akw apparate + verfahren

What akw apparate + verfahren does

AKW Apparate + Verfahren GmbH is a privately held German specialty engineering firm founded in 1963 in Hirschau, Bavaria, by Prof. Helmut Trawinski as part of Amberger Kaolinwerke and owned by the Heckmann industrial entrepreneur family since the 1990s. The company designs, engineers, and builds proprietary equipment and turnkey plants for wet mechanical mineral processing and environmental technology, with a portfolio of 13 named sub-brands including AKA-VORTEX polyurethane hydrocyclones, AKA-SET high-performance thickeners, AKA-DRUM washing drums, AKA-SCREEN wet classification screens, AKA-SPIN spirals, AKA-JIG jig separators, AKA-TRIT attrition cells, AKA-SIZER and AKA-MULTISIZER upstream classifiers, AKA-SORTER density sorters, AKA-SPIDER hydrocyclone distributors, AKA-LAM lamellar clarifiers, AKA-PRESS filter presses, and AKOREL free-fall classifiers. The company's core technology centers on polyurethane hydrocyclones for high-wear, high-temperature wet mechanical separation, classification, sorting, dewatering, and thickening processes, developed and refined continuously since 1963.

AKW operates a state-of-the-art technical laboratory (Technikum) in Hirschau for lab-scale and pilot-scale testing, complemented by in-house engineering, procurement, and construction capabilities that enable full EPC project delivery from initial material testing through plant commissioning and operator training. The company has completed 5800+ laboratory tests and delivered 2000+ plants globally across six primary market segments: sand and kaolin processing, ores and minerals (including bauxite, iron ore, alumina, phosphate, potash, gold, graphite, rare earths), metallurgical and steel industry by-products (blast furnace sludge recycling, EAF dust treatment), environmental technology and recycling (soil washing, C&D waste, port sediments, sludge treatment), flue gas desulfurization, and food and chemical processing. Revenue is generated through four streams: EPC turnkey plant construction, proprietary equipment sales, technical laboratory and testing services, and after-sales services including spare parts, modernization, and performance audits.

The company maintains a global footprint with direct offices in Hirschau (headquarters and technical laboratory), Shanghai (SAKW joint venture established in the 2000s for sand and kaolin processing, and Shanghai VORTEX entity established in 2020 focused on environmental and recycling solutions), and Dubai (AKW Wet Treatment Equipment LLC serving Middle East and CIS markets). AKW employs 100+ international experts and sells exclusively through direct enterprise field sales supported by a network of representatives and agents in multiple countries, with demand generation driven by participation in major industry trade shows including CRU Phosphates + Potash Expoconference, IFAT, Forum MIRO, The Mining Show, and Pollutec. The company holds ISO 9001 certification and its blast furnace sludge recycling technology is recognized by the European Commission as Best Available Technique (BAT).

Name

akw apparate + verfahren

Legal name

AKW Apparate + Verfahren GmbH

Website

https://akwauv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Short description

AKW Apparate + Verfahren GmbH is a privately held German specialty engineering firm founded in 1963 that designs proprietary wet mechanical processing equipment and turnkey EPC plants for industrial clients in mining, mineral processing, metallurgy, glass manufacturing, and environmental recycling across global markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wet Mechanical Mineral Processing Equipment and Plants

NAICS

Mining and Oil and Gas Field Machinery Manufacturing (33313), Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (33324)

SIC

Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Process Plant & Materials Handling EPC (Crushing, Conveying, Stockpiles, Loadout) (IMAKAOAE), Aluminum Project Development, Engineering & EPC (Smelters/Refineries) (IMAKACAO)

Keywords

• Wet mechanical processing
• Mineral processing equipment
• Turnkey plant engineering
• Hydrocyclone separation technology
• Environmental recycling systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Hirschau

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Turnkey Plant Design and Construction (EPC): Full engineering, procurement, and construction of wet mechanical processing plants. AKW manages purchasing, fabrication, inspection, and the entire supply chain, providing professional technical support for installation, commissioning, and operator training. This is the primary revenue driver for large-scale industrial projects.
2. Proprietary Equipment Sales: Sale of standardized and custom-designed proprietary equipment (hydrocyclones, thickeners, classifiers, screens, jigs, spirals, attrition cells, and related process units) either as standalone units or as part of plant packages.
3. Technical Laboratory and Testing Services: Lab-scale and pilot-scale testing services for process optimization. Technical laboratory provides analytical and testing capabilities including scrubbing, classifying, sorting, solid/liquid separation, gravimetric separation, magnetic separation, thickening, and dewatering tests.
4. After-Sales Services and Spare Parts: Comprehensive after-sales support including spare parts and wear parts supply, service contracts, plant modernization, upgrades, performance audits, and maintenance services over the plant lifecycle.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AKW Apparate + Verfahren designs, engineers, and builds custom turnkey plants and proprietary equipment for wet mechanical separation, classification, sorting, dewatering, and thickening processes. The company's offerings span individual processing units, integrated process lines, complete EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) plant delivery, and supporting technical laboratory, after-sales, and spare parts services to industrial clients in mining, minerals, glass, steel, environmental, and food/chemical sectors.

Product overview

AKW Equipment and Process Design is a leading global specialist for process technology, engineering, equipment and plant construction in wet mechanical mineral processing and environmental technology. Their product portfolio includes a comprehensive suite of proprietary equipment for wet mechanical processing: AKA-DRUM washing drums for material suspension and cleaning; AKA-SCREEN wet classification screens for precise particle size separation; AKA-VORTEX hydrocyclones for separation, classification and sorting; AKA-SPIDER hydrocyclone distributors for parallel configuration; AKA-TRIT attrition cells for surface cleaning; AKA-SIZER and AKA-MULTISIZER upstream classifiers for density-based separation; AKA-SORTER upstream sorters for fine material sorting; AKA-JIG jigs for gravity separation; AKA-SPIN spirals for gravity separation in the 60 µm to 2 mm range; AKA-SET high performance thickeners for process water clarification and slurry thickening; AKA-LAM lamellar clarifiers for organic sludge; and AKOREL free-fall classifiers. The company offers these as individual equipment units, process units, and integrated turnkey plant solutions for various markets including sand and kaolin processing, ore and mineral processing, food and chemicals, flue gas desulfurization, and environmental recycling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AKA-SET: High-performance thickeners for process water clarification and slurry thickening, available in flat or conical versions
• AKA-DRUM
• AKA-VORTEX
• AKA-SCREEN
• AKA-TRIT
• AKA-SPIN
• AKA-SIZER (TAK)
• AKA-SORTER (TAS)
• AKA-SPIDER
• AKA-JIG
• AKA-MULTISIZER (MAK)
• AKA-LAM
• AKOREL
• AKA-PRESS

Products and services

• AKA-VORTEX Hydrocyclones Polyurethane hydrocyclones used for wet mechanical separation, classification, and sorting of various raw materials. Designed for high wear and temperature resistance with multiple replaceable sections connected by clamps and flanges.
• AKA-DRUM Washing Drums Specialized washing drums for suspending clayey and silty raw materials as a prerequisite for high-quality product output. Used for high-performance material cleaning.
• AKA-SCREEN Wet Classification Screens Wet classification screens produce materials with precise cut-off grain sizes for fine material classification.
• AKA-SET High-Performance Thickeners High-performance thickeners for process water clarification and slurry thickening, available in flat-bottom and conical versions. Feature macro-floc formation in the filtering zone with counter-current flow to sedimented particles, enabling higher loading rates per unit settling area and smaller thickener diameters compared to conventional thickeners.
• AKA-SPIN Spirals Gravity separation spirals for materials with particle sizes between 60 microns and 2 mm. Used for density-based separation of fine materials.
• AKA-JIG Jig Separators Jigs for gravity separation of pollutants and waste from aggregates. Separates impurities and industrial waste from raw materials based on density differences.
• AKA-TRIT Attrition Cells High-performance attrition cells used for surface cleaning of sandy materials contaminated by impurities or pollutants through mechanical attrition.
• AKA-SPIDER Hydrocyclone Distributors Distributors combining multiple AKA-VORTEX hydrocyclones in linear or annular arrangement to achieve required throughput at constant cut size.
• AKA-SIZER (TAK) Upstream Classifiers Upstream classifiers producing materials with cut sizes in the range of 0.1 to 0.8 mm.
• AKA-SORTER (TAS) Upstream Sorters Upstream sorters used for density sorting of fine-grained bulk materials.
• AKA-MULTISIZER (MAK) Multi-Chamber Upstream Classifiers Horizontally arranged multi-chamber upstream classifier used to produce multiple grain size fractions from a single feed material.
• AKA-LAM Lamellar Clarifiers High-performance lamellar clarifiers used for efficient thickening of sludge with high organic content.
• AKOREL Free-Fall Classifiers Free-fall classifiers that correct the grain size distribution of raw sand 0-4 mm according to customer requirements.
• AKA-PRESS Filter Presses Filter presses for sludge dewatering used in wet mechanical processing applications.
• Turnkey Plant Design and Construction (EPC) Full engineering, procurement, and construction of wet mechanical processing plants. AKW manages purchasing, fabrication, inspection, and supply chain, providing professional technical support for installation, commissioning, and operator training. Primary offering for large-scale industrial projects in minerals, sand, environmental, and metallurgical sectors.
• Technical Laboratory Testing Services Lab-scale and pilot-scale testing services for process optimization including scrubbing, classifying, sorting, solid/liquid separation, gravimetric separation, magnetic separation, thickening, and dewatering tests on customer-supplied samples. Conducted at AKW's state-of-the-art technical laboratory in Hirschau, Germany.
• After-Sales Services and Spare Parts Comprehensive after-sales support including spare parts and wear parts supply, service contracts, plant modernization, upgrades, performance audits, and maintenance services over the plant lifecycle.

Quantifiable outcome

• Blast furnace sludge recycling reduces landfill waste by 50-80%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Shanghai VORTEXcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Dedicated entity established in 2020 to focus exclusively on environmental technology and recycling solutions for the Chinese market. Supports Chinese clients and prospects to benefit from AKW's specific experience in environmental and recycling applications. Executed the StaReSa project in Foshan.
• AKW Wet Treatment Equipment LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Subsidiary established in Dubai to serve Middle East markets and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries. Part of AKW's international expansion strategy for wet mechanical processing solutions.
• SAKW (Shanghai AKW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Joint venture established in China for sand and kaolin processing solutions. As the world's most consumed natural raw material after water, sand processing became a key market. SAKW supports AKW's global customers in sand and kaolin processing and represents AKW's China operations.
• Project 29 GmbH & Co. KGminorOthersAppointed data protection officer for AKW as required under GDPR Articles 13 and 14. Located at Ostengasse 14, 93047 Regensburg, Germany. Provides data protection advisory services.
• creativconcept GmbHminorOthersDigital agency responsible for the design and development of AKW's corporate website. Located at Fritz-Fend-Straße 4, Germany.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ANDRITZ: Provides separation technologies, thickeners, filter presses, and complete plants for mining, environmental, and industrial applications — directly overlapping with AKW's AKA-SET, AKA-PRESS, and AKA-VORTEX portfolio.
• Weir Group: Specialist in mining and mineral processing equipment, particularly in comminution, classification, and slurry handling. Direct competitor in wet mechanical processing plant delivery.
• Derrick Corporation: Specialist in fine wet screening and dewatering equipment for mining, mineral processing, and industrial applications — directly comparable to AKW's AKA-SCREEN classification screens.
• Metso: Global leader in mining and mineral processing equipment and plants, with overlapping capabilities in classification, separation, dewatering, and thickeners. Competes with AKW in EPC turnkey mineral processing projects worldwide.
• FLSmidth: Major supplier of engineered mineral processing equipment and EPC plants for cement, mining, and minerals. Overlaps with AKW in separation, classification, and slurry handling technologies.
• Eriez: Manufacturer of separation and processing equipment including magnetic separators, flotation, and screening — overlapping with AKW's gravity, magnetic, and density separation offerings.
• McLanahan: Supplies processing equipment and plant solutions for mineral processing, sand processing, and aggregate washing — closely aligned with AKW's sand/kaolin processing and aggregate segments.

Broad incumbents

• Tenova: Broader industrial EPC provider with mineral processing capabilities; competes with AKW on turnkey plants but operates across wider metals/mining verticals including pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical.

Emerging players

• Matec: Italian specialist in thickeners, filter presses, and water treatment plants for mining and industrial applications — comparable niche player competing with AKW's AKA-SET and AKA-PRESS product lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 akw apparate + verfahren