Fourne

What Fourne does

Fourné Maschinenbau GmbH is a family-owned German engineering company founded in 1974 and headquartered in Alfter-Impekoven near Bonn, specializing in the design and manufacture of specialized production plants and laboratory equipment for the fiber and polymer industries. Its product portfolio spans the full process chain, including melt spinning plants (standard up to 350°C, high-temperature up to 500°C for PEEK and PPS), solution spinning systems for hollow and specialty fibers including bicomponent configurations, wet spinning plants, polymerization and polycondensation plants, dry spinning and electrospinning equipment, complete carbon fiber lines, and ancillary systems such as injection extruders, coagulation and washing baths, quench air chambers, vacuum dryers, vacuum pyrolysis cleaning ovens and solvent cleaning units. Equipment is offered across a wide scale envelope, from laboratory piston spinning units with cylinder volumes as small as 10 cm³ to pilot and production-scale plants with throughputs up to 50 kg per hour.

The company serves three primary customer segments: fiber and polymer manufacturers producing high-tech, specialty, hollow, medical, technical and industrial yarns (primary); medical textile and biodegradable device developers requiring controlled-degradation fiber capability; and R&D facilities such as universities and research institutes requiring flexible, small-batch pilot equipment. Notable collaborations include participation in the pHMed research project (2017–2020) with ITA RWTH Aachen, AME Helmholtz, DWI Leibniz, EnvisionTec and Evonik Creavis to develop pH-optimized biodegradable medical fibers. End markets include medical, technical and industrial fiber applications globally.

Fourné generates revenue primarily through one-time capital equipment sales of custom-engineered production plants, laboratory systems and components, supplemented by recurring after-sales services including spare parts supply, on-site installation and maintenance, component upgrades and plant relocation. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with multi-year contract billing typical for production-scale installations. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales from the German headquarters with a network of country-specific representatives and agencies covering nine regions including Russia/CIS, India, Spain/Portugal/Morocco, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, USA and Brazil/South America, supported by trade fair presence (notably K 2025) and a German-English bilingual website.

Name

Fourne

Legal name

Fourné Maschinenbau GmbH

Website

https://fourne-maschinenbau.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fourné Maschinenbau GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer of specialized fiber and polymer production machinery, serving fiber/polymer producers, medical textile developers, and R&D facilities with custom equipment from laboratory-scale spinning units to full production plants and cleaning systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Fiber Production Machinery

NAICS

Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (32522), Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Man-Made Fiber Manufacturing (Polyester/Nylon/Acrylic/Viscose) (IMAOAAAB)

Keywords

• Fiber production machinery
• Polymer processing equipment
• Melt spinning plants
• Industrial fiber manufacturing
• Polymerization plant systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Alfter

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Machinery Manufacturing: Design, manufacturing, and sale of custom fiber and polymer production plants and laboratory equipment. Products range from small laboratory spinning units to pilot plants and full production-scale systems. Revenue is generated through one-time capital equipment sales with associated installation, commissioning, and training services.
2. After-Sales Services and Spare Parts: Comprehensive lifecycle services including spare parts supply, wear parts, on-site installation, maintenance, component upgrades, and relocation services for customers' existing Fourné equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Fourné Maschinenbau GmbH designs and manufactures specialized machinery and complete plants for synthetic fiber and polymer production. Its portfolio includes production plants for melt spinning, solution wet spinning, dry spinning, electrospinning, and polymerization/polycondensation, plus modular laboratory and pilot systems, vacuum pyrolysis cleaning ovens, dryers, and after-treatment equipment. The company supports customers with spare parts, maintenance, component upgrades, and complete plant relocation services.

Product overview

Fourné Maschinenbau GmbH is a family-owned German company with 50 years of experience manufacturing machinery and systems for the fiber and polymer industries. The product portfolio consists of three main categories: (1) Production Plants for High-Tech Fibers including solution spinning systems for hollow and special fibers, spinning plants for medical fibers, high temperature melt spinning plants, and spandex melt spinning plants; (2) Components for Production Plants including vacuum pyrolysis cleaning ovens, solvent cleaning units, biconical vacuum dryers, coagulation and washing baths, quench air chambers, injection extruders, and hot air/drum dryers; and (3) Laboratory and Pilot Plants including laboratory piston spinning units, melt spintesters (laboratory: 300g-5kg/hour; pilot: 4-50kg/hour), wet spinning plants, polymerization and polycondensation plants, vacuum dryers, solid state polycondensation equipment, dry spinning plants, electrospinning plants, carbon fiber lines, draw twisting/texturing units, and after-treatment lines. The company also provides lifecycle services including spare parts supply, maintenance, component upgrades, and plant relocation support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solution Spinning Systems for Hollow and Special Fibers Specialized spinning systems engineered for the production of hollow fibers and other specialty fibers via solution wet spinning processes. Targeted at industrial fiber manufacturers needing non-standard fiber geometries.
• Spinning Plants for Medical Fibers Complete spinning plant systems for the production of medical-grade fibers used in healthcare applications. Targeted at medical textile and hygiene product manufacturers.
• High Temperature Melt Spinning Plants Melt spinning plants designed for high-temperature operation, capable of processing temperature-resistant polymers and technical fibers. Targeted at producers of technical and high-performance fibers.
• Spandex Melt Spinning Plants Melt spinning plants configured for the production of spandex (elastane) fibers. Targeted at textile manufacturers producing stretch fibers for apparel and technical applications.
• Dry Spinning Plants Plants using dry spinning technology to produce synthetic fibers through solvent evaporation. Targeted at chemical and textile manufacturers producing acrylic and similar dry-spun fibers.
• Electrospinning Plants Electrospinning plants that produce nanofibers using high-voltage electrostatic processes. Targeted at advanced materials producers, filtration manufacturers, and biomedical research institutions.
• Carbon Fiber Lines Complete production lines for the manufacture of carbon fibers. Targeted at manufacturers of lightweight composite materials serving aerospace, automotive, and industrial markets.
• Polymerization and Polycondensation Plants Industrial-scale plants performing polymerization and polycondensation reactions to produce polymers used as precursors for fiber spinning. Targeted at chemical producers supplying the fiber industry.
• Solid State Polycondensation (SSP) Solid state polycondensation equipment used to increase molecular weight and improve properties of polymers after initial polymerization. Targeted at polymer producers requiring enhanced polymer characteristics.
• Laboratory Piston Spinning Unit Compact laboratory-scale spinning unit using piston extrusion for fiber research and small-batch testing. Targeted at university research labs and industrial R&D departments developing new fiber formulations.
• Laboratory and Pilot Melt Spintester Pilot-scale melt spinning test equipment for laboratory evaluation of polymer spinning behavior and fiber properties. Targeted at polymer researchers and fiber development engineers.
• Laboratory and Pilot Wet Spinning Plants Pilot-scale wet spinning plants for laboratory and small-scale fiber production via solution spinning. Targeted at research institutions and process development teams.
• Vacuum Pyrolysis Cleaning Oven Industrial oven that uses vacuum pyrolysis to remove polymer residues from spinners, spin packs, and other production components. Targeted at fiber production plants requiring regular cleaning to maintain uptime and product quality.
• Solvent Cleaning Units Solvent-based cleaning units for spinners, spin packs, and related production components. Targeted at fiber manufacturers needing effective cleaning as part of routine maintenance.
• Biconical Vacuum Dryers Biconical-shaped vacuum dryers for polymer and chemical drying processes. Targeted at chemical and polymer producers requiring moisture removal under vacuum.
• Vacuum Dryers (VTS) Vacuum tower dryers used for drying polymers and other materials under vacuum conditions. Targeted at fiber and polymer production operations.
• Coagulation and Washing Baths Coagulation and washing baths used in wet spinning fiber production to solidify and purify extruded filaments. Targeted at wet spinning fiber manufacturers.
• Quench Air Chambers Quench air chambers that provide controlled cooling of freshly extruded filaments in melt spinning lines. Targeted at producers of melt-spun fibers.
• Injection Extruders Injection extruders used in fiber spinning lines to melt and meter polymer feedstock into the spinning beam. Targeted at fiber production plant operators.
• Hot Air and Drum Dryers Hot air and drum dryers used to remove moisture or solvents from fibers after spinning and washing. Targeted at wet and dry spinning fiber producers.
• Draw Twisting Units Draw twisting units that orient and twist synthetic fibers after spinning to achieve desired tensile and textural properties. Targeted at synthetic fiber manufacturers.
• Draw Texturing Units Draw texturing units that impart texture and bulk to synthetic fibers through combined drawing and texturing processes. Targeted at producers of textured synthetic yarns.
• After Treatment Lines Complete after-treatment lines for finishing synthetic fibers downstream of spinning, including drawing, washing, drying, and winding. Targeted at industrial fiber producers.
• Plant Relocation Services Engineering services for dismantling, transporting, and reinstalling complete fiber or polymer production plants at new sites. Targeted at fiber and polymer manufacturers changing production locations.
• Spare Parts Supply Supply of spare parts for Fourné-built fiber and polymer production equipment to maintain operational continuity. Targeted at existing customers with installed Fourné plants.
• Maintenance Services Preventive and corrective maintenance services for Fourné fiber and polymer production equipment. Targeted at plant operators needing expert technical support.
• Component Upgrade Services Engineering services to upgrade or retrofit components of existing fiber and polymer production plants to improve performance or extend capability. Targeted at operators of installed Fourné equipment seeking modernization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Throughput range: 300g to 50kg per hour depending on laboratory or pilot configuration
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ITA – Institute for Textile Technology for RWTH AachencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017Academic partner in the pHMed project (03/2017 – 02/2020) focused on developing solution-spun PLA fibers with pH-neutral degradation characteristics for medical applications. ITA conducted development of bicomponent solvent spinning process in cooperation with Fourné.
• AME – Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017Research partner in the pHMed project developing biodegradable materials with optimized pH degradability for medical applications including sutures, wound dressing, and implants.
• DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive MaterialscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017Research partner in the pHMed project working on μ-gel materials with high proton binding capacity for pH-optimized fiber degradation in medical applications.
• EnvisionTec GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017Industrial partner in the pHMed project contributing to rapid prototyping capabilities for patient-individualized implants using biodegradable materials.
• Evonik Creavis GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017Industrial partner and one of the largest manufacturers of biodegradable materials (Resomer® product family) supporting the upscaling of processes in the pHMed project. Global NRW company providing materials expertise.
• Textima Export Import GmbH (Russia/GUS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCountry representative for Russia and GUS regions. Contact: Mrs. Ksenia Bakhteeva, Moskau, Russia.
• SAN-IndiTex Ventures (India)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCountry representative for India. Contact: Mr. Sanjay Chebbi, Mumbai.
• STX Servicios y Gestión Textil Trade S.L. (Spain/Portugal/Morocco)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCountry representative for Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Contact: Mr. Jordi Deu Prats, Barcelona.
• Pana Pars Co. Inc. (Iran)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCountry representative for Iran. Contact: Ms. Neda Nazari, Tehran.
• Techno World Instrument Service (Pakistan)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCountry representative for Pakistan. Contact: Mr. Danish Akhlaque, Karachi.
• Tekstil Servis (Turkey)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCountry representative for Turkey. Contact: Mr. Ömer San, Istanbul.
• PT Indopoly Swatama (Indonesia)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCountry representative for Indonesia. Contact: Mr. Rudy Saujana, Jakarta.
• Frankl&Thomas, Inc. (USA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCountry representative for USA. Contact: Mr. Michael Alexander, Greenville, SC.
• IS Interamericana Ltda. (Brazil/South America)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCountry representative for Brazil and South America. Contact: Dr. Alexandre Grunewald, São Paulo.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• STC (Sächsische Textilforschungsinstitut) / Spinning Lab Equipment Makers: Research institutes and emerging vendors offer laboratory and pilot spinning systems for fiber R&D. Comparable to Fourné's laboratory piston spinning units and pilot melt spintesters, though typically more research-oriented and less industrialized.

Broad incumbents

• Autefa Solutions: Autefa supplies nonwoven lines, bale opening, and fiber processing equipment. Comparable to Fourné as a European textile machinery provider for fiber processing, though more focused on nonwovens and staple fiber preparation than specialty spinning.
• Trützschler Nonwovens & Man-Made Fibers: Trützschler is a leading German manufacturer of staple fiber lines, nonwoven machinery, and spinning preparation equipment. Comparable to Fourné as a German-based specialty textile machinery maker serving fiber producers with engineered capital equipment.
• Saurer (Rieter Group): Saurer specializes in twisting, embroidery, and staple fiber machinery. Comparable to Fourné as a European textile machinery vendor serving industrial yarn customers, particularly in twisting and yarn processing after-treatment.
• Oerlikon Textile (Barmag/Neumag): Oerlikon is a large diversified industrial group whose textile division (Barmag, Neumag) designs and manufactures manmade fiber spinning and texturing systems, including melt spinning for filament yarns and nonwovens. Directly overlaps with Fourné's melt spinning and BCF/texturing equipment for similar fiber industry customers but at much greater scale and breadth.
• ANDRITZ (Nonwoven & Textile division): ANDRITZ supplies engineered production lines for nonwovens, needlepunch, spunlace, and wetlaid as well as textile finishing. Comparable to Fourné as a provider of specialty process lines to fiber/textile manufacturers, though much larger and broader in scope.

Others

• DIENES Werke: DIENES is a German manufacturer of industrial knives, blades, and cutting equipment used in fiber, nonwoven, and film production. Adjacent comparable to Fourné as a German Mittelstand industrial supplier serving the same fiber/polymer industry with specialized production components.
• Evonik Industries (Resomer / Specialty Polymers): Evonik is a leading manufacturer of biodegradable polymers (Resomer) and a strategic partner in Fourné's pHMed project. Adjacent comparable as a supplier of bioresorbable polymers whose material innovations drive demand for Fourné's medical fiber spinning equipment.

Direct peers

• Hills, Inc. Hills is a US-based specialty manufacturer of melt spinning equipment, particularly for bicomponent and multi-component fibers at pilot and production scale. Comparable to Fourné as a niche supplier of custom-engineered specialty fiber spinning machinery, particularly for technical and nonwoven applications.
• TMT Machinery (Toshimitsu): TMT Machinery (Japan) specializes in draw texturing, draw twisting, and false-twist texturing machines for synthetic filament yarns. Directly comparable to Fourné's draw twisting and texturing units for fiber producers in technical and industrial yarn segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Fourne