Zilmet

What Zilmet does

Zilmet S.p.A. Società Unipersonale is an Italian industrial manufacturer founded in 1955 (with the company having reached 160 employees by 1965) and headquartered in Limena (Padua), Italy. The company specializes in pressure and thermal management components for hydronic systems, producing three core product families: expansion vessels (Vasi di Espansione) for heating, potable water, and solar thermal applications, with both fixed and interchangeable membrane configurations; plate heat exchangers (Scambiatori di Calore a Piastre) in removable (Z2/Z3/Z4 series), single-phase brazed (ZB series), and refrigeration brazed (ZC-ZE series, rated up to 45 bar and -50°C to +200°C) variants; and buffer tanks for thermal energy storage. Manufacturing is anchored by a 150,000 m² total production footprint supporting 8 million pieces of annual output, with vertically integrated rubber component production at a Bagnoli di Sopra facility and certification under EU Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU and ISO 9001.

The company operates a strictly B2B distribution model, selling exclusively through a network of authorized distributors and resellers (rivenditori/distributori) across Italy, France (GITRAL), Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and China. End customers — primarily heating and HVAC contractors, water system installers, refrigeration system integrators, and solar thermal installers — must purchase through this channel. Pricing is quote-based with no public disclosure, and Zilmet supports its channel with online sizing calculators aligned to EN 12828 and VDI 4708 standards, multilingual product manuals, an RMA process reserved for distributors, and a dedicated technical support team. The company currently employs more than 500 people globally.

Zilmet is structured as a Società Unipersonale (sole proprietorship), indicating single-entity ownership with no disclosed venture capital or private equity sponsorship. Revenue is generated entirely from industrial hardware sales with no software, subscription, or service-based revenue streams disclosed. The company's competitive positioning rests on Made in Italy manufacturing scale, six decades of engineering heritage, and a multi-country distribution network that creates channel stickiness with professional installers who specify products by brand reputation and local technical support availability.

Name

Zilmet

Legal name

Zilmet S.p.A. Società Unipersonale

Website

https://zilmet.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Zilmet is an Italian industrial manufacturer of expansion vessels, plate heat exchangers, and buffer tanks for heating, potable water, solar thermal, and refrigeration systems, selling exclusively through a six-country distributor network to HVAC contractors and system installers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Limena

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Hardware Sales: Manufacture and sale of expansion vessels, plate heat exchangers, and buffer tanks to industrial customers through distribution channels. Products are sold as finished goods with technical specifications for heating, cooling, potable water, and refrigeration applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zilmet manufactures and sells expansion vessels, plate heat exchangers, and buffer tanks used for pressure stabilization and thermal management in closed-circuit heating, potable water, solar thermal, and refrigeration systems. Products are sold as finished industrial equipment through authorized distributors to professional installers and contractors across Europe, North America, and Asia. The company also provides sizing calculators, technical manuals, and distributor support services to enable correct product selection.

Product overview

Zilmet is an Italian industrial manufacturer specializing in thermal engineering products for heating, cooling, and water systems. The company produces three core product families: (1) Expansion Vessels (Vasi di Espansione) available in three lines for heating, potable water, and solar thermal applications; (2) Heat Exchangers (Scambiatori di Calore) offered as removable plate exchangers (Z-series), single-phase brazed exchangers (ZB-series), and brazed refrigeration exchangers (ZC-ZE series); and (3) Buffer Tanks for thermal energy storage. The product portfolio operates as a complementary system where expansion vessels manage pressure in hydronic systems, heat exchangers perform thermal transfer duties across residential and industrial applications, and buffer tanks store thermal energy. Zilmet emphasizes Made in Italy quality manufacturing at its facilities in Limena, Italy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vasi di Espansione - Riscaldamento (Expansion Vessels for Heating) Expansion vessels designed for closed-circuit heating systems, providing pressure compensation and protecting heating installations from overpressure damage. Available with fixed or interchangeable membranes. Sold to professional HVAC/heating installers through authorized distributors.
• Vasi di Espansione - Acqua Potabile (Expansion Vessels for Potable Water) Expansion vessels designed for potable water systems, providing pressure regulation, preventing water hammer, and preventing backflow in drinking water installations. Sold to plumbing and water-system installers through authorized distributors.
• Vasi di Espansione - Applicazione Solare (Expansion Vessels for Solar Thermal) Expansion vessels specifically engineered for solar thermal systems, handling high temperatures, thermal cycling, and glycol-based heat-transfer fluids in solar heating applications. Sold to solar thermal installers through authorized distributors.
• Scambiatori di Calore a Piastre Smontabili (Removable Plate Heat Exchangers) Removable plate heat exchangers (Z2, Z3, Z4 models) featuring configurable plate counts, EPDM or NBR seals, and operating pressures up to 16 bar. Designed for versatile thermal transfer in HVAC, industrial process, and district heating applications where plates can be removed for cleaning or expansion.
• Scambiatori Saldobrasati Monofase (Single-Phase Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers) Single-phase brazed plate heat exchangers (ZB series: 190, 195, 200, 207, 250, 315, 400, 450, 500, 600, 700) with AISI 316 stainless steel construction, copper brazing, and maximum operating pressures of 8-30 bar depending on model. Used in HVAC, domestic hot water, and light industrial heat-transfer applications.
• Scambiatori Saldobrasati Refrigerazione (Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers for Refrigeration)
• Buffer Tank (Thermal Energy Storage Tank) Thermal storage tanks for buffering heated or cooled water in heating and cooling systems, helping to improve system efficiency and reduce cycling of boilers or chillers. Used alongside Zilmet expansion vessels and plate exchangers in hydronic systems.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Xylem: Global water technology company offering pumps, valves, and water system components including pressure management solutions. Broadly comparable to Zilmet's water lifting and pressure stabilization product lines at much greater scale and geographic reach.
• Watts Water Technologies: US-listed manufacturer of water and plumbing products, including expansion tanks and hydronic components. Comparable to Zilmet's vessel business with a much broader product range and direct North American distribution through its US subsidiary footprint.
• Alfa Laval: Global leader in heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling, with a dominant brazed and gasketed plate heat exchanger portfolio. Competes directly with Zilmet's PHE business but operates at much greater scale across multiple industrial end markets.
• Kelvion: German-based manufacturer of plate heat exchangers and other thermal equipment for HVAC, refrigeration, and industrial processes. Competes head-to-head with Zilmet's PHE lines but serves a broader industrial customer base at larger scale.
• Danfoss: Global Danish HVAC and refrigeration component manufacturer with heat exchanger and hydronic solutions. While broader in scope, Danfoss competes with Zilmet on plate heat exchangers and HVAC system components sold to OEMs and through distribution.

Direct peers

• Sondex (Danfoss): Plate heat exchanger specialist now part of Danfoss, with a strong position in gasketed and brazed PHEs for HVAC, district heating, and industrial applications. Directly comparable product family to Zilmet's Z-series and ZB series.
• SWEP (Dover): Part of Dover Corporation, SWEP specializes in brazed plate heat exchangers for refrigeration, HVAC, and heat pump applications. Highly overlapping product offering to Zilmet's ZB and ZC-ZE series, with global OEM relationships.
• Flamco: Netherlands-based specialist in expansion vessels, air separation and water hammer control products for HVAC and plumbing. Highly comparable product set and distribution profile, serving the same European installer base as Zilmet.
• Caleffi: Italian manufacturer of components for heating, plumbing, and renewable energy systems, including a directly overlapping expansion vessel and hydronic accessory portfolio. Closest direct competitor on Zilmet's home turf with comparable distribution model and product philosophy.

Regional players

• IVAR: Italian HVAC and plumbing component manufacturer specializing in distribution manifolds, valves, and accessories. Adjacent competitor sharing the Italian installer channel with Zilmet and increasingly expanding into complementary categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ZilmetItalia
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61574018332575
• Instagraminstagram.com/zilmet_italia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zilmet-spa

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 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 Zilmet