What Kolb does

Kolb Design Technology GmbH & Co. KG is a German mechatronic systems manufacturer specializing in clay modeling machines, milling equipment, and integrated studio infrastructure for the global automotive design industry. The company develops and produces the ConceptLine series (Evo, Mobile, standard), StudioLine series (M, M+, L), the Studio System platform (combining machines, extraction, lifting tables, safety systems, scanning, and raised floor infrastructure), clay materials and modeling tools, studio equipment (ClayHeater, ClayOven, DynocTub, etc.), and the newly launched ClayRecycler for sustainable material reuse. Its core technology bridges digital CAD design with physical clay models through high-speed CNC milling (up to 40 m/min), omnidirectional self-levelling drives, 30-second tool-change systems via the proprietary Adaption Cube, automatic clay application, and clay 3D printing.

Kolb sells capital equipment directly to automotive OEM design studios through enterprise field sales, supplemented by an e-commerce onlineshop, a physical showroom plus VR showroom in Deggendorf, and industry event participation. Pricing is quote-based on multi-year contracts; no public list pricing exists. Revenue streams span hardware sales (machines, equipment, materials, tools), special custom mechatronic solutions, and recurring after-sales service and spare parts. The primary customer segment is automotive OEM design studios (BMW, Ford, Ford China, Jaguar Land Rover, Geely, Mahindra), with secondary exposure to broader transportation and industrial design through Special Solutions.

Founded in 2001 as Kolb Technology GmbH and tracing its heritage to Franz Kolb's 1890 invention of plasticine, the company was integrated into the STREICHER Group in 2015 and rebranded as Kolb Design Technology GmbH & Co. KG. It operates from Deggendorf (HQ and showroom) and Hengersberg (production), with 101-250 employees and a worldwide service footprint.

Name

Kolb

Legal name

Kolb Design Technology GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://www.kolb-technology.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kolb Design Technology is a German mechatronics manufacturer of clay modeling machines, milling systems, and integrated studio infrastructure for global automotive OEM design studios. It sells capital equipment, consumables, and after-sales service under the ConceptLine, StudioLine, and Studio System brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Design Equipment

NAICS

All Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (333248)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Aftermarket Tools, Equipment & Garage Accessories Manufacturing (Jacks/Lifts/Diagnostic Tools/Compressors) (IMACANAM)

Keywords

• Clay modeling machines
• CNC milling equipment
• Automotive design studio
• Modeling materials tools
• Mechatronic engineering systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Deggendorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Modeling Machines (ConceptLine, StudioLine): Sale of high-performance clay modeling and milling machines (ConceptLine Evo, ConceptLine, ConceptLine Mobile, StudioLine M/M+/L) to automotive OEMs and design studios. These are capital equipment purchases with full layout functionality and studio integration.
2. Studio Equipment & Tools: Sale of studio equipment (ClayHeater, ClayOven, DynocTub, PortableLift, MouldingPress, StudioMirror, Modeling and Milling Table) and consumables/tools (Clay, Modeling Tools, Milling Tools, Carbon Splines, Tapes, Whetstones, Styrofoam, 3D-Glue, SilverPeel & ClayPeel). Available via onlineshop.
3. Special Solutions & Custom Engineering: Custom mechatronic solutions and special machinery for non-automotive industries, developed as part of the STREICHER Group's engineering capabilities.
4. After-Sales Service: Comprehensive after-sales support including maintenance, spare parts, and technical service for the lifecycle of installed machines and equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kolb manufactures and sells high-performance clay modeling machines, CNC milling machines, integrated studio systems, and supporting materials/equipment for automotive OEM design studios worldwide. The company's offering spans the ConceptLine and StudioLine machine families, the integrated Studio System platform, the Classic materials and tools range, studio equipment, custom Special Solutions, and comprehensive after-sales service — enabling automotive designers to translate digital models into physical clay prototypes.

Product overview

Kolb Design Technology offers a comprehensive portfolio of modeling machines, studio equipment, materials, tools, and services for the global automotive design process. The product lineup consists of three core machine families: ConceptLine (Evo, Mobile, and standard) for clay modeling and layout work, StudioLine (M, M+, L) for high-performance milling operations, and the Studio System platform integrating floor solutions, extraction, lifting tables, safety systems, and scanning. Supporting these are the Classic materials range (clay, tools, tapes, styrofoam), Equipment line (heaters, ovens, mirrors, tables), and Special Solutions for custom mechatronic requirements. The company also provides a Virtual Showroom, Innovation Lab for R&D, and After Sales Service. Key innovations include Automatic Clay Application, Clay 3D Printing, and the ClayRecycler for sustainable material recycling. Founded in 1890 with plasticine invention, Kolb bridges digital and physical design worlds for automotive manufacturers worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ConceptLine: Series of modeling machines characterized by sleek and unobtrusive silhouette, versatility and flexibility. Includes ConceptLine Evo, ConceptLine, and ConceptLine Mobile variants.
• StudioLine
• Classic
• Equipment
• Special Solutions
• Innovation Lab

Products and services

• ConceptLine Evo Dedicated clay modeling machine with full layout functionality, 40 m/min feed rate, dual spindle modes (Eco 1kW / Power 2.2kW and Eco 2kW / Power 3.6kW), automatic clay application, and clay 3D printing capability for automotive OEM design studios.
• ConceptLine Mobile First self-driving milling machine with omnidirectional drive system and self-levelling capability, enabling flexible modeling at any location without measurement plates for automotive design studio work.
• ConceptLine Flexible clay modeling machine with full layout functionality, 20 m/min feed rate, designed for versatile automotive design applications.
• StudioLine M High-performance milling machine with 35 m/min feed rate, 11 kW/13 kW spindle, automatic tool changer, and integrated extraction system for precision machining of modeling materials in automotive design studios.
• StudioLine M+ Enhanced high-performance milling machine with higher performance capabilities, automatic tool changer, and integrated extraction system for professional automotive modeling studios.
• StudioLine L Large-scale milling machine capable of processing models up to 4 meters, 28 m/min feed rate, designed for highest-level automotive design milling applications.
• ClayRecycler Automated clay recycling system for sustainable reuse of clay materials in automotive design studios, closing the material loop from application through recycling to reuse.
• Studio System Holistic integrated studio system combining modeling machines, floor-integrated clay chip extraction (Clay Box), lifting tables, pin locators, safety barriers, scanning systems, and raised floor infrastructure for complete automotive design studio setups.
• Classic Materials and Modeling Tools Classic range of clay materials (TecClay, SuperClay, InDeClay), modeling tools, modeling slicks, milling tools, carbon splines, SilverPeel & ClayPeel, 3D-Glue, tapes, whetstones, and styrofoam for automotive design modeling work. Sold via the onlineshop.
• Studio Equipment Range Studio equipment including Mobile ClayHeater, ClayOven, DynocTub, PortableLift, MouldingPress, StudioMirror, Modeling and Milling Table, and Surface Control System (LED) for reibungslose design processes in automotive design studios.
• Special Solutions Individual and flexible mechatronic solutions for various industries including process design, automation technology with specific software, and custom engineering for automotive design and non-automotive industries.
• After Sales Service Comprehensive after-sales support including maintenance, spare parts, and technical service for the lifecycle of Kolb machines and equipment. Recognized with Top Service quality label in 2023.

Quantifiable outcome

• ConceptLine Evo: feed rate of 40 m/min (2x faster than standard ConceptLine at 20 m/min)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Car Design News (CDN)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 June 2025Kolb sponsors the 'Best Clay Modelling Team' award at the CDN People Awards 2025, an industry platform for automotive designers worldwide. The awards ceremony takes place 4 December 2025 at Old Billingsgate, London. CDN People Awards target designers, educators, students, and leaders globally.
• STREICHER GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKolb Design Technology is integrated into the mechanical engineering division of the STREICHER Group in Deggendorf since 2015. STREICHER provides synergies and cross-industry mechatronic know-how enabling Kolb to develop custom solutions. The parent company offers a wide range of engineering and construction capabilities.
• BMWmajorTechnology or IntegrationKolb supported BMW Munich with ConceptLine Evo machines for use in the automotive design studio. BMW is a key reference customer for Kolb's premium modeling machines.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Renishaw: UK-based global supplier of probing, scanning, and measurement systems used in automotive design studios and industrial metrology. Comparable to Kolb through its surface-inspection, scanning, and tooling offerings that overlap with Kolb's Studio System scanning/probing components, though Renishaw does not produce clay modeling machines.
• Carl Zeiss (Industrial Metrology / GOM): Germany-based industrial metrology leader (including the GOM 3D scanning brand) serving automotive design and quality inspection. Comparable to Kolb through its surface scanning and inspection systems used in automotive design studios, complementing and partly overlapping Kolb's Studio System scanning stack.
• Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence: Global measurement, scanning, and CAD-based quality solutions provider with strong automotive OEM relationships. Comparable as a complementary metrology/scanning ecosystem that supports the same automotive design studio workflows Kolb serves with its integrated Studio System.
• DMG Mori: One of the world's largest CNC machine tool manufacturers, combining German and Japanese heritage. Comparable to Kolb at the broader industrial machinery level — DMG Mori's high-precision milling platforms address the same premium machining market, though in metalworking rather than clay/modeling materials.
• Trumpf: German global leader in industrial machinery including machine tools and laser systems. Comparable through its scale in industrial machinery and mechatronic engineering capabilities — Trumpf's technology base parallels the mechanical engineering depth Kolb leverages via STREICHER Group.
• Haas Automation: US-based CNC machine tool manufacturer and one of the largest producers of vertical machining centers globally. Comparable as a broad incumbent in industrial CNC machinery serving similar engineering-design customers, though with broader machine-shop use cases rather than specialty clay/modeling equipment.

Emerging players

• Stratasys: Leading polymer and additive manufacturing systems provider widely used in automotive prototyping. Comparable as an emerging alternative to physical clay modeling — Stratasys's 3D printing platforms increasingly compete for design-studio prototyping budgets that historically went to Kolb's clay modeling workflow.
• Materialise: Belgium-based provider of 3D printing software and services with a strong automotive customer footprint. Comparable as an emerging alternative to traditional clay modeling for design prototyping, representing a structural substitute to Kolb's milling-based workflow for digital-to-physical design translation.
• Creaform (AMETEK): Canada-based 3D scanning and engineering services provider (now part of AMETEK). Comparable through its 3D scanning and surface measurement technologies used in automotive design and reverse engineering, complementing and competing with the scanning components of Kolb's Studio System.
• 3D Systems: US-based 3D printing solutions company serving automotive, aerospace, and industrial design customers. Comparable as an emerging alternative to physical clay modeling, with prototyping and design visualization offerings that may substitute portions of Kolb's clay-based design workflow over time.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/kolbdesigntechnology
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/KolbTechnology
• Facebookfacebook.com/KolbDesignTechnology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kolb-design-technology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Kolb