DGS Drahtgestricke

What DGS Drahtgestricke does

DGS Drahtgestricke GmbH is a German family-owned manufacturer of technical knitted wire mesh, founded in 1998 in Ellingen, Bavaria, by Erwin Schatz and now led by second-generation Managing Director Benjamin Schatz following the founder's passing in 2024. The company operates approximately 50 employees across two production sites in Ellingen (headquarters) and Pleinfeld, totaling roughly 3,000 m² of production and warehouse space, and sells directly to industrial customers with no intermediaries. Its core technology is the knitting of metal (stainless steel, nickel, copper, aluminum, and special alloys) and plastic wire into rolls, which are then further processed into filters, pressed parts, cords and seals, demister pads, metal filter cassettes, and custom engineered solutions, with an in-house Technical Cleanliness Laboratory supporting high-purity applications in e-mobility, medical technology, and food.

The company's commercial offering has expanded from commodity knitted mesh into specialized engineered components, most notably precision wire mesh for hydrogen electrolyser cells — gas diffusion layers, porous transport layers, current collectors, and knitted electrodes — a line it launched in 2022. Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of bespoke and catalog mesh products on a quote basis (offers within 48 hours), supplemented by technical cleanliness cleaning services. The customer base spans 1,000+ buyers across mechanical and plant engineering, automotive, environmental and process engineering, filter construction, chemical and petrochemical, energy and hydrogen, pharmaceutical and medical technology, and public transport (anti-vandalism seating mesh), with a stated 30% export share. The business holds ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications and self-describes as the German market leader for metal filters.

Name

DGS Drahtgestricke

Legal name

DGS Drahtgestricke GmbH

Website

https://dgs-gmbh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DGS Drahtgestricke GmbH is a Bavarian family-owned manufacturer of technical knitted wire mesh from metal and plastic, serving 1,000+ industrial customers across filtration, separation, and hydrogen electrolysis applications via direct, quote-based B2B sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Wire Mesh Manufacturing

NAICS

Knit Fabric Mills (31324)

SIC

Knitting Mills (2250)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Knitted Fabric Mills (IMAOABAB)

Keywords

• Knitted wire mesh
• Industrial filtration products
• Droplet separators
• Metal filter cassettes
• Hydrogen electrolysis mesh

Headquarters

HQ city

Ellingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Technical Knitted Wire Mesh Products: Manufacture and sale of technical knitted wire mesh products from metal and plastic, sold as roll goods (Rollenware) and further processed into filters, demisters, pressed parts, cords and seals. Revenue generated through product sales with potential for customized solutions commanding premium pricing.
2. Customized/Special Solutions: Individually manufactured wire mesh products for unusual sizes, special materials, or specific functionalities. Adaptable to new or existing systems. Revenue from bespoke manufacturing services with higher margins for custom specifications.
3. Technical Cleaning Services: In-house industrial parts cleaning services for wire mesh products, pressed parts and custom solutions according to customer-specific standards. Special cleaning processes guarantee high purity levels for sensitive production processes.
4. Electrolysis Mesh Components: Precision-manufactured wire mesh for electrolyser cells in the growing hydrogen electrolysis sector. DGS entered this growth market in 2022 with products including gas diffusion layers, porous transport layers, and current collectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DGS Drahtgestricke GmbH manufactures technical knitted wire mesh products from metal (stainless steel, nickel, copper, aluminum, special alloys) and plastic materials, supplied as roll goods or further processed into filters, demister pads/droplet separators, pressed parts, cords, seals, and electrolysis mesh components. The company offers customized sizes up to 7,000 mm diameter and provides in-house technical cleanliness cleaning services for sensitive applications.

Product overview

DGS Drahtgestricke is a manufacturer of technical knitted wire mesh products from metal and plastic, offered both as roll goods and further processed into finished components. The product portfolio centers on technical knitted wire mesh (Technische Gestricke) as the core offering, which serves as filters, separation media, and functional components. This core product is complemented by pressed parts (Presslinge) manufactured from pressed mesh layers, cords and seals (Schnüre und Dichtungen), and custom solutions (Sonderlösungen) for special requirements. Supporting services include technical cleanliness cleaning (Technische Sauberkeit). Specialized applications are served through electrolysis mesh for hydrogen production, demister pads/droplet separators for gas-liquid separation, and metal filter cassettes for industrial filtration. The products are used across diverse industries including mechanical engineering, automotive, environmental and process engineering, chemical/petrochemical, filter construction, hydrogen, and public transport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Technical Knitted Wire Mesh (Technische Gestricke) Knitted wire mesh made from metal or plastic, individually manufactured for various industrial applications as filters, separation media, or functional components. Available in various wire gauges, material combinations, and multi-layer structures for industrial customers.
• Pressed Parts (Presslinge) Components manufactured from layers of knitted wire mesh pressed into precise shapes, serving as separation or filter elements that meet the highest industrial requirements. Available in custom shapes and sizes with various wire materials.
• Cords and Seals (Schnüre und Dichtungen) Seals and cords made of knitted wire mesh or combinations designed for tight, long-lasting sealing in industrial plants. Adaptable to various temperatures and chemical stresses, available in multiple wire materials, diameters, and individual lengths.
• Custom Solutions (Sonderlösungen) Individual knitted wire mesh products for unusual sizes, special materials, or specific functionalities. Adaptable to new or existing systems and combinable with other DGS products.
• Electrolysis Mesh (Elektrolyse-Gestricke) Precision-manufactured knitted wire mesh for use in electrolyser cells, particularly in hydrogen electrolysis. Includes Gas Diffusion Layers (GDL), Porous Transport Layers (PTL), Current Collectors, and knitted electrodes for PEM and alkaline electrolysers. Materials include stainless steel, nickel, or special alloys with high electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance.
• Demister Pads / Droplet Separators (Tropfenabscheider) Knitted wire mesh for efficient separation of liquids and gases, used in chemical and petrochemical plants, environmental and process engineering, and steam boilers. Precisely adapted to new or existing systems from small to very large sizes (up to 7,000 mm diameter).
• Metal Filter Cassettes (Metallfilterkassetten) Filter solutions based on knitted wire mesh for industrial separation and filtration. Available in all shapes and sizes with metal frames and grilles, suitable for series products or bespoke solutions.
• Technical Cleanliness Service (Technische Sauberkeit) In-house industrial parts cleaning service for wire mesh products, pressed parts, and custom solutions according to customer-specific standards. Special cleaning processes with detailed particulate contamination analyses guarantee high purity levels for sensitive production processes in e-mobility, medical technology, and food industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• High separation efficiency with low pressure loss in demister applications
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HETA (implied cooperation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation flyer available for download from DGS website suggesting partnership or cooperation in hydrogen technology applications. The flyer indicates collaboration for specialized hydrogen electrolysis solutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mott Corporation: US-based manufacturer of porous metal products (sintered mesh, filter elements) serving hydrogen, aerospace, and industrial filtration. Directly comparable in specialty porous metal media for hydrogen electrolysis and high-purity filtration, the same growth market DGS entered in 2022.
• GKD - Gebr. Kufferath AG: German manufacturer of technical metal wire mesh for industrial filtration, process technology, and architectural applications. Closely comparable in product range (mesh-based filtration and separation) and in target end-markets such as chemicals and process engineering.
• Hein, Lehmann: German manufacturer of wire cloth, screening media, and engineered mesh products serving mining, chemical, and process industries. Direct peer in metal wire mesh manufacturing with overlapping industrial customers and German footprint.
• Bekaert: Global leader in steel wire transformation and coatings with a substantial wire mesh portfolio serving filtration, automotive, and industrial customers. Directly comparable in metal-wire-based industrial products, but operates at vastly greater scale than DGS.
• Haver & Boecker: German family-owned specialist in woven and metal wire cloth for filtration, screening, and architectural applications. Direct peer in technical metal mesh serving chemical, process, and industrial customers with overlapping geographies.
• Bopp + Co. AG: Swiss precision wire mesh manufacturer focused on fine and ultra-fine woven wire cloth for filtration and separation. Direct peer in precision metal wire mesh for industrial and analytical filtration, with a comparable niche specialization strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Donaldson Company: Global filtration incumbent serving industrial, automotive, and process customers with a broad portfolio that overlaps DGS's industrial filtration and gas-liquid separation applications. Larger and more diversified, competing in similar end markets.
• Alfa Laval: Global industrial equipment major with broad separation, heat transfer, and fluid handling portfolios serving chemical, petrochemical, and process industries. Incumbent in the same industrial separation/filtration space but at much greater scale and with a wider product portfolio.
• Porvair plc: UK-listed group with filtration and environmental technology divisions serving aerospace, energy (including hydrogen), and industrial markets. Broader incumbent with porous metal and filtration capabilities overlapping DGS's hydrogen and industrial filtration offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 DGS Drahtgestricke