Amepa America

What Amepa America does

AMEPA GmbH, headquartered in Würselen, Germany, is an industrial measurement technology specialist founded in 1984 as a spin-off of RWTH Aachen University. The company designs and manufactures electromagnetic, thermographic, laser-triangulation, and infrared-spectroscopy systems used for quality assurance in steelmaking, aluminum processing, and automotive body manufacturing. Its product portfolio spans slag detection (ESD, TSD), residual steel detection (RSD), online surface roughness and waviness measurement (SRM, WMS), oil film measurement (OFM, OFIS), and adjacent systems such as mold level measurement, electrostatic oiling, and capacitive coal flow measurement. Flagship quantitative claims include up to 90% slag carryover reduction, up to 1.0% yield improvement, and up to 50% extension of casting sequences, and the company self-describes as the world market leader in electromagnetic slag detection with more than 3,600 ladles and over 500 systems installed across 50+ countries.

AMEPA generates revenue through two primary streams: capital sales of measurement equipment (hardware plus customization and installation) and recurring service contracts covering calibration, maintenance, spare parts, and remote service. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales executed through direct offices in Germany, the United States (Solon, Ohio, via AMEPA America Inc., founded 1994), and China (Shanghai, via AMEPA Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., established 2020), supplemented by a global partner network across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Customers are predominantly large industrial enterprises, including named references such as Porsche (via Smart Press Shop Halle), Salzgitter Flachstahl, and thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, served via long sales cycles and customized integration into continuous casting and rolling lines. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, has more than 70 employees at its German headquarters, and has continuously refreshed its portfolio with the 2021 ESD 300/400 launch and a 2024 triple launch of the RSD 300, OFIS 3.0, and OFM 300.

Name

Amepa America

Legal name

AMEPA America Inc.

Website

https://amepa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AMEPA is a German-headquartered industrial measurement technology specialist, founded in 1984 as an RWTH Aachen spin-off, that designs and installs electromagnetic, optical, and infrared-spectroscopy systems for slag detection, surface quality, and oil film control in steel, aluminum, and automotive production worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Measurement Systems

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Condition Monitoring & Predictive Maintenance Instrumentation (Vibration/ultrasound, oil analysis sensors, IIoT monitoring) (IMAGAFAG)

Keywords

• Slag detection systems
• Surface roughness measurement
• Oil film measurement
• Steel quality assurance
• Process automation sensors

Headquarters

HQ city

Solon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 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. Measurement Equipment Sales and Installation: Sale and installation of online and portable measurement systems for slag detection, roughness, waviness, and oil film measurement in steel, aluminum, and automotive production. Includes customization and integration into customer processes.
2. Service, Calibration, and Maintenance: Service contracts, annual inspections, spare parts supply, remote service, and calibration laboratory services for customer-specific calibrations of different surface coatings. Ensures long-term customer satisfaction with tailored service packages.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Amepa America (AMEPA America Inc., a subsidiary of AMEPA GmbH, Germany) designs, manufactures, sells, and services online and portable electromagnetic, thermographic, laser-triangulation, and infrared-spectroscopy measurement systems used for slag detection, residual steel detection, surface roughness and waviness measurement, and oil film thickness measurement in steel, aluminum, and automotive production. The company combines hardware sales with installation, calibration, and long-term service contracts, and operates a worldwide network of direct offices and sales partners across more than 50 countries.

Product overview

AMEPA offers a comprehensive portfolio of measurement technology systems for quality assurance in the steel, aluminum, and automotive industries. The product line includes: ESD and TSD for slag detection in liquid steel processing; SRM and WMS for surface quality measurement (roughness and waviness); OFM and OFIS for oil film thickness control; RSD for residual steel detection; and supporting systems including VUHZ mold level measurement, Limax electrostatic oiling, and CFM coal flow measurement. These systems work across the production chain from liquid steel to finished components, with recent launches including the OFM 300, OFIS 3.0, and RSD 300 in 2024, and the ESD 300/400 in 2021. The company provides both online automated systems and portable handheld devices for inline and spot inspection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ESD (Electromagnetic Slag Detection) Electromagnetic slag detection system installed at the outlet of the casting ladle that detects slag carryover and automatically closes the slide gate. Models include ESD 300 for continuous slag flow detection and ESD 400 with dual-channel system for detecting individual slag particles. Used by steel producers to reduce slag carryover by up to 90%, increase steel yield by up to 1.0%, extend casting sequences by up to 50%, and reduce lining sleeve blockage rate by 60%.
• TSD (Thermographic Slag Detection) Optical slag detection system using thermographic (infrared camera) technology to detect slag carryover during tapping from oxygen converter or electric furnace into the ladle. Consists of infrared camera, evaluation computer, and display device. Supports automatic tap ending at optimal time to minimize slag transfer, used in steelmaking operations.
• RSD (Residual Steel Detection) Electromagnetic residual steel detection system for safe drainage of tundish. RSD 300 is the newest generation, used by steel producers to ensure clean steel production through reliable detection of residual steel in the tundish.
• SRM (Online Roughness Measurement) Online surface roughness measurement system using 2D laser triangulation technology. Provides real-time roughness values (Ra 0.3-3 µm) along the entire strip length at measurement frequencies up to 100 Hz and strip speeds up to 2000 m/min. Patented by CRM Group, Liége. Used in rolling mills and press shops for process control.
• WMS (Online Waviness Measurement) Online waviness measurement system based on SRM technology. Measures waviness values (Wsa 0.1-1 µm) along entire strip length and width inline during production at speeds up to 180 m/min, critical for high-gloss coating applications. Uses European patent EP2517799 for 30 or 50 mm measurement length via laser line projection and image stitching.
• OFM (Online Oil Film Measurement) Non-contact online oil film thickness measurement system using infrared spectroscopy in the mid-infrared range (MIR). Measures lubricant coating on steel and aluminum strips with real-time warnings for deviations in oiling and/or roughness. Validated in rolling mills and press shops. OFM 300 is the latest generation.
• OFIS (Portable Oil Film Measurement) Handheld portable oil film thickness measurement device for spot measurements. OFIS 3.0 measures up to 5 g/m² lubricant oil film with accuracy ±0.05 g/m² (up to 1 g/m²) and ±5% (above 1 g/m²), can store up to 224 measurements, and offers wireless data transfer capability. Used in automotive and metal processing operations.
• VUHZ (Mold Level Measurement) Mold level measurement equipment for continuous casting machines (CCM) used in steel production to monitor and control the molten steel level in the mold during continuous casting.
• Limax (Electrostatic Oiling) Electrostatic oiling system for controlled lubricant application on steel and aluminum strips, enabling precise and uniform oil film deposition in production lines.
• CFM (Coal Flow Measurement) Capacitive flow measurement system for coal injection applications in steel production, monitoring coal flow rates in blast furnace injection processes.
• AMEPA Service and Calibration Service contracts, annual inspections, spare parts supply, remote service, and calibration laboratory services for customer-specific calibrations of different surface coatings. Provided by AMEPA's international team of service engineers and worldwide partner network, offering tailored service packages for long-term customer satisfaction.

Quantifiable outcome

• Slag carryover reduced by up to 90%
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• digitalHUB AachenminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2023AMEPA became member of Aachen digitalHUB in March 2023. The association strengthens digitization in the Aachen area and facilitates networking between startups, IT SMEs and established companies. AMEPA expects interesting contacts and new potentials in digital transformation.
• Sarclad and nokraminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022Joint exhibition at ALUMINIUM 2022 trade fair on a shared booth illustrating cross-production process interrelationships.
• CRM Group (Centre de Recherches Metallurgiques), LiègecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRM Group is a metallurgical research center that co-developed the WMS waviness measurement technology. AMEPA holds a license for European Patent EP2517799 for the 2D laser triangulation method used in SRM and WMS systems.
• IBF RWTH Aachen University (Institut für Bildsame Formgebung)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMEPA maintains ongoing cooperation with university institutes and Fraunhofer societies for innovation development. Founded as spin-off of RWTH Aachen in 1984.
• PIN Partner im NetzwerkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork partner shown on AMEPA website with logo display.
• Schuler Pressen GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCooperation with Schuler Pressen GmbH in the Porsche Smart Press Shop project. Schuler is a press shop equipment manufacturer and joint venture partner with Porsche in the Smart Press Shop.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SICK AG: German sensor and automation specialist offering laser triangulation, surface-quality, and spectrometric measurement systems used in metals production — competing with AMEPA's SRM/WMS/OFM product families.
• Vesuvius (Foseco): Vesuvius, through its Foseco foundry brand, supplies consumables and measurement/instrumentation solutions to steel and foundries globally. It overlaps with AMEPA in steel process measurement but operates across a much broader refractories and consumables portfolio.
• Endress+Hauser: Global leader in industrial process instrumentation (level, flow, analytical, pressure). Overlaps with AMEPA in plant-floor measurement for process industries and has the scale to encroach into specialty metals-measurement niches.
• KROHNE Group: Process instrumentation manufacturer with strong metals-industry presence, offering flow, level, and analytical measurement systems for steelmaking and rolling — adjacent to AMEPA's industrial process measurement focus.
• Primetals Technologies: Major supplier of integrated steelmaking plants and rolling-mill equipment (formerly Siemens Metals Technologies), bundling measurement and automation into large EPC contracts — overlapping with AMEPA at the plant-integration level.
• VEGA Grieshaber: Specialist in industrial level and process measurement sensors including for steel continuous casting (VUHZ-like mold level use cases), serving the same metallurgical customers as AMEPA.
• Pepperl+Fuchs: Industrial sensor and hazardous-area measurement specialist serving steel, aluminum, and automotive production with proximity, ultrasonic, and process instrumentation — adjacent competitor to AMEPA's sensor-driven offerings.

Direct peers

• Sarclad: Sarclad supplies electromagnetic and thermal measurement technology for continuous casting and rolling — including roll-force and temperature sensing — making it a direct competitor in steel mill instrumentation. Already exhibited jointly with AMEPA at ALUMINIUM 2022.
• nokra: nokra develops laser-based measurement systems for flatness, thickness, and surface quality in metals processing (steel and aluminum), closely paralleling AMEPA's SRM, WMS, and online surface-quality product line.
• Heraeus Electro-Nite: Heraeus Electro-Nite supplies sensors, probes, and measurement systems for molten metal (steel and iron) process control, including slag detection and continuous casting instrumentation — directly comparable to AMEPA's ESD/TSD/RSD/VUHZ portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amepa-america-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Amepa America