PRIMES
German precision instrument manufacturer specializing in high-power laser beam diagnostic systems for industrial laser material processing and metal additive manufacturing, including LPBF/SLM, DED, and laser welding applications.
- CEO / Founder
- Reinhard Kramer
- Team Size
- 51-200
- Stage
- Active
- Total Funding
- Bootstrapped
- Latest Round
- Bootstrapped
Technology & Products
Key Products
FocusMonitor FM+ / FMW+ (beam quality analysis for high-power CW lasers, welding, AM); BeamMonitor BM+ (in-process beam monitoring); ScanFieldMonitor SFM / SFM 2D (full scan-field calibration for LPBF/SLM and remote welding); MicroSpotMonitor (micro-focus measurement); Cube (mobile compact power measurement); LaserDiagnosticsSoftware LDS
Technological Advantage
Proprietary FS³ sensor technology for multi-kilowatt beam profiling; ISO/IEC 17025-accredited in-house calibration lab; 30+ years of domain expertise; ScanFieldMonitor SFM 2D covers full scan field of LPBF machines; Japan subsidiary for Asian market; ruggedized industrial designs rated for AM build-chamber environments
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Industrial-grade laser beam diagnostic instruments engineered for multi-kilowatt laser systems in additive manufacturing and laser material processing, providing traceable, in-situ beam quality measurements that competing lab-grade instruments cannot perform under production conditions.
How They Differentiate
Specializes exclusively in industrial multi-kW laser diagnostics vs. competitors offering broad lab photonics portfolios; only provider with full scan-field AM laser characterization (SFM 2D); ISO/IEC 17025 traceability appeals to automotive/aerospace quality requirements; ruggedized hardware designed for AM build-chamber integration vs. lab-grade optics instruments
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Laser machine OEMs (TRUMPF, EOS, SLM Solutions, Concept Laser/GE, nLIGHT), AM machine builders, automotive manufacturers (BMW, Volkswagen), battery production facilities, laser welding integrators
Industry Verticals
Metal Additive Manufacturing (LPBF/SLM, DED), Automotive (EV battery production, welding), Laser Welding & Cutting, Photovoltaics, Research & Academia
Competitors
Ophir/MKS Instruments (US/IL – Beam Profilers, power meters); Gentec-EO (CA – laser power/energy meters); Coherent (US – laser diagnostics portfolio)
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
~130 employees; Japan subsidiary established; global distribution network; annex construction 2012 indicates sustained growth; supports major automotive OEMs in battery production
Major Milestones
1992: Founded by Reinhard Kramer and Franek (Pfungstadt, Germany); 1996: Reinhard Kramer takes full ownership; 2012: Construction of annex building; Establishment of PRIMES Japan K.K. (Tokyo subsidiary); Launch of ScanFieldMonitor for AM scan-field calibration; ScanFieldMonitor SFM 2D launch (2018); FocusMonitor FM+ qualification for green/blue lasers; BMW battery production deployment; Photonics West 2026 exhibitor
Notable Customers
BMW (battery production laser monitoring); TRUMPF; EOS; SLM Solutions; Concept Laser (GE Additive); Major automotive and laser OEMs