GROB-WERKE
Develops Liquid Metal Printing (LMP) systems for high-speed, powder-free production of aluminum components.
- CEO / Founder
- German Wankmiller
- Team Size
- 5001-10000
- Stage
- Established
- Total Funding
- Bootstrapped
- Latest Round
- Bootstrapped
- Key Investors
- Grob Family
Technology & Products
Key Products
GROB-WERKE specializes in production and automation systems, including Liquid Metal Printing (LMP) systems for high-speed aluminum component production, 5-axis CNC machines, and solutions for electric vehicle manufacturing.
Technological Advantage
LMP technology provides a faster, safer alternative to powder-bed fusion for aluminum alloys, leveraging GROB's decades of expertise in automotive automation and production systems.
Patent position
GROB-WERKE filed 2 patent families in 2022–2024, down from 10 in 2019–2021, an 80% fall versus a 15% fall in tracked AM filings in the same patent offices. AMPulse analysis
- Filing momentum
- 2 families filed 2022–2024, 10 in 2019–2021 (-80%); all tracked AM filings in the same offices -15%
- Filed in
- WO 42%EP 25%US 25%CN 17%
- Named competitors, AM patent families
- Fluent Metal 10ADDiTEC 23
12 AM patent families in total. Recent years are still being published, so read a filing change against the same-office figure.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Enables high-speed, flexible production of aluminum parts without the safety risks and costs associated with powder handling, achieving axis speeds up to 30 m/min.
How They Differentiate
Differentiates from powder-bed fusion (PBF) incumbents by using a liquid metal process that avoids powder-related safety hazards and high material costs while maintaining high production speeds.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Automotive manufacturers and industrial producers requiring near-net-shape aluminum components.
Industry Verticals
Automotive; Electromobility; Industrial Manufacturing
Competitors
Fluent Metal, ADDiTEC (ElemX liquid metal jetting), ValCUN (Molten Metal Deposition)
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Official site reports ~9,800 employees worldwide and €1.83 billion revenue; family-managed group with production plants in Germany (Mindelheim), Brazil (São Paulo), USA (Bluffton), China (Dalian), Italy (Pianezza/Turin), and India (Bangalore), plus new Technology and Application Centers opened in Guangzhou and Lyon in 2025.
Major Milestones
1926: Founded in Munich; 1956: Brazil plant; 1968: HQ Mindelheim; 2018: DMG meccanica acquired (Turin, Italy plant); 2020: Pianezza e-mobility plant opened; 2022–23: GMP300 LMP system enters AM market; 2024: Bangalore plant opened as sixth production plant; 2025: Technology & Application Centers opened in Guangzhou (China) and Lyon (France); Bluffton (USA) plant expanded by ~9,847 m²; 2026: Centennial year; 1 Jul 2026: Olaf Böckers appointed CFO
Notable Customers
Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler, General Motors
AM patents
AM-relevant patents linked to this company.
- Patents
- 13
- Granted
- 2
- Families
- 12
Leading domains: equipment (13), material (13), process (13)
Filings by year: 2024: 2 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 2
- PRINT HEAD AND METHOD FOR ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURING A COMPONENT BY MEANS OF MOLTEN METAL2023274590 · WO
- PRINT HEAD AND METHOD FOR ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURING A COMPONENT BY MEANS OF MOLTEN METAL04304796 · EP
- PRINT HEAD AND METHOD FOR STARTING UP A PRINT HEAD2022263023 · WO
- DEVICE FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF A COMPONENT20240253306 · US
- METHOD AND DEVICE FOR LAYERED MANUFACTURE OF A COMPONENT2022161764 · WO