What IKS Klingelnberg GmbH does

TKM Group (operating through entities including IKS Klingelnberg GmbH, website interknife.com) is a German-headquartered manufacturer of precision industrial cutting tools, machine knives, doctor blades, saws, and machine elements, founded in 1908 in Remscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia. The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Groz-Beckert Group, a diversified industrial conglomerate, and runs 14 subsidiary companies across 10 countries in Europe, North America, and Asia, supported by 70 worldwide service partners and a workforce of approximately 950. Its portfolio spans roughly 50,000 SKUs organized by industry vertical — paper, wood, metal, plastics/rubber/recycling, printing and packaging, non-woven, food, and chemical — and includes patented flagship products such as TKM NEO® (a lamella-design doctor blade for rotogravure developed with Bergische Universität Wuppertal) and the TKM eKnife (a universal three-sided book trimming knife with a carrier/blade exchange system).

The business model combines hardware sales (industrial knives, machine knives, Rakel/doctor blades, saws, machine elements, and spare parts for printing machines) with recurring service revenue including resharpening, repairs, refilling, specialized coatings, and contract manufacturing. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct, executed through the company's own sales employees, regional subsidiaries, and independent sales representatives, with production concentrated in seven European locations plus one in Asia. Digital channels — a Solution App (iOS/Android), CASKA wave-root engineering software, a published problem-treatment knowledge base, LinkedIn, and YouTube — supplement the field sales motion and serve as technical-support and top-of-funnel content vehicles. Certifications include ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental), and ISO 50001 (energy management).

Name

IKS Klingelnberg GmbH

Legal name

TKM GmbH

Website

https://interknife.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TKM Group is a German industrial cutting tools manufacturer producing precision knives, doctor blades, saws, and machine elements for paper, printing, wood, metal, plastics, rubber, recycling, food, and chemical industries across 10 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Cutting Tools

NAICS

Cutting Tool and Machine Tool Accessory Manufacturing (333515), Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (33221), Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993)

SIC

Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420), Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment (3555), Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures) (IMAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial Saws & Cutting Systems (Band/Circular Saws, Abrasive Cutting) (IMAHADAL)

Keywords

• Industrial cutting tools
• Machine knives
• Doctor blades
• Industrial saws
• Precision blades

Headquarters

HQ city

Remscheid

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Cutting Tools Sales: Sale of industrial knives, machine knives, doctor blades (Rakel), saws, machine elements and spare parts for printing machines
2. Services: Resharpening services, repairs, refilling, specialized coatings for extended service life, technical seminars, cutting symposiums

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Manufactures and sells precision industrial cutting tools including industrial knives, machine knives, doctor blades (Rakel), saws, and machine elements for the paper, wood, metal, plastics, rubber, recycling, printing, food, and chemical industries. Operates 14 subsidiaries across 10 countries with 7 European and 1 Asian production facilities.

Product overview

TKM Group is a manufacturer of industrial cutting tools offering a unified portfolio of precision knives, saws, doctor blades, and machine elements. The core product line includes Industriemesser (industrial knives), Maschinenmesser (machine knives), Rakel (doctor blades including the patented TKM NEO®), and Sägen (saws), supported by Maschinenelemente (machine elements) and Ersatzteile (spare parts). The portfolio is organized by industry verticals: paper, non-woven, printing & packaging, wood, metal, plastic/rubber/recycling, food, chemical, and general industries. Software offerings include CASKA wave root analysis software and the TKM Solution App for mobile devices. Recent innovations include the TKM eKnife with sustainable blade replacement system and TKM NEO® with patented lamellar design for rotogravure printing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• eKnife: A new knife for three-sided trimming of books, developed through a multi-year research and development process with a sustainable cutting concept through carrier/blade replacement system.
• TKM NEO
• TKM Solution App
• New Wave Schleiftechnik

Products and services

• Industrial Knives (Industriemesser) Precision industrial knives for cutting applications across multiple industries including paper, metal, wood, plastic, rubber, and recycling.
• Machine Knives (Maschinenmesser) Machine knives for industrial cutting operations in manufacturing and production environments.
• Doctor Blades (Rakel) Doctor blades for printing and packaging industry applications, including the patented TKM NEO lamellar design for rotogravure printing.
• TKM NEO Doctor Blade Revolutionary doctor blade with patented lamellar design for rotogravure printing, developed in partnership with Bergische Universität Wuppertal. Features constant specific line pressure and no readjustment required throughout the print run.
• TKM eKnife Three-sided book trimming knife with sustainable cutting concept through carrier/blade replacement system. Features universal knife holder for all blade variants.
• Industrial Saws (Sägen) Industrial saws for wood industry and other cutting applications.
• Machine Elements (Maschinenelemente) Machine components and elements for industrial applications.
• CASKA Wave Root Software Wave root software for technical calculations and analysis related to cutting applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Significant reduction in knife changeover costs (Ersatzmesserbeschaffung, Service- und Rüstkosten)

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bergische Universität Wuppertal (University of Wuppertal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for development of TKM NEO doctor blade technology. The university collaborated on a research project resulting in patented lamella design technology for rotogravure printing applications.
• Groz-Beckert GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company relationship. TKM Group is part of the Groz-Beckert Group, a leading provider of precision tools and machine elements for the textile industry and other industrial applications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bahco (SNA Europe): Swedish-based manufacturer of hand tools, saws, and industrial cutting consumables owned by Snap-on. Comparable product breadth in industrial saws and cutting tools and overlapping distribution through industrial trade channels across Europe and North America.
• Wikus-Sägenfabrik Wilhelm H. Kullmann GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of industrial band saw blades, circular saw blades, and metal-cutting saws for metalworking, wood, and food industries. Directly competes with TKM's saws portfolio and serves many of the same industrial OEMs and service partners.
• Leitz GmbH & Co. KG: Privately held German manufacturer of precision cutting tools, machine knives, and sawblades primarily for the wood, paper, and packaging industries. Direct competitor to TKM across most product categories and end markets, with similar global service network and customer profile.
• Dieter Schmid Werkzeuge GmbH (DSG-Canada / Feine Werkzeuge): Distributor and manufacturer of German industrial knives, saw blades, and precision machine tools serving paper, wood, plastics, and metal processing — closely mirrors TKM's vertical segmentation and specialty knife/Saw focus across DACH markets.
• Irwin Tools (Stanley Black & Decker): Brand within Stanley Black & Decker producing saw blades, drilling, and material-cutting consumables. Directly overlaps with TKM's saw and metal-cutting categories and competes for the same professional and industrial channel customers.
• Ledermann Group (Leuco & Ledermann tool lines): German-led precision tooling group whose Leuco brand produces saw blades, industrial knives, and machine tool systems for wood, plastic, metal, and paper processing. Direct overlap with TKM in circular saws and machine knives for primary industrial verticals.

Regional players

• Maruyama Mfg. Co., Inc. Japanese manufacturer of industrial knives, blades, and precision cutters for paper, printing, and converting applications. Competes with TKM's doctor blades and paper knives but serves primarily Japan and East Asia rather than Europe/Americas.

Broad incumbents

• Bosch Professional (Robert Bosch Power Tools): Industrial power tools and consumables division of Bosch. Overlaps with TKM on a narrower set of saw blades and accessories; competes via broad distribution, strong brand, and cross-sell with power tool installed base, but does not focus on dedicated industrial machine knives.
• Sandvik AB (Sandvik Coromant): Swedish industrial group whose Sandvik Coromant division is one of the world's largest manufacturers of metal-cutting tools. Overlaps with TKM in metalworking and sawing consumables but at vastly larger scale and broader industrial scope.
• Kennametal Inc. US-listed manufacturer of metal-cutting tools, wear-resistant materials, and engineered components. Competes with TKM in metal cutting knives and saws but serves a broader aerospace, automotive, and energy end market mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3m48WQVgxPv9XzDyygL3XQ?view_as=subscriber
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iks-klingelnberg-gmbh

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries12 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 IKS Klingelnberg GmbH