What Ultrafilter does

Ultrafilter GmbH is a privately held, family-owned German manufacturer of high-performance filtration, drying, condensate management, and measurement products for compressed air, technical gases, and liquids. Founded in 2006 under the leadership of Dipl.-Ing. Dean Kronsbein and tracing its operational roots to 1972, the company is headquartered in Hilden, North Rhine-Westphalia, and serves industrial manufacturing, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical and petrochemical, and plastics customers across more than 30 countries through a combination of wholly-owned subsidiaries and distribution partners. Named enterprise customers include Arla Foods Deutschland, SATA, and Kristall-Glasfabrik Amberg.

The company differentiates through a portfolio of proprietary technologies developed over four decades, most notably its patented binder-free borosilicate glass fiber filter medium (1983), Ultra Fibre oleophobic fiber technology, and pleated filter design delivering 450% larger surface area. These underpin performance claims of 70% lower differential pressure, 70% energy savings versus conventional filters, and sterile filtration separation efficiency of 99.99998% at 0.01 µm. The product portfolio spans high-performance and OEM-compatible replacement filter elements, process and sterile filters, refrigeration, adsorption (with a proprietary load-dependent control system reducing energy consumption by 50%), and membrane dryers, condensate drains and oil-water separators, and a measurement technology line for dew point, consumption, leakage, residual oil, and particle monitoring.

Ultrafilter operates an enterprise field-sales model in which technical sales engineers deliver on-site, application-specific system solutions, supplemented by the ultra.air GmbH energy and service subsidiary. Revenue is generated primarily through quote-based hardware sales of filtration and drying components (including OEM replacement filters for major brands such as Atlas Copco, Domnick Hunter, Zander, Hankinson, Kaeser, and Ingersoll Rand), recurring consumable replacement cycles, professional services including EnergyAudit and inspection/maintenance, and full-service managed contracts on a monthly flat-rate basis. The company holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485, ISO 14001, FDA, cGMP, USP, ASME, and GOST certifications and is a member of the VDMA (German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association).

Name

Ultrafilter

Legal name

ultrafilter GmbH

Website

https://ultra-filter.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ultrafilter GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer of high-performance filtration, drying, condensate management, and measurement products for compressed air, technical gases, and liquids, serving industrial manufacturing, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and chemical customers across more than 30 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Filtration Equipment

NAICS

Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413), Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)

akta.pro primary industry

Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Air Quality & Filtration Equipment (IAQ) (IMAHAKAI), Industrial Drying & Evaporation Equipment (Dryers, Evaporators, Crystallizers) (IMAHAEAD), Dust Collection & Air Filtration Equipment (Industrial) (IMAHALAF), Replacement Filter Cartridges & Consumables (CRAJAJAH)

Keywords

• Compressed air filtration
• Industrial filter elements
• Process filtration systems
• Adsorption drying equipment
• Condensate treatment systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Filtration Products: Sale of high-performance filter elements, industrial filters, process filters, and sterile filters for compressed air, technical gases, and liquids. Includes replacement filters compatible with other manufacturers' housings (Atlas Copco, Domnick Hunter, Zander, etc.)
2. Drying Equipment: Sale of refrigeration dryers, adsorption dryers (cold-regenerating and warm-regenerating), and membrane dryers for compressed air drying applications
3. Condensate Technology: Condensate drains, oil-water separators, compressed air reservoirs, cyclone separators, and pre/post coolers
4. Measurement Technology: Sale of dew point measurement, consumption measurement, leakage detection, residual oil measurement, particle measurement equipment, displays, data loggers, and calibration services
5. EnergyAudit Services: Professional recording of entire compressed air consumption using modern measurement technology, analysis of current state, system proposals for optimization, and amortization calculations
6. Inspection and Maintenance Services: Regular inspections and maintenance work according to checklists, mobile workshop for repair work on-site
7. Full-Service Contracts: Monthly flat-rate covering all inspection, maintenance, repair costs, and spare/wear parts costs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ultrafilter GmbH manufactures and sells high-performance filtration products (industrial filter elements, sterile and process filters, OEM replacement filters) along with compressed air dryers (refrigeration, adsorption, membrane), condensate treatment systems (drains, oil-water separators, cyclone separators, reservoirs), and measurement instrumentation (dew point, consumption, leak, residual oil, particle) for industrial compressed air, technical gases, steam, and liquid processing applications. The company also provides recurring services including inspection, maintenance, EnergyAudit, full-service flat-rate contracts, repair, and calibration.

Product overview

Ultrafilter GmbH is a premium manufacturer offering a comprehensive, modular portfolio of filtration, drying, condensate technology, and measurement products for compressed air, technical gases, and liquids processing. The product line is organized into four main categories: (1) Industriefiltration encompassing high-performance filter elements (pleated PE, FF, MF, SMF, AK, FFP, MFP, SMFP series), high-performance filter housings, and OEM replacement filters; (2) Prozessfiltration including Sterilfilter (P)-SRF, Dampffilter (P)-GS, vent filters, SM-filters, process filters, and stainless steel housings for pharmaceutical/food applications; (3) Trocknung comprising Kältetrockner (refrigeration dryers ultra.pulse and UDA/UDW), Adsorptionstrockner (cold and warm-regenerating including HeatLess HL, ultra.dry compact, HRE, VarioBlo), and Membrantrockner (UFM series); and (4) Kondensattechnik including Kondensatableiter (UAD S012, ultradrain), Öl-Wasser-Trenner (ultra.sep), Zyklonabscheider, and accessories. Completing the portfolio is Messtechnik for quality monitoring including Taupunktmessung, Verbrauchssmessung, Leckageortung, Restölmessung, Partikelmessung, Displays/Datenlogger (UF 330/331), and Kalibrierung services. The products are designed for industrial, food/beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, and petrochemical applications with a focus on energy efficiency and 70% energy savings through advanced pleated filter media technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ultra.air: Energy and service company providing services related to compressed air, from maintenance to complete redesign of compressed air stations.
• ultra fibre
• ultra.pure
• ultra.dry
• HeatLess HL
• ultra.sep
• ultra.drain

Products and services

• Industrial Filtration (Industriefiltration) Comprehensive line of high-performance industrial filters, pureair filter series, and OEM replacement filter elements for removal of water, oil aerosols, and particles from compressed air and gases; compatible with housing from Atlas Copco, Domnick Hunter, Zander, Hankinson, Kaeser, Ingersoll Rand, and others. Sold to industrial enterprises through direct enterprise field sales.
• High-Performance Filter Elements (Hochleistungsfilterelemente) Pleated multi-layer binder-free borosilicate glass fiber filter elements providing 450% larger filter media surface area and 70% energy savings versus conventional filter elements. Sold to industrial customers requiring efficient compressed air filtration.
• High-Performance Filter Housings (Hochleistungsfilter IF and SG series) Filter housings and complete filter units for industrial applications, including IF and SG series with modular connection technology. Sold to industrial compressed air system integrators and end users.
• OEM Replacement Filters (Fremdfilter) Replacement filter elements compatible with housings from Atlas Copco, Domnick Hunter, Zander, Hankinson, Kaeser, Ingersoll Rand, and others; enables cross-platform replacement for industrial compressed air users.
• Process Filtration (Prozessfiltration) Broad range of process filters for filtration of air, steam, technical gases, and liquids with stainless steel filter housings and diverse connection options, serving pharmaceutical, food & beverage, and chemical process industries.
• Sterile Filter (P)-SRF Wound depth filter from borosilicate glass fiber filter medium with stainless steel support sleeves and end caps. Achieves 99.99998% separation efficiency at 0.01 µm. Used in food & beverage and pharmaceutical production for sterile compressed air.
• Steam Filter (P)-GS Steam filter for removal of particles from gases, liquids, and water vapor. Made from regeneratable seamless filter tube of sintered stainless steel with retention rates from 1 to 25 microns. Used in pharmaceutical and process industries.
• Vent Filters (P-BE) Depth filters ensuring 100% sterility for storage of pharmaceutical products, chemicals, or food. Retention rate above 99.999% at 0.01 µm; FDA-compliant for food contact applications.
• SM-Filter Stainless steel filter elements for particle filtration with surface filters ranging from 1 µm to 1000 µm. Suitable for high-viscosity liquids and operating temperatures up to 200°C. Sold to chemical and process industry customers.
• Process Filter Housings (P-EG) Stainless steel housings for sterile filters in 12 single and 6 multi configurations (3-10 filter elements), available in 1.4301 (V2A) and 1.4404 (V4A) stainless steel for pharmaceutical and food-grade applications.
• Drying (Trocknung) High-performance dryers that remove moisture from compressed air to guarantee economical and safe production operations, including refrigeration, adsorption, and membrane dryers. Sold to industrial compressed air users across manufacturing sectors.
• Refrigeration Dryers (Kältetrockner) Refrigeration dryers for air drying at dew points of approximately 3°C (6-7 g/m³) with up to 50% energy savings. Models include ultra.pulse and UDA/UDW series with microprocessor controls. Sold to industrial compressed air users.
• Adsorption Dryers (Adsorptionstrockner) Adsorption dryers delivering pressure dew points from -20°C to -70°C. Includes cold-regenerating (ultra.dry compact, HeatLess HL) and warm-regenerating (ultra.dry HRE, VarioBlo) models using the proprietary load-dependent control system reducing energy consumption by 50%.
• Membrane Dryers (UFM) Point-of-use membrane dryers for small volume flows using hollow fiber technology. Achieve pressure dew points down to -40°C, maintenance-free operation with 14 sizes from 2 to 180 m³/h. Sold for industrial point-of-use applications.
• Condensate Technology (Kondensattechnik) Complete portfolio for condensate treatment and drainage, including condensate drains, oil-water separators (ultra.sep), compressed air reservoirs, cyclone separators, and pre/post coolers for industrial compressed air systems.
• Condensate Drains (Kondensatableiter) Level-controlled condensate drains including UAD S012 with 4 sizes for capacities of 30 to 150 l/h condensate, with robust construction and corrosion-resistant coating. Sold to industrial compressed air users.
• Oil-Water Separators (Öl-Wasser-Trenner ultra.sep) Separates compressed air condensate regardless of compressor oil type, suitable for all compressor types with simple element exchange and optical overflow indicator. Used by industrial compressed air system operators.
• Cyclone Separators (Zyklonabscheider) Cyclone separators in aluminum (AG-Z series, 125-2,250 m³/h) and steel (SG-Z series, 2,400-15,000 m³/h) housings with flanged connections. Sold to industrial compressed air system builders.
• Measurement Technology (Messtechnik) Measurement technology for monitoring compressed air quality including dew point, consumption, leakage detection, residual oil, particle measurement, displays/loggers, and calibration services. Sold to industrial compressed air users.
• Dew Point Measurement (Taupunktmessung) Dew point sensors and monitors for monitoring moisture in compressed air and gas distribution networks to prevent corrosion and equipment failures. Sold to industrial compressed air users.
• Consumption Measurement (Verbrauchssmessung) Thermal mass flow meters for consumption measurements in compressed air, process gases, explosive gases, and burner air supply applications.
• Leak Detection (Leckageortung UF 530) Ultrasonic leak detectors (UF 530) for finding leaks in compressed air systems that can cause losses of several thousand euros. Sold as a standalone service or product to industrial customers.
• Residual Oil Measurement (UF 120) Residual oil sensor monitoring oil content of compressed air and gases in stationary or portable configurations, installable on data loggers UF 551 and UF 331. Sold to industrial compressed air users.
• Particle Measurement (UF 130) Laser particle counters optimized for compressed air and compressed gases, designed for 24/7 continuous operation with measurement range from 0.1 to 5.0 µm. Sold to industrial quality monitoring customers.
• Displays / Data Loggers / Software (UF 330/331) Universal display and data logger for measuring and recording all relevant parameters (flow, consumption, dew point, pressure, temperature, power consumption, compressor status) in compressed air systems.
• Calibration Service (Kalibrierung) Calibration service for all sensors including third-party brands, with pressure dew point and flow calibration performed in Ultrafilter test and calibration laboratories. Sold as a recurring service to industrial customers.
• Inspection and Maintenance Services Regular inspections and maintenance work according to checklists, with mobile workshop for repair work on-site. Sold as recurring service contracts to industrial compressed air users.
• Full-Service Contracts (Full-Service) Monthly flat-rate contract covering all inspection, maintenance, repair costs, and spare/wear parts costs for industrial compressed air systems. Sold as multi-year managed service contracts.
• EnergyAudit Services Professional recording of entire compressed air consumption using modern measurement technology, analysis of current state, system proposals for optimization, and amortization calculations. Sold as a professional consulting engagement.
• Repair Service (Reparaturdienst) Mobile workshop for repair work on-site at industrial customer facilities. Sold on a service-fee basis to industrial customers.
• Quality Measurement / Laboratory Service (Qualitätsmessung, Laborservice) Quality measurement and laboratory services for compressed air users, including testing of compressed air quality and IUTA-certified residual oil analysis (FF, FF-01, AK test methods).

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% lower differential pressure compared to conventional filters
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, historical and supporting.

• ultraair GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008In March 2008, ultrafilter GmbH acquired the ultraair Group energy and compressed air service provider. This acquisition enabled Ultrafilter to offer customers access to all energy-saving potential along the entire value chain of compressed air (from energy generation to end user).
• E.ONmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001In 2001, Dipl.-Ing. Dean Kronsbein founded ultra.air GmbH as an energy and service company and signed an exclusive cooperation agreement with EON (energy company). This partnership focused on energy services in the compressed air sector.
• Donaldson Filtration GmbHhistoricalOthersDean Kronsbein left Donaldson Filtration GmbH in 2007 and took over Ultrafilter GmbH, which was founded in 2006. Prior to this, he worked at Donaldson.
• Various Universities and Research InstitutessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough continuous investments and long-term cooperations with scientific institutes and universities, Ultrafilter ensures continuous further and new development of preparation solutions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Donaldson Company: Donaldson is a global manufacturer of filtration systems for compressed air, gases, and liquids — directly comparable to Ultrafilter across industrial, process, and sterile filtration. Notably, Dean Kronsbein (Ultrafilter's founder) was previously at Donaldson Filtration GmbH, making it the most relevant direct peer for both technology and market positioning.
• MANN+HUMMEL: German-headquartered global filtration specialist with industrial air, gas, and liquid filtration product lines closely overlapping Ultrafilter's portfolio. Comparable product breadth (filtration + process filtration), similar European industrial customer base, and similar German manufacturing pedigree.
• Ingersoll Rand: Ingersoll Rand offers compressed air filtration, dryers, and condensate management products through its Industrial Technologies segment, directly competing with Ultrafilter's filtration/drying/condensate portfolio. Ultrafilter explicitly manufactures OEM-compatible replacement elements for Ingersoll Rand housings.
• Camfil: Camfil is a global manufacturer of air filters and air purification systems for industrial and process applications, with a strong European footprint and similar target customer base in pharma, food & beverage, and general manufacturing. Directly comparable product portfolio and energy-efficiency value proposition.
• Parker Hannifin: Parker Hannifin's Industrial Gas Filtration and Purification division (including the domnick hunter brand) is a direct competitor to Ultrafilter in compressed air and technical gas filtration. Sells into the same food & beverage, pharmaceutical, and industrial verticals with comparable ISO/FDA/cGMP-certified products.
• Kaeser Kompressoren: German-headquartered compressed air systems manufacturer whose filtration and drying accessories directly compete with Ultrafilter's industrial filtration portfolio. Same German Mittelstand heritage, same Western European customer base, and Ultrafilter lists Kaeser housings as an explicit OEM-compatibility target.
• Atlas Copco: Atlas Copco's Compressor Technique division offers industrial filters and dryers as part of its compressed air solutions, including the OEM replacement filter elements that Ultrafilter explicitly manufactures compatible alternatives for. Directly competes with Ultrafilter in industrial compressed air filtration and drying.
• SPX FLOW (now part of Ingersoll Rand): SPX FLOW / Deltech brand historically manufactured compressed air filtration and drying equipment directly comparable to Ultrafilter's high-performance filter elements, adsorption dryers, and condensate management products. Targets the same industrial compressed air aftermarket.

Regional players

• Bauer Kompressoren: German-based manufacturer of high-pressure and breathing-air compressors with filtration accessories serving comparable industrial, food & beverage, and breathing-air customers in DACH and broader EMEA. Regional overlap with Ultrafilter's ultra.pure breathing-air product line.

Emerging players

• Zander Group (now part of Hengstler): German filtration specialist explicitly listed as an OEM housing brand for which Ultrafilter manufactures compatible replacement filter elements. Overlapping product portfolio in compressed air filtration and drying, serving similar regulated F&B and pharma customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8Tzmwj8P4Zef_nXVjJCO-A
• Xx.com/ufgbltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/ultrafiltergmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ultrafilter-gmbh

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries9 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 Ultrafilter