What Softal Electronic does

SOFTAL Corona & Plasma GmbH is a privately held German industrial equipment manufacturer founded in 1959 and headquartered in Hamburg, specializing in corona and plasma surface treatment systems that enhance the adhesion properties of films, paper, textiles, metals, and foams. The company's technology portfolio spans four core platforms — Corona, Plasma, Linear Plasma, and ALDYNE (an advanced plasma system co-developed with Air Liquide using controlled nitrogen and inert gas atmospheres) — built around patented components including Intelliblade electrodes, liquid-cooled ceramic electrodes, CRD electrodes, and pivoting electrode assemblies. The 9000 and 9100 Series generators deliver up to 144 kW of power, enabling treatment speeds up to 1,000 m/min and film widths up to 11 meters across BOPP and BOPET production lines.

The company monetizes through three primary revenue streams: hardware sales of complete treatment systems and components (corona stations, generators, electrodes, treater rolls, silicone and ceramic coatings); a recurring spare parts and accessories business tied to an installed base of more than 10,000 corona stations and over 250 BOPP treatment stations; and professional services including technical support, remote assistance, training, and on-site maintenance delivered through a global network of more than 30 authorized representatives plus direct sales from Hamburg and wholly-owned branch offices in Beijing and Japan. The portfolio is rounded out with consumables (test pens and test inks for surface energy quality control) and is supported by integrations with Profi-Bus, CAN Bus, and TeamViewer for system and service connectivity.

SOFTAL serves a horizontal mix of industrial customers including film manufacturers, converters, label printers, textile processors, paper and cardboard manufacturers, printed electronics producers, and industrial foam/sheet manufacturers — applying a quote-based enterprise sales model through direct field sales and channel partners rather than standardized pricing.

Name

Softal Electronic

Legal name

SOFTAL Corona & Plasma GmbH

Website

https://softal.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SOFTAL Corona & Plasma GmbH is a privately held Hamburg-based manufacturer of corona and plasma surface treatment systems, serving industrial film, converter, textile, paper, and printed electronics customers globally through 30+ representatives and direct sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg-wandsbek

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corona and Plasma Treatment Systems: Manufacture and sale of complete corona and plasma treatment systems including corona stations, generators, electrodes, and associated hardware for surface treatment of films, papers, textiles, and other materials.
2. Spare Parts and Accessories: Replacement components including treater rolls, silicone sleeves, ceramic coatings, electrodes, and other wear parts for corona systems.
3. Service and Support: Technical support, remote assistance, on-site service, training courses, and maintenance services provided through global service network.
4. Measuring Equipment: Test pens and test ink products for quality control of film surface energy, sold in boxes and packs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SOFTAL manufactures and sells corona, plasma, and ALDYNE surface treatment systems used by industrial producers to increase the surface energy and wettability of films, paper, textiles, foams, and metals for improved adhesion of inks, coatings, and adhesives. The portfolio includes complete corona stations and generators, patented electrodes, ozone converters (SORBAL), textile treatment systems (SORTEX), measuring equipment (test pens and inks), and supporting spare parts, sold through direct enterprise sales and a global representative network.

Product overview

SOFTAL Corona & Plasma GmbH offers a modular portfolio of surface treatment systems centered on Corona, Plasma, Linear Plasma, and ALDYNE technology platforms. The core product line includes Corona Generators (9000 Series and new 9100 Series providing up to 144 kW), Corona Stations with patented Intelliblade electrodes, and the SORBAL ozone converter. Supporting products include Test Pens and Test Ink for quality control, and silicone/ceramic roller coatings as accessories. The portfolio addresses material-specific applications including Film Manufacturing, Converting, Label Printers (CLN Series), BOPP Film, Printed Electronics, Textiles (SORTEX), Paper & Cardboard, and Industrial Foams & Sheets. The systems are designed for modular integration with industrial control protocols (Profi-Bus, CAN Bus) and support remote servicing via TeamViewer.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ALDYNE™: Advanced plasma treatment system using controlled process gas atmosphere with liquid-cooled ceramic electrodes for extremely high surface energy results.
• CERAL
• CERON
• SORBAL
• SORBEX
• SORTEX
• Nanopriming™
• Intelliblade™

Products and services

• Corona Technology Systems Corona surface treatment systems that use electrical discharge into atmosphere to enhance adhesion of printing inks, lacquers, coatings, and adhesives on plastic films, paper, metals, and similar materials. For industrial film, paper, and converting manufacturers.
• Plasma Technology Systems Plasma surface treatment systems operating in nitrogen atmosphere, enabling more precise control of discharge atmosphere and treatment results compared to standard corona. For industrial manufacturers requiring higher precision surface activation.
• Linear Plasma Systems Potential-free plasma discharge systems that generate plasma within the electrode housing and project it onto the material via compressed air or process gas, eliminating counter-electrode constraints and enabling treatment of any material thickness. For manufacturers of foams, multi-wall sheets, and printed electronics.
• ALDYNE Plasma Treatment Systems Advanced plasma treatment systems with controlled process gas atmosphere using nitrogen and inert gases, paired with patented liquid-cooled ceramic electrodes for extremely high surface energy results. Co-developed with Air Liquide. For manufacturers requiring extreme surface activation results.
• SORTEX Textile Plasma Systems Corona system specifically designed for textile fiber and fabric treatment, replacing wet chemical pre-treatment processes with plasma discharge in a closed system. For textile manufacturers and processors.
• SORBAL Ozone Converters Stand-alone ozone converter systems for exhaust air decontamination, featuring three inline filter stages and corrosion-resistant materials. For industrial corona/plasma system operators needing environmental compliance.
• Corona Generator 9000 Series High-voltage corona generator and system controller with touchscreen interface, rotary switch controls, resonance frequency operation, and diagnostic memory logging. For industrial corona treatment system operators.
• Corona Stations Treatment stations with corona electrodes and treater roll as counter electrode, featuring patented Intelliblade electrodes and detachable electrode modules for maintenance. For integration into industrial production lines.
• 9100 Series Generators New generation corona generators with multiple parallel-switched inverter modules providing up to 144 kW output power, more than double current market maximum. For high-power BOPP and wide-web film applications.
• Test Pens (Corona Test Pens) Quick test instruments for verifying film surface energy at 38 mN/m threshold, sold in boxes of 10 units. The world's best-selling corona test pen for quality control in converting processes. For film converters and quality control personnel.
• Test Ink Surface tension measurement inks ranging 34-72 mN/m for precise quality assurance and process optimization per DIN ISO 8296. Available in standard sets (34-54 mN/m) or separately (30-72 mN/m), in 30ml bottles packed in packs of 10. For film manufacturers and converters.
• Silicone Roller Sleeves and Treater Roll Coatings Dielectric silicone sleeves and ceramic coatings (CERAL dielectric, CERON conductive) for treater rolls to prevent electrical short circuits and ensure homogeneous discharge distribution. Available in stainless steel, silicone coated, or ceramic coated variants. For corona system operators needing replacement parts.
• Service and Support Technical support, remote assistance via TeamViewer, on-site service, training courses, and maintenance services provided through SOFTAL's global service network of more than 30 representatives. For installed-base customers.
• BOPP Film Treatment Systems Complete corona treatment systems for biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film facilities, featuring pivoting electrode assemblies, 9100 series generators, and custom solutions for high-humidity operation. For BOPP film producers.
• CLN Series Label Printer Systems Compact corona stations and generators for narrow-width label applications, featuring multiple interfaces and removable electrode modules. For label printing companies.
• Printed Electronics Plasma Systems Potential-free plasma treatment systems for sensitive film materials used in printed circuits, flexible displays, and thin-film batteries. For printed electronics manufacturers.
• Textile Industry Plasma Systems Plasma treatment systems for textile fibers, non-wovens, and woven fabrics, replacing wet chemical processes with environmentally friendly dry treatment. For textile manufacturers.
• Paper & Cardboard Plasma Systems Plasma treatment systems for laminated paper and cardboard products to enhance adhesion between layers and improve paint, lacquer, and coating adhesion. For paper and cardboard manufacturers.
• Industrial Foams & Multi-Wall Sheet Linear Plasma Systems Linear Plasma treatment systems for foamed materials and multi-wall sheets that avoid cavity or backside treatment issues inherent to conventional corona. For industrial foam and sheet manufacturers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Treatment speeds up to 1000 m/min achievable with 9100 series generators
• +2 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Air LiquidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALDYNE technology is co-developed with Air Liquide patents. The technology uses nitrogen and inert gases for controlled process gas atmosphere in plasma treatment, providing perfect results where other systems fail.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tantec: Danish manufacturer of corona and plasma treatment equipment for plastic, film, and textile applications. Tantec offers overlapping product lines (corona stations, plasma systems, electrodes) and serves similar customer segments, making it a direct competitor particularly in European markets.
• Ahlbrandt: German manufacturer of corona treatment systems with a long heritage in the European market. Ahlbrandt serves similar film, foil, and converting customer segments and competes head-to-head with SOFTAL in German-speaking and broader European markets.
• Vetaphone: Danish pioneer of corona treatment technology with a comparable product portfolio including corona stations, generators, and electrodes serving film, converting, and packaging customers. Vetaphone is the most direct head-to-head competitor to SOFTAL in European and global markets.
• AcXys Technologies: French manufacturer of corona and plasma treatment systems serving industrial surface treatment applications. AcXys offers comparable technology platforms targeting similar film, packaging, and converting end markets, with overlapping distribution in European and emerging markets.
• Corotec: US-based manufacturer of corona treatment equipment and electrodes serving film extrusion, converting, and printing customers. Corotec competes directly with SOFTAL in North American markets with a comparable product portfolio focused on surface energy enhancement.
• Plasmatreat: German specialist in atmospheric plasma surface treatment with strong presence in automotive, electronics, and packaging applications. Plasmatreat competes most directly with SOFTAL's ALDYNE and Linear Plasma product lines in printed electronics and industrial pretreatment.
• Enercon Industries: US-based manufacturer of corona and plasma surface treatment systems serving film, foil, and paper industries with a comparable product portfolio and global distribution. Direct competitor to SOFTAL across film manufacturing and converting applications.

Others

• Air Liquide: Global industrial gas major and SOFTAL's strategic co-development partner on ALDYNE plasma technology. While not a direct equipment competitor, Air Liquide's process gas expertise and global customer reach make it both a critical technology partner and a potential channel for SOFTAL's atmospheric plasma systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Softal Electronic