Thies
Family-owned textile dyeing and finishing machinery manufacturer since 1892; also builds industrial dyeing equipment for post-processing polymer AM (SLS/MJF) parts.
- CEO / Founder
- Verena Thies-Niehoff
- Team Size
- 201-500
- Stage
- Active
- Total Funding
- $201K
- Latest Round
- Grant
- Key Investors
- Public grant
Technology & Products
Key Products
Textile dyeing and finishing machines (jet dyeing, yarn/piece finishing) plus dedicated AM dyeing systems: miniColor series (e.g. miniColor 350/500, miniColor 550/800) for bulk dyeing of SLS/MJF polymer parts; eCOLOR series (with CIPRES) for industrial in-house AM dyeing (PA, TPU, ABS, PP and more).
Technological Advantage
VERIFIED: Innovative, sustainable dyeing machines with automation, intelligent controls, and maintenance manager software; custom textile dyeing machinery produced in Germany with subsidiaries in Poland (Dofama) and Slovenia (Alchrom) integrated since 2007; export ratio over 90% supported by global service network. DEFENSIBLE: Family-owned business with over 130 years of expertise and integrated manufacturing facilities.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Precision jet dyeing machines for industrial textile processing, with secondary application in bulk dyeing of SLS/MJF polymer AM parts for color post-processing.
How They Differentiate
Thies is a 130-year-old family textile machine maker whose jet dyeing equipment has found niche application in post-processing SLS polymer AM parts — enabling bulk dyeing and coloring of 3D-printed polyamide components. Their primary market remains industrial textile finishing.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
3D printing companies requiring precision post-processing and finishing; industrial textile processors
Industry Verticals
Textile & Apparel; Additive Manufacturing (niche — polymer part dyeing)
Competitors
TOLKAR-SMARTEX, Fong's National Engineering Co. Ltd., Brazzoli S.p.A.
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Founded 1892; family-run for five generations; export ratio >90%; production in Germany with Polish/Slovenian subsidiaries; shares transferred to fifth generation in 2015
Major Milestones
Founded 1892 in Coesfeld, Westphalia. Over 130 years as family-owned textile machine manufacturer. Specializes in jet dyeing machines and piece/yarn finishing equipment. Relevance to AM is niche: Thies dyeing machines are used for post-processing SLS-printed polymer parts (polyamide powder dyeing/coloring), a use case that emerged in the 2010s.
Notable Customers
W-3D GmbH & Co. KG (development partner and industrial user of Thies miniColor dyeing systems for MJF/PA12 parts)