Sk Industriemodell Gmbh

What Sk Industriemodell Gmbh does

SK Industriemodell GmbH is a privately held German contract manufacturer founded in 1983 and headquartered in Übach-Palenberg (City Region Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia). The company specializes in plastic injection-molded prototype parts and small-volume series, operating as a single integrated site that performs every process step in-house — from engineering and CAD design, through mold fabrication (including 3D-printed molds via the proprietary Print&Inject process), injection molding, and finishing. Its core differentiator is the Print&Inject technology, co-developed with RWTH Aachen's PEM group, which uses 3D-printed injection molds (including FIM/lye-dissolvable variants) to combine the speed and flexibility of additive manufacturing with the material diversity of injection molding, enabling functional prototypes from series-grade and medically certified plastics.

The company serves a diversified set of verticals — Mobility/Automotive (including EV customers such as e.GO Mobile AG), Medical Technology, Machinery and Plant Engineering, Construction, and adjacent industries (furniture, biotech, IT/electronics, garden/leisure). Named customers include AGC Glass Europe, Safet Medex (20+ year relationship), fka Aachen, A B Graphic International, and e.GO Mobile AG. SK Industriemodell has actively participated in publicly funded research collaborations with RWTH Aachen, Fraunhofer IPT, the University of Cologne and FH Aachen (e.g., Additive Herstellung von Spritzgusswerkzeugen, BioStrukt, EnAbLe KMU, Zellkraftmessung, MC-LaserBip) and holds ISO 9001:2015 certification.

The business model is project-based and quote-driven: customers contact the company by phone or email, SK Industriemodell engineers contribute design-for-manufacturing input from the earliest design phase, and parts plus tooling are billed ex-works in EUR with separate mold costs (typically retained by the company for at least two years). Distribution is entirely direct, with no resellers or third-party channels; the company is owned and managed by Dipl.-Ing. Sebastian Krell, who completed a management-buyout succession from founder Werner Schanz on 1 July 2015. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies per project.

Name

Sk Industriemodell Gmbh

Legal name

SK Industriemodell GmbH

Website

https://sk-industriemodell.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SK Industriemodell GmbH is a German single-site contract manufacturer of plastic injection-molded prototype parts and small-volume series, serving mobility, medical, machinery, construction and other industries with proprietary 3D-printed mold technology (Print&Inject).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plastic Injection Molding Contract Manufacturing

NAICS

Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261), Industrial Mold Manufacturing (333511)

SIC

Plastics Products, Nec (3089)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom Injection Molding & Contract Manufacturing (Job Shops/CMs) (IMANAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Automotive & Transportation Injection Molded Parts (IMANAFAB), Industrial & Machinery Injection Molded Components (Gears, Wear Parts) (IMANAFAF)

Keywords

• Plastic injection molding
• Prototype manufacturing
• Small series production
• 3D-printed injection molds
• Contract manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Übach-palenberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom injection-molded prototype and small-series parts: Project-based, one-off manufacturing of injection-molded plastic parts for prototypes and small volume series. Per the AGB, prices are quoted and binding in EUR ("ab Werk" / ex-works) plus VAT, with payment terms of net 30 days from invoice date, and tool/mold costs billed separately. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Co-development / engineering design and consulting services: Revenue from design-for-manufacturing consulting, CAD construction and engineering services delivered alongside prototype and small-series production orders, typically embedded in the project scope.
3. Tooling / mold fabrication (including 3D-printed Print&Inject molds): Revenue from customer-owned or company-owned molds, including the proprietary 3D-printed Print&Inject molds (reusable) and FIM single-use lye-dissolvable molds. Molds are billed separately and retained by the company for at least two years after the last order.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SK Industriemodell GmbH is a contract manufacturer that designs, engineers, and produces plastic injection-molded prototype parts and small-volume series at its single site in Übach-Palenberg, Germany. Its offering combines traditional injection molding with proprietary Print&Inject 3D-printed mold technology (including FIM / Freeform Injection Molding) to deliver functional plastic parts in series-grade materials from batch size 1, supported by co-development engineering, material selection consulting, and multi-component (plastic-metal / plastic-plastic) capabilities.

Product overview

SK Industriemodell GmbH is a single-site contract manufacturer (not a software platform) whose offering is organised as a portfolio of related in-house services rather than a unified product with separate modules. The portfolio centres on four core offerings that are typically delivered together: Injection Molded Prototype Parts (express production of functional prototypes from design/engineering support through to sample parts), Small Volume Series Production (injection-moulded niche-product batches economically viable from batch size 1), and Injection Molding Technical Implementation (co-development, design-for-manufacturing consulting and complete part/assembly engineering) — complemented by the proprietary Print&Inject technology (3D-printed injection moulds, including the FIM / Freeform Injection Molding sub-variant with dissolvable mould inserts). These four core offerings are applied vertically across dedicated industry tracks — Mobility, Medical Technology, Machinery and Plant Engineering, Construction Industry, and Other Industries (Furniture, Biotech, IT and Electronics, Garden/Leisure) — and have additionally been extended into a small range of COVID-19-era standalone plastic products such as the Ohr-Entlastungsband, the PEMask COM community mask (with PEM Motion) and the Gesichtssild face shield. All work is performed in-house at the company's Übach-Palenberg (Aachen) facility, which is ISO 9001:2015 certified.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Print&Inject: SK Industriemodell's proprietary technology combining 3D-printed injection molds (including FIM - freeform injection molding) with plastic injection molding, enabling faster, more flexible production of prototypes and small series including high-performance plastics.

Products and services

• Injection Molded Prototype Parts Express production of injection-molded plastic prototype parts, from design/engineering support and design-for-manufacturing consulting through to sample parts. Targeted at customers who need functional prototypes from series-grade materials with short lead times.
• Small Volume Series Production Injection-molding production of small series for high-value niche products. Economically viable from batch size 1 upwards; serves customers (e.g., machinery/plant engineering, medical technology) whose quantities are too small for high-volume producers.
• Injection Molding Technical Implementation (Co-development Engineering) Consulting and engineering service supporting customers in design-for-injection-molding, material selection, and complete part/assembly co-development. Contributes mold and process know-how from the earliest design phase so that prototypes and small series are economical and quality-consistent.
• Print&Inject (3D-printed injection molds) Proprietary SK Industriemodell technology co-developed with RWTH Aachen: 3D-printed injection molds are used instead of 3D-printed parts, combining the speed and flexibility of 3D printing with the material variety and properties of injection molding. Enables prototypes from certified series materials (e.g., medically certified plastics, oil-resistant plastics). Includes the FIM (Freeform Injection Molding) sub-variant with dissolvable mold inserts for undercuts and high-performance plastics (PA66 GF, PPS, PEEK).
• Ohr-Entlastungsband (Mask Ear Relief Band) Injection-molded TPE band that relieves pressure behind the ears caused by respirator masks while keeping the mask securely in place. Material is autoclavable at 134 °C, plasma-sterilisable (β/γ 2x35 kGy), and ethylene-oxide-sterilisable; meets ISO 10993-5 (cytotoxicity) and is US DMF listed.
• PEMask COM Community Mask Reusable community mask co-developed with PEM Motion GmbH. Three plastic parts (mask body from medical-grade TPE, two-part grid insert from medical-grade PP holding a filter fleece, headband from medical-grade TPE). All plastic parts are autoclavable and separable for cleaning.
• Gesichtsschild (Face Shield) Lightweight face shield (visor + headband) introduced during COVID-19 to reduce droplet infection risk. Adjustable headband injection-molded from medical-grade TPE (autoclavable at 134 °C); visor from lightweight PET-A film. Combined weight 50 g.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20+ years of continuous cooperation with customers such as Safet Medex, with cited price stability over that period
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• IHK Aachen (Industrie- und Handelskammer Aachen)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 June 2021Participated as a host in the IHK Aachen 2021 "Hallo Nachbar" corporate-visit program, opening its Übach-Palenberg facility on 15 June 2021 to ~2 hours of presentations by managing director Sebastian Krell and a production tour.
• PEM Motion GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2020Co-developed and produced the "PEMask COM" — a reusable community face mask made from three plastic parts (TPE mask body and headband; PP filter grid) — in response to COVID-19, combining PEM Motion's product concept with SK Industriemodell's injection-molding expertise.
• University of Cologne — Institute of NeurophysiologyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2020Research partner in the medical-technology "Zellkraftmessung" (cell force measurement) project developing thin-walled, high-precision plastic parts that retain shape after multiple steam sterilizations, to be used in a new diagnostic / therapeutic device for heart disease.
• Aachen University of Applied Sciences (FH Aachen) — Institute of BioengineeringminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2020Research partner in the medical-technology "Zellkraftmessung" (cell force measurement) project developing thin-walled, high-precision plastic parts for cellular-force research and heart-disease diagnosis/therapy.
• HiTec Zang GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2020Industry partner in the medical-technology "Zellkraftmessung" research project, contributing the measurement-instrument side while SK Industriemodell contributes the injection-molded thin-walled, steam-sterilizable plastic parts.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 November 2018Co-research partner on the "BioStrukt" project developing a process chain for topology- and material-optimized fiber-composite lightweight components with curved, bionic fiber paths; thermoforming and back-injection technologies combined with a camera-based quality inspection system. Project funded by the EU under the Leitmarktwettbewerb Produktion.NRW.
• Apodius GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 November 2018Co-research partner in the "BioStrukt" project together with Fraunhofer IPT and SK Industriemodell, working on automation and inspection aspects of bionic, curve-laid fiber placement in composite parts.
• RWTH Aachen — Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2017Multi-year research collaboration on "Additive Herstellung von Spritzgusswerkzeugen" (Additive Manufacturing of Injection Molds), aimed at moving the process from 3D-printed mold through molded part into routine, with a 24h-part target for customers. Together they co-developed the Print&Inject technology over many years, with extensive testing cycles validating material and process performance.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT) AachencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2016Lead coordinator of the "EnAbLe KMU" research project in which SK Industriemodell participates as a project partner. Project goal: enable SMEs to independently digitalize and network their one-off manufacturing using a Smart Service Platform based on Industry 4.0 technologies, with modular Industrialization Apps.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Stratasys: Stratasys is a leading polymer 3D printing company whose technologies and materials overlap with the additive-manufacturing side of SK Industriemodell's Print&Inject process. While Stratasys focuses on selling printers and materials rather than running a service bureau, its technology directly competes with the 3D-printing layer that enables SK Industriemodell's novel mold-making approach.
• 3D Systems: 3D Systems is a global provider of 3D printing hardware, materials, and on-demand manufacturing services, including plastics. Its service bureau business and AM technology portfolio overlap with the additive-manufacturing side of SK Industriemodell's Print&Inject process, though 3D Systems serves a much broader and more international customer base.
• EOS GmbH: EOS is a German-headquartered global leader in industrial 3D printing for plastics and metals, with a strong German R&D footprint in the same Aachen/Munich industrial corridor as SK Industriemodell. Its high-end polymer and metal AM systems intersect with the additive-manufacturing foundation of the Print&Inject technology.

Broad incumbents

• Ensinger: Ensinger is a German family-owned manufacturer of engineering plastic compounds, semi-finished products, and finished injection-molded and extruded parts serving medical, mechanical engineering, and automotive customers. It competes with SK Industriemodell for similar small-batch, high-material-specification plastics work but at significantly larger scale and with broader vertical integration.
• Röchling Group: Röchling is a large German-headquartered industrial plastics group producing high-performance plastic parts across automotive, medical, and industrial markets. While Röchling is much larger and broader in scope, it overlaps with SK Industriemodell in engineering plastics, multi-component parts, and serving German industrial OEMs.
• ARBURG: ARBURG is a German family-owned manufacturer of injection molding machines, robotic systems, and additive-manufactured plastic parts, including a freeformer for 3D-printed plastic components. As a broad incumbent in plastic injection molding with its own AM offering, ARBURG both supplies the equipment SK Industriemodell operates and competes for additive-manufactured plastic part work.

Direct peers

• Protolabs: Protolabs is the global leader in on-demand digital manufacturing of custom prototypes and low-volume production parts, including injection molding and 3D-printed molds. It is the closest direct competitor to SK Industriemodell in business model (prototype/small series) and target market (engineers needing functional parts fast), though at much larger scale and with automated instant quoting.
• Xometry: Xometry is an on-demand manufacturing marketplace that connects buyers to a global network of CNC, injection molding, 3D printing, and sheet-metal suppliers, with a strong focus on prototypes and small batches. It competes with SK Industriemodell for the same enterprise engineering buyers and offers a similar breadth of plastics processes, but via a marketplace model rather than a single in-house shop.
• Hubs (formerly 3D Hubs): Hubs, now part of Protolabs, provides on-demand manufacturing services including injection molding and 3D printing through a global network of vetted manufacturing partners. It is a direct competitor for the same prototype and small-series customer base that SK Industriemodell serves, with similar quick-turn capabilities but a marketplace structure rather than a single in-house facility.
• Fictiv: Fictiv operates a digital manufacturing platform for custom mechanical parts, including injection molding, CNC, and 3D printing, with an emphasis on speed and engineer-friendly tooling. It is comparable to SK Industriemodell in serving engineering teams that need low-volume, high-quality plastic parts on tight timelines, but it does so through a curated supplier network rather than an integrated in-house process chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sk-industriemodell-gmbh

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Sk Industriemodell Gmbh