iMetal
iMetal Group is a privately held Chinese manufacturer of butt welding fittings and flanges per ASME and EN standards. Founded in 1994 in Hebei, it serves global oil and gas majors, EPC contractors, and industrial customers from a 300-employee, 80,000 sqm production base.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersHebei, China
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What iMetal does
iMetal Group is a privately held Chinese industrial manufacturer of butt welding fittings and forged flanges, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Yanshan County, Hebei Province, with a secondary flange mill in Dingxiang County, Shanxi Province acquired in July 2021. The company employs approximately 300 people and operates an 80,000 square meter manufacturing plant that produces fittings ranging from 1/2 inch to 72 inches in diameter in carbon and alloy steel grades, including A420 WPL6, A234 WPB, WP5/WP9/WP11/WP91, A860 WPHY52/60/65, and P235GH TC1/P265GH. iMetal is qualified to ASME B16.9, MSS SP-75, EN 10253-2 (fittings) and ASME B16.5, EN 1092-1 (flanges), with ISO9001:2015 certification and 100 percent inspection per order.
The company's product line consists of four anchor categories: ASME B16.9 butt welding fittings (elbows, tees, reducers, caps, crosses, bends), EN 10253-2 butt welding fittings, ASME B16.5 flanges (SO, WN, BL, PL, TH, SW, ORIF types from 150# to 2500#), and EN 1092-1 flanges (PN2.5 to PN100). iMetal markets itself on a 'European quality at Asian price' positioning and has institutionalized annual staff training at a leading Italian fittings manufacturer for which it provides OEM service, importing European process discipline into Chinese cost-base production.
iMetal sells exclusively via B2B enterprise channels, targeting oil and gas majors, EPC contractors, and industrial customers worldwide. Named end-customers include BP (Rumaila, Iraq), CNOOC, Eni (Tempa Rossa, Taranto), PetroChina, Lukoil (Kandym, Uzbekistan), Siemens, Enter Engineering (M-25), Eriell, YPFB Bolivia (Guillermo Elder Bell refinery), UDC Qatar (Pearl of Qatar), Technip (Midor refinery, Egypt), and Saipem (Dangote fertilizer, Nigeria). Pricing is quote-based through a website inquiry form, with project-based and multi-year contract cadence. The company has no public funding history, no institutional investor ownership, and no publicly disclosed revenue.
iMetal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- iMetal
- Legal name
- iMetal Group
- Website
- https://imetalgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- iMetal Group is a privately held Chinese manufacturer of butt welding fittings and flanges per ASME and EN standards. Founded in 1994 in Hebei, it serves global oil and gas majors, EPC contractors, and industrial customers from a 300-employee, 80,000 sqm production base.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
iMetal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Pipe Fittings and Flanges
- NAICS
- Fabricated Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing (332996), Bolt, Nut, Screw, Rivet, and Washer Manufacturing (332722), Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing (3327)
- SIC
- Bolts, Nuts, Screws, Rivets & Washers (3452), Steel Pipe & Tubes (3317)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty & Alloy Steel (Stainless, Tool Steel, Electrical Steel, High-Strength/HSLA) (IMAKABAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Pressure Vessels, Columns & Storage Tanks (ASME/Process Vessels) (IMAHAEAF)
Keywords
Where iMetal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hebei
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
iMetal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Manufacturing and sale of fittings: Manufacturing and selling butt welding fittings and flanges to oil and gas, power generation, shipbuilding, and chemical industries. Products include elbows, tees, reducers, caps, crosses, and bends in various specifications.
- OEM service: Providing OEM manufacturing service to leading Italian fittings manufacturer, offering European quality products at competitive Chinese manufacturing costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
iMetal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
iMetal manufactures and supplies butt welding fittings (elbows, tees, reducers, caps, crosses, bends) and forged flanges in carbon and alloy steels under ASME B16.9, MSS SP-75, EN 10253-2, ASME B16.5, and EN 1092-1 standards. The 80,000 sqm Hebei plant and the 2021-acquired Shanxi flange mill produce fittings from 1/2 inch to 72 inches for oil and gas, power generation, nuclear, offshore, chemical, and shipbuilding customers globally.
Product overview
iMetal is an industrial manufacturer of butt welding fittings and flanges for critical engineering applications. The product portfolio consists of four main product categories: ASME B16.9 B.W. fittings (including elbows, tees, reducers, caps, crosses, and bends to ASME B16.9 and MSS SP-75 standards), EN 10253-2 B.W. fittings (European standard equivalent), ASME B16.5 flanges (including SO, WN, BL, PL, TH, SW, and ORIF types), and EN 1092-1 flanges (European flange standard). The company produces carbon and alloy steel fittings in sizes from 1/2 inch to 72 inches, serving the oil and gas, chemical, power generation, nuclear, offshore, and general engineering sectors. iMetal operates manufacturing facilities in Hebei and Shanxi provinces, China, with over 30 years of industry experience and supplies products to major international energy companies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ASME B16.9 Butt Welding Fittings
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% inspection performed for each order with third-party inspection available
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use iMetal
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
iMetal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
iMetal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Italian fittings manufacturer (OEM partner)coreiMetal provides OEM service to leading Italian fittings manufacturer, offering products at much lower cost in China while maintaining European quality standards. Staff get trained annually at the Italian partner's facility.
- TPCO (Tianjin Pipe Corporation)coreRaw material sourced from reputable mill TPCO. Good quality products based on good raw material.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
iMetal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sanghvi Metal: Indian manufacturer of butt-weld fittings, flanges, and pipe components in carbon and stainless steel with global export focus. Competes head-to-head with iMetal on cost-positioned, internationally certified fittings for oil & gas and petrochemical projects.
- Bonney Forge: US-headquartered (with India manufacturing) producer of butt-weld fittings, forged fittings, and branch connections in alloy/stainless steel. Closest comparable in product mix, certification portfolio (ASME/EN), and IOC/EPC customer base.
- Metal Forge India: Indian producer of butt-weld fittings, flanges, and pipe spools in carbon, alloy, and stainless steel. Comparable cost-positioning to iMetal and serves similar IOC/EPC customers globally.
- Erne Fittings: Austrian manufacturer of butt-weld fittings (elbows, tees, reducers, caps) in carbon, alloy, and stainless steel to ASME and EN standards — essentially the same product category as iMetal, serving oil & gas, power, and chemical EPC customers worldwide.
- Raccortubi Group: Italian manufacturer and stockist of stainless steel butt-weld fittings, flanges, and pipes. Competes with iMetal in European-spec fittings for chemical, oil & gas, and pharmaceutical projects.
- Bebitz GmbH: German manufacturer of pipe fittings and flanges for industrial and process applications. Comparable in product mix and EN-standard certifications, with a strong European EPC customer base.
- Hackforth GmbH: German manufacturer of butt-weld and forged fittings, flanges, and special components for power, oil & gas, and shipbuilding. Comparable certification footprint and customer overlap in European EPCs.
- M.B.M. (M.B. Metal): Italian fittings manufacturer and iMetal's named OEM partner. Directly comparable product line (ASME/EN butt-weld fittings); strategic relationship rather than pure competition, but the underlying business is identical to iMetal's.
Broad incumbents
- Vallourec: Global French-headquartered leader in seamless steel pipes and pipe solutions for oil & gas, power, and industry. Overlaps with iMetal on flanges/fittings and serves the same IOC customer base but at a vastly larger scale and with broader product breadth.
Others
- TPCO (Tianjin Pipe Corporation): China's largest seamless steel pipe producer and iMetal's named raw-material supplier. Sits upstream of iMetal in the pipe-components value chain and represents both a key input dependency and an adjacent Chinese industrial player.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
iMetal social profiles
Digital presenceiMetal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
iMetal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
iMetal subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
iMetal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
iMetal M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about iMetal
What does iMetal do?
iMetal manufactures and supplies butt welding fittings (elbows, tees, reducers, caps, crosses, bends) and forged flanges in carbon and alloy steels under ASME B16.9, MSS SP-75, EN 10253-2, ASME B16.5, and EN 1092-1 standards. The 80,000 sqm Hebei plant and the 2021-acquired Shanxi flange mill produce fittings from 1/2 inch to 72 inches for oil and gas, power generation, nuclear, offshore, chemical, and shipbuilding customers globally.
Is iMetal a public or private company?
iMetal is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was iMetal founded?
iMetal was founded in 1994. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is iMetal based?
iMetal is headquartered in Hebei, China, in the Asia region.
How does iMetal make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Manufacturing and sale of fittings are the primary driver. The others are OEM service.
Who are iMetal's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sanghvi Metal, Bonney Forge, Metal Forge India, Erne Fittings, Raccortubi Group, Bebitz GmbH, Hackforth GmbH and M.B.M. (M.B. Metal). Vallourec is listed as a broad incumbent. TPCO (Tianjin Pipe Corporation) is listed as an others.
Does iMetal have an API?
No public API is recorded for iMetal.
What industry is iMetal in?
iMetal's product category is Industrial Pipe Fittings and Flanges. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKABAJ, Specialty & Alloy Steel (Stainless, Tool Steel, Electrical Steel, High-Strength/HSLA), with a secondary code of IMAHAEAF, Pressure Vessels, Columns & Storage Tanks (ASME/Process Vessels). Its NAICS code is 332996 and its SIC code is 3452.