• Training Courses
• Test Centers Around The World
• Sodium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Systems

Named customers2 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and flagship.

• Guangdong ChuangyongjiamajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Major equipment purchase agreement signed at Chinaplas 2026 for ten STS Mc PLUS Twin Screw Extruders to boost capacity upgrade of South China's modified plastics leader. This represents a significant technology partnership for polymer processing equipment.
• UniverCell Holding GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration on the SIB:DE ENTWECKLUNG project for production of sodium-ion battery cells in Germany, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). This is Germany's largest consortium dedicated to sodium-ion battery technology.
• Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Government funding partner for SIB:DE ENTWICKLUNG project, the largest German consortium dedicated to sodium-ion battery technology development and manufacturing.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)coreOthers · 1 January 2026Received Letter of No Objection (LNO) from FDA confirming food-grade status for recycled HDPE and PP recycling technology using Coperion's recycling extruder and EcoFresh silo degassing systems.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Davis-Standard: US-based extrusion systems supplier for plastics, medical, and industrial applications, overlapping directly with Coperion K-Tron's compounding and extrusion product range and serving similar enterprise process manufacturers.
• ENTEK: Specialist in twin-screw extruders for compounding and battery materials, including lithium-ion electrode production — competing with Coperion K-Tron across both traditional plastics compounding and emerging battery manufacturing applications.
• Leistritz: German manufacturer of twin-screw extruders and compounding machines serving plastics, food, pharma, and chemical processing — directly competing with Coperion K-Tron's flagship ZSK extrusion technology in the same customer base.
• KraussMaffei Berstorff: Division of KraussMaffei producing twin-screw extruders and compounding systems for plastics and rubber processing — a head-to-head competitor to Coperion K-Tron in polymer compounding equipment.

Emerging players

• Xtrutech: UK-based twin-screw extruder specialist focusing on continuous processing for niche applications such as battery materials, catalysts, and pigments — overlapping with Coperion K-Tron's specialty compounding and battery manufacturing solutions.
• Farrel Corporation: US manufacturer of mixers, compounding extruders, and processing equipment for plastics and rubber — a niche competitor to Coperion K-Tron in compounding technology, particularly for specialty polymer applications.

Broad incumbents

• Bühler Group: Swiss process technology group supplying equipment for food, feed, and advanced materials — competes with Coperion K-Tron's Food/Health & Nutrition extruder and feeding portfolio while also serving adjacent process industries.
• Wittmann Battenfeld: Plastics processing equipment group offering extruders, injection molding, and auxiliaries; overlaps with Coperion K-Tron's extrusion and material handling portfolio as part of a broader plastics machinery portfolio.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Process Instruments & Extrusion): Through its specialty diagnostics and process equipment businesses, Thermo Fisher supplies process analytical, compounding, and extruder-adjacent solutions used by food and pharma manufacturers — overlapping with Coperion K-Tron's regulated end markets.

Regional players

• Nanjing Juli: Chinese twin-screw extruder manufacturer serving plastics compounding and masterbatch producers — a regional competitor that pressures pricing in Asian markets where Coperion K-Tron is also expanding its footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/coperion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/k-tron
• Instagraminstagram.com/coperion.global
• Xx.com/coperion

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 K-Tron International