What Plastocell does

Plastocell Kunststoff GmbH is a German B2B manufacturer of customized acoustic and thermal insulation materials, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Schifferstadt, Germany. The company produces a portfolio of nine proprietary material families — including polyester fleece (Plastobond), polyurethane foams (Plastofoam), melamine resin foams (Plastotect, including the hydrophobic PLASTOTECT MF variant introduced in 2019), glass fibre and bitumen composites (Plastodem), polyethylene and synthetic rubber materials (Plastocell), multi-layer combined systems (Plastoform), napped foams (Plastosorb), and ceramic non-woven (Plastofelt) — engineered for temperature resistance ranging from -165°C to +1100°C and certified to a broad stack of fire-safety standards (EN 45545, ECE-R118, DIN 5510, DIN 4102, DIN EN 13501, FMVSS 302, UL 94).

The company serves manufacturers of buses and coaches, railway vehicles, ships, industrial machinery, construction and HVAC systems, agricultural and construction equipment, and medical devices. Its core capability is flexible deep customization (Tiefenkonfektionierung) — laminations, custom parts, profile cuts, and tapes — delivered with just-in-time delivery into customer assembly lines, anchored by direct enterprise field sales and technical sales staff.

Plastocell is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the HÜBNER Group (Kassel, Germany), acquired in April 2019 as part of HÜBNER's takeover of the GWU/Gummi-Welz Group; it operates within HÜBNER's Material Solutions segment. The combined entity commands a market-leader position in door sealing and safety systems for mobility. Plastocell also indirectly benefits from the Welz-Gruppe's January 2019 acquisition of a 24.5% stake in Polish insulation specialist Maad Dämmstoffe, providing Eastern European footprint. Approximately 80 employees operate from the Schifferstadt site under Managing Director Arndt Steiner (appointed September 2021), with overall operational responsibility alongside Albert Herb's Global Operations role.

Name

Plastocell

Legal name

Plastocell Kunststoff GmbH

Website

https://plastocell.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Plastocell Kunststoff GmbH is a German B2B manufacturer of custom acoustic and thermal insulation materials, serving bus, rail, ship, industrial machinery, and construction OEMs from its Schifferstadt facility as part of the HÜBNER Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Acoustic & Thermal Insulation Materials

NAICS

Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252)

SIC

Plastics Foam Products (3086), Fabricated Rubber Products, Nec (3060)

akta.pro primary industry

Thermal & Acoustic Insulation Textiles (Insulation Felts/Soundproofing) (IMAOADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Polyurethane (PU) Rigid Foam Manufacturing (IMANAIAD)

Keywords

• Acoustic insulation materials
• Thermal insulation products
• Soundproofing manufacturing
• Foam insulation solutions
• Custom insulation fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Schifferstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Insulation Products Manufacturing: Plastocell generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of customized soundproofing and insulation materials. Products are tailored to customer specifications for various industries including mobility (buses, trains, ships), construction, machinery, and industrial applications. The company offers both standard products and custom deep customization solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Plastocell Kunststoff GmbH develops and manufactures custom acoustic and thermal insulation materials from foams, felts, glass fiber mats, synthetic rubbers, and composites. Founded in 1988 in Schifferstadt, Germany, the company serves B2B customers in the mobility (buses, trains, ships), industrial machinery, and construction sectors, offering both standard product lines and deep custom-fabricated solutions including laminations, profile cuts, and pre-assembled components.

Product overview

Plastocell Kunststoff GmbH is a manufacturer of soundproofing and insulation solutions belonging to the HÜBNER Group. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of insulating materials including foam products (Plastofoam, Plastotect, Plastosorb), rubber materials (Plastocell Synthetic Rubber, Neoprene Rubber), composite systems (Plastotect, Plastoform, Plastodem), and felt materials (Plastobond, Plastofelt). These materials serve applications in acoustic insulation, thermal insulation, and fire protection across industries including mobility (buses, trains, ships), automotive, machinery, construction, and HVAC. The product range includes both standard materials and the flagship PLASTOTECT MF hydrophobic melamine resin foam. Manufacturing capabilities include laminations, customised parts, profile cuts, and tapes, with flexible deep-configuration services enabling customer-specific solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Plastobond: Polyester fleece ecological insulating material with thermal bonding and smooth surfaces, free of formaldehyde, with outstanding sound absorption and thermal insulation properties.
• Plastofoam
• Plastotect
• Plastotect MF
• Plastodem
• Plastocell
• Plastoform
• Plastosorb
• Plastofelt

Products and services

• Plastobond
• Plastofoam
• Plastotect (incl. PLASTOTECT MF)
• Plastodem
• Plastocell
• Plastoform
• Plastosorb
• Plastofelt
• Custom Fabrication Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Temperature resistance up to +240°C for melamine resin foam products
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• HÜBNER GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019Plastocell became part of the HÜBNER Group in April 2019 when HÜBNER acquired the GWU Group. HÜBNER is a global system supplier for mobility, manufacturing, and life sciences, with worldwide leadership in gangway systems for buses and railway vehicles. The acquisition positioned the combined entity as the European market leader in door sealing and safety systems for the entire mobility sector.
• Maad DämmstoffecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Plastocell's parent company Welz-Gruppe acquired 24.5% stake in Maad, a Polish company specializing in sound and thermal insulation since 2007. Maad supplies manufacturers of rail, road, and construction vehicles and has a modern machine park. This partnership enables Plastocell to offer oil- and water-repellent melamine resin foams and floor systems for trains and buses, while expanding into Eastern European markets.
• Gummi-Welz GmbH & Co. KG (GWU Group)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Plastocell was part of the Gummi-Welz Group (GWU) since 2014 before HÜBNER acquired GWU in 2019. Gummi-Welz, based in Neu-Ulm, Germany, manufactures innovative safety systems for passenger doors on buses and rail vehicles, and is a well-known manufacturer of rubber seals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sekisui Alveo: Sekisui Alveo produces cross-linked polyolefin foams for automotive, industrial, and construction insulation. Direct competitor in PE foam insulation with comparable application focus on mobility and industrial acoustic/thermal solutions.
• Armacell: Armacell is a global leader in flexible foam insulation for technical equipment and mobility applications, directly competing with Plastocell in acoustic and thermal foam products for rail, bus, and industrial machinery. Notably, Plastocell's current Managing Director Arndt Steiner was previously Sales Manager OEM at Armacell.
• pinta acoustic GmbH: pinta acoustic specializes in acoustic insulation products including melamine foam (Basotect) and polyester non-wovens, directly overlapping with Plastocell's Plastotect and Plastobond product lines. Former Plastocell MD Arndt Steiner was Innovation Manager at pinta, illustrating direct competitive overlap.
• Trocellen: Trocellen is a European manufacturer of cross-linked polyolefin foams and rubber insulation products serving automotive, building, and sports applications. Direct competitor in polyethylene foam and synthetic rubber insulation categories overlapping Plastocell's Plastocell and Plastofoam lines.
• Recticel: Recticel is a Belgian polyurethane foam specialist serving automotive, construction, and industrial markets with acoustic and thermal insulation products. Direct competitor in flexible PU foam insulation, particularly in European mobility OEM supply chains.

Broad incumbents

• BASF: BASF produces a wide range of polyurethane foams, melamine resins (Basotect), and specialty insulation materials serving mobility, construction, and industrial markets. As the world's largest chemical company, BASF competes with Plastocell through both raw material supply and finished foam products.
• Johns Manville: Johns Manville (Berkshire Hathaway) manufactures a wide range of insulation products including glass fiber mats (overlapping with Plastocell's Plastodem line) and specialty materials serving construction, industrial, and transportation markets.
• Huntsman: Huntsman manufactures specialty polyurethanes, performance products, and advanced materials including foam systems for insulation applications. A large-scale specialty chemicals producer with overlapping capabilities in polyurethane foam insulation.
• 3M: 3M offers a broad portfolio of acoustic and thermal insulation materials including Thinsulate and specialty foams serving automotive, industrial, and construction markets. As a global diversified conglomerate, 3M competes with Plastocell across multiple end markets but with much broader product breadth.
• Saint-Gobain Isover: Saint-Gobain Isover is a major European manufacturer of glass wool and mineral wool insulation for building and industrial applications. While primarily focused on building insulation, it competes in adjacent thermal/acoustic markets where Plastocell operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plastocell
• Facebookfacebook.com/Plastocell

Compliance14 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Plastocell