COVAL
COVAL SAS is a French industrial vacuum handling company (founded 1986, subsidiary of PIAB group since 2023) that designs and manufactures intelligent vacuum pumps, suction cups, and gripper systems for automated production lines serving automotive, aerospace, and packaging manufacturers across Europe and North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersMontélier, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What COVAL does
COVAL SAS is a French industrial vacuum handling company founded in 1986 in Montélier, France, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sweden-based PIAB group since 2023. The company designs, manufactures, and sells intelligent vacuum pumps, venturi-based vacuum generators, suction cups, and complete vacuum gripper systems for automated production lines in the automotive, aerospace, and packaging sectors. Its core technology centers on proprietary multi-stage venturi vacuum generation, energy-saving controls (ASC delivering up to 90% compressed air reduction, ASR delivering up to 40% energy savings), and the patented Siton® material for high-temperature/abrasion-resistant suction components. The product portfolio includes the MPXS, CMS M, CMS HD, GVMAX HD, LEMCOM, LEMAX IO, LEM+, and LEMAX+ vacuum pump families, the CVGC carbon gripper series for collaborative robots, CTC bell-type suction cups, and complementary accessories.
COVAL generates revenue through direct hardware sales of vacuum components and integrated handling systems to industrial B2B customers, with quote-based pricing conducted via five wholly-owned subsidiaries in France, Spain, the United States, Italy, and Germany, supplemented by a global partner and system-integrator network. The company employs a technical sales-led go-to-market model requiring application-specific engineering and solution design, targeting enterprise manufacturers in stamping lines, body assembly, robotic cells, CNC machining clamping, box forming, and palletization applications. Marketing is driven primarily through industry-specific brochures, technical documentation, and a content library of 810+ resources. COVAL holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and has received multiple European mechatronics and industrial innovation awards. The company is led by Fabrice Beynet (Vice President Sales) and Martin Berg (Publication Director), with operations integrated into PIAB group's broader industrial vacuum technology portfolio.
COVAL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- COVAL
- Legal name
- COVAL SAS
- Website
- https://coval.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- COVAL SAS is a French industrial vacuum handling company (founded 1986, subsidiary of PIAB group since 2023) that designs and manufactures intelligent vacuum pumps, suction cups, and gripper systems for automated production lines serving automotive, aerospace, and packaging manufacturers across Europe and North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
COVAL industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Vacuum Handling Equipment
- NAICS
- Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413), Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391)
- SIC
- Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vacuum Systems & Components (Vacuum Pumps, Ejectors, Cups, Grippers) (IMAHAGAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Vacuum Pumps & Systems (IMAHANAD)
Keywords
Where COVAL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montélier
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
COVAL business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Vacuum Pumps and Vacuum Generators: Sale of intelligent vacuum pumps including multi-stage, mini, and micro vacuum pumps with communication capabilities. Products include CMS M Series, CMS HD Series, MPXS Series, LEMAX, LEMCOM, GVMAX HD Series
- Suction Cups and Gripping Components: Sale of suction cups in various materials (TPU, EPDM, Silicone, Nitrile, etc.) including specialized series for sheet metal, FlowPack packaging, and collaborative robots
- Vacuum Grippers and Handling Systems: Complete vacuum gripper solutions including CVGC carbon grippers for cobots, CVGL series, and custom handling systems
- Accessories and Complementary Products: Vacuum network accessories including extensions, connections, feeders, vacuum switches, and mounting elements
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
COVAL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
COVAL designs, manufactures, and sells industrial vacuum handling equipment including intelligent vacuum pumps (multi-stage, mini, micro, and heavy-duty series), suction cups in multiple materials (TPU, EPDM, Silicone, Nitrile, Siton®), complete vacuum grippers for collaborative robots, and accessories for automated production lines. The company serves automotive, aerospace, and packaging manufacturers with application-engineered vacuum solutions that integrate energy-saving technologies and industrial communication protocols (IO-Link, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, EtherCAT).
Product overview
COVAL is a Vacuum Manager company offering an integrated portfolio of industrial vacuum handling solutions. The core product family centers on intelligent vacuum pumps including the MPXS Series (micro communicating pumps with IO-Link), CMS M Series (multi-stage mini pumps), CMS HD Series (heavy duty multi-stage pumps), GVMAXHD Series (heavy duty communicating pumps), LEMCOM Series (fieldbus communicating pumps), LEMAX IO (IO-Link pumps), LEMAX+ Series (high flow with ASC 90% energy savings), LEM+ Series (high flow with ASR 40% savings), and MPXE Series (controlled micro pumps). These vacuum generators are complemented by the CVGC Carbon Vacuum Gripper Series for collaborative robots, CTC bell-type suction cups, FPC FlowPack suction cups, VRU vacuum rotary unions, and VACUOGRIP lifting devices. The product ecosystem is unified by COVAL's Vacuum Manager approach combining application-driven innovation, energy-efficient technologies (ASC, ASR), communication protocols (IO-Link, fieldbus), and close-to-process support for industrial automation across automotive, aerospace, packaging, and manufacturing sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MPXS Series Controlled Communicating Micro Vacuum Pumps Ultra-compact micro vacuum pumps with IO-Link communication and ASC (Air Saving Control) technology, designed for high-speed handling of airtight parts in robotics, plastics, and pharmaceutical automation applications.
- CMS M Series Multi-stage Mini Vacuum Pumps Multi-stage mini vacuum pumps combining robustness, performance, and modularity for high suction flow rates, with or without vacuum and blow-off control, suited for gripping porous parts, emptying tanks, and material handling.
- CMS HD Series Heavy Duty Multi-stage Vacuum Pumps Heavy duty multi-stage vacuum pumps designed for demanding industrial applications with robust construction and high performance for continuous operation.
- GVMAX HD Series Heavy Duty Communicating Vacuum Pumps Heavy duty communicating vacuum pumps with IO-Link, NFC, and fieldbus communication for automotive, aerospace, and packaging industries, featuring SMART SWAP quick-mounting system.
- LEMCOM Series Mini Vacuum Pumps Communicating via Industrial Field Bus Mini vacuum pumps with fieldbus communication (EtherNet/IP, PROFINET) for seamless PLC integration and remote configuration via integrated web server.
- LEMAX IO Series Mini Vacuum Pumps with IO-Link Communication Mini vacuum pumps with IO-Link communication for smart factory integration and energy-efficient gripping operations.
- LEMAX+ Series Compact High Flow Vacuum Pumps with ASC Compact high flow vacuum pumps with Air Saving Control (ASC) technology delivering up to 90% energy savings, designed for gripping airtight or semi-airtight products.
- LEM+ Series Compact High Flow Vacuum Pumps with ASR Compact high flow vacuum pumps with Air Saving Regulator (ASR) technology delivering up to 40% energy savings, designed for gripping porous products or rough surface materials.
- MPXE Series Controlled Micro Vacuum Pumps Controlled micro vacuum pumps with compact design for integration close to suction cups in space-constrained automation applications.
- CVGC Carbon Vacuum Gripper Series Ultra-light carbon vacuum grippers for collaborative robots (cobots), available in 3 sizes (240x120mm, 320x160mm, 350x250mm) with configurable interfaces (foam or suction cups) and optional integrated vacuum generator.
- CTC High Performance Bell-type Suction Cups High performance bell-type suction cups combining flat and bellows cup advantages, featuring anti-slip cleats and excellent adaptation to convex surfaces and angular shapes for sheet metal handling in automotive stamping, fitting, and assembly applications.
- FPC Series FlowPack Suction Cups Specialized suction cups designed for handling FlowPack packaging materials in packaging lines.
- VRU Series Vacuum Rotary Union Vacuum rotary union for transferring vacuum to grippers via external vacuum source, used in CVGC gripper GO version configurations.
- VACUOGRIP Series Vacuum Lifting Devices Vacuum lifting devices for handling heavy loads in industrial material handling applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 90% compressed air consumption reduction with ASC technology
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use COVAL
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
COVAL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature6 records
COVAL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- PIAB GroupcoreCOVAL joined the PIAB group in 2023, becoming part of a larger industrial vacuum solutions group. PIAB is headquartered in Sweden and is a parent company to COVAL SAS. This acquisition positions COVAL within a broader global vacuum technology ecosystem.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights6 records
COVAL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SMC Corporation: SMC is a Japanese global industrial automation components manufacturer offering vacuum equipment, suction cups, and ejectors as part of its vast pneumatics catalog, competing with COVAL across automotive and packaging applications at significant scale.
- Festo: Festo is a German global leader in pneumatic and electric automation technology offering vacuum generators, grippers, and suction cups as part of a broad industrial automation portfolio serving automotive, packaging, and electronics manufacturers worldwide.
- Parker Hannifin: Parker Hannifin is a US-headquartered motion and control technologies leader offering vacuum pumps, grippers, and industrial automation components across diverse manufacturing sectors, providing broad-based competition to COVAL's specialized vacuum portfolio.
Direct peers
- Piab: Piab is a Swedish industrial vacuum technology company and COVAL's parent since 2023, offering vacuum pumps, suction cups, grippers, and conveyance systems for automated manufacturing with directly overlapping product lines and customer base.
- Schmalz: Schmalz is a German vacuum handling specialist and COVAL's closest direct competitor, offering vacuum grippers, suction cups, and vacuum generators for industrial automation across automotive, packaging, and logistics applications with similar application-engineered solutions.
- DESTACO: DESTACO is a US-based provider of clamping, gripping, and end-of-arm tooling solutions for industrial automation, offering vacuum grippers that compete directly with COVAL's handling systems in automotive and aerospace applications.
- ANVER Corporation: ANVER is a US vacuum handling equipment specialist offering vacuum pumps, suction cups, and material handling solutions for industrial automation, making it a directly comparable North American-focused peer to COVAL.
- Vac-U-Max: Vac-U-Max is a US industrial vacuum handling and conveying equipment manufacturer offering vacuum pumps and grippers for material handling and packaging applications, making it a peer focused on similar industrial automation use cases as COVAL.
- J. Schmalz GmbH Vacuum Automation: Schmalz is a German vacuum automation specialist with a Vacuum Automation Systems division offering vacuum clamping, gripping, and handling solutions, making it COVAL's most direct global competitor in industrial vacuum handling.
Emerging players
- OnRobot: OnRobot is a Danish end-of-arm tooling provider for collaborative robots offering vacuum grippers and other tooling, directly competing with COVAL's CVGC carbon gripper series in the rapidly growing cobot automation market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
COVAL social profiles
Digital presenceCOVAL compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
COVAL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
COVAL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
COVAL subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
COVAL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
COVAL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about COVAL
What does COVAL do?
COVAL designs, manufactures, and sells industrial vacuum handling equipment including intelligent vacuum pumps (multi-stage, mini, micro, and heavy-duty series), suction cups in multiple materials (TPU, EPDM, Silicone, Nitrile, Siton®), complete vacuum grippers for collaborative robots, and accessories for automated production lines. The company serves automotive, aerospace, and packaging manufacturers with application-engineered vacuum solutions that integrate energy-saving technologies and industrial communication protocols (IO-Link, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, EtherCAT).
Is COVAL a public or private company?
COVAL is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was COVAL founded?
COVAL was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is COVAL based?
COVAL is headquartered in Montélier, France, in the Europe region.
How does COVAL make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Vacuum Pumps and Vacuum Generators are the primary driver. The others are suction Cups and Gripping Components, vacuum Grippers and Handling Systems and accessories and Complementary Products.
Who are COVAL's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SMC Corporation, Festo and Parker Hannifin. Direct peers are Piab, Schmalz, DESTACO, ANVER Corporation, Vac-U-Max and J. Schmalz GmbH Vacuum Automation. OnRobot is listed as an emerging player.
Does COVAL have an API?
No public API is recorded for COVAL.
What industry is COVAL in?
COVAL's product category is Industrial Vacuum Handling Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAGAN, Vacuum Systems & Components (Vacuum Pumps, Ejectors, Cups, Grippers), with a secondary code of IMAHANAD, Vacuum Pumps & Systems. Its NAICS code is 333413 and its SIC code is 3564.