Manufacture of ultrasonic and steam-jet cleaning systems, equipment, metrology and cleaning chemistry in Singen
ELMA Schmidbauer GmbH
Singen (Hohentwiel) · Mühlhausen-EhingenNew on Amplifa
Cleaning technology from Singen since 1948
ELMA Schmidbauer GmbH has been developing and manufacturing cleaning technology at its Singen (Hohentwiel) site since 1948. The portfolio includes industrial ultrasonic cleaning systems (Elmasystem Core, Nano, Evo and Neo) with frequencies from 25 to 130 kHz, multifrequency ultrasonic benchtop units (Elmasonic), steam-jet cleaning devices (Elmasteam) at up to 8 bar, multi-chamber machines for watch and small-part cleaning (Elmasolvex) as well as the cavitation meter Elmasense Cavicheck. The range is complemented by its own cleaning chemistry (Elmaclean), which is produced at the Mühlhausen-Ehingen plant. The value chain includes engineering, plant construction, sheet metal and parts manufacturing, and cleaning chemicals production. The solutions are used in medical technology, photonics and optics, electronics, energy and drive technology, precision manufacturing, and the watch and jewelry industry. The family-run company employs more than 300 people and manufactures entirely in Germany, including for cleanroom applications at the nanometer scale.
- Site
- Singen (Hohentwiel)
- Processes
- Ultrasonic cleaning (industrial), Ultrasonic cleaning with frequencies 25–130 kHz (systems, single & multi), Steam-jet cleaning (up to 8 bar, wet/dry steam, up to 160 °C, chemical-free), Solvent and aqueous cleaning in the rotation/oscillation process (watch movement cleaning), Vacuum ultrasonic cleaning with solvents (Ex-protected, flash point >= 12°C), Hot-air/vacuum/infrared drying (HEPA filters available), High-purity cleaning systems for cleanrooms (particulate and film contamination up to, Device qualification/measurement (cavitation measurement with Elmasense Cavicheck, requalification)
- Materials
- Stainless steel, Aluminum, Non-ferrous metals, Precious metals, Plastics, Metal (industrial components)
- Certificates
- ISO 13485, ISO 14001
- Founded
- 1948
- Employees
- 300+ (over 270/over
- Industries
- Medical technology, Photonics & optics, Electronics, Energy & drive technology, Precision parts, Watches & jewelry
- 01
Engineering and design
- 02
Sheet metal and parts manufacturing
- 03
Plant construction and equipment engineering
- 04
Cleaning chemicals production
- 05
Qualification, testing and service
Materials and processes
Stainless steel
Material for oscillating tanks, cleaning baskets and workpiece holders with increased wall thickness for long service life
Aluminum
Cleaning goods that are gently cleaned by steam jet
Non-ferrous metals
Used as cleaning goods in steam-jet and ultrasonic processes
Precious metals
Cleaning of precious metal parts, especially in watch and jewelry cleaning
Plastics
Cleaning of plastic components with aqueous media and steam
Metal (industrial components)
Industrial components for ultrasonic cleaning from 25 to 130 kHz
Manufacturing sites
Singen (Plant 1)
DEHeadquarters, device and system manufacturing
- Materials
- Stainless steel
- Industrial ultrasonic cleaning systems Elmasystem Core/Nano/Evo/Neo (25–160 l tanks, basket loads 8/15/35 kg)
- Multifrequency ultrasonic benchtop units Elmasonic xtra ST (28.8–245.1 l)
- Steam-jet cleaning devices Elmasteam (4–8 bar)
- Multi-chamber cleaning machines Elmasolvex SE/RM/VA
- Cavitation meter Elmasense Cavicheck
Singen (Plant 2)
DESheet metal and parts manufacturing
- Materials
- Stainless steel
Singen (Plant 6)
DEPlant construction
- Part weight / size
- Basket sizes 25/55/80/160 l; basket loads 8/15/35 kg
- Materials
- Stainless steel
- Elmasystem modules for fully automatic cleaning systems with IPC control
- Workpiece transport systems (manual, semi- or fully automatic)
- Drying systems (hot air, vacuum, infrared, HEPA filters)
Mühlhausen-Ehingen (Plant 3)
DEChemical production
Elma Suisse
CHSales and service branch
Devices, systems and cleaning goods
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultrasonic cleaning (industrial)Surface | – | – | – | – | Metal, Plastics, Stainless steel, Aluminum, Non-ferrous and precious metals |
| Ultrasonic cleaning with frequencies 25–130 kHz (systems, single & multi)Surface | – | – | – | – | Metal, Plastics |
| Steam-jet cleaning (up to 8 bar, wet/dry steam, up to 160 °C, chemical-free)Surface | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel, Aluminum, Non-ferrous and precious metals, Plastics |
| Solvent and aqueous cleaning in the rotation/oscillation process (watch movement cleaning)Surface | – | – | – | – | Metal |
| Vacuum ultrasonic cleaning with solvents (Ex-protected, flash point >= 12°C)Surface | – | – | – | – | Metal |
| Hot-air/vacuum/infrared drying (HEPA filters available)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| High-purity cleaning systems for cleanrooms (particulate and film contamination up toSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Device qualification/measurement (cavitation measurement with Elmasense Cavicheck, requalification)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Cleaning chemicals production (Elmaclean, elma wf pro, elma suprol pro)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Development and plant construction (cleaning systems, sheet metal and parts manufacturing)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
10 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial ultrasonic cleaning system (Elmasystem Nano/Evo/Neo/Core, modular, IPC control) | Elma Elmasystem Core/Nano/Evo/Neo | – | Tank/basket sizes 25, 55, 80, 160 liters; basket loads 8/15/35 kg | – | Singen (Plant 6 plant construction) |
| Multifrequency ultrasonic benchtop unit | Elma Elmasonic xtra ST (300H–2500H) | – | Tank interior dimensions e.g. 290/265/280 mm (300H) to 700/615/485 mm (2500H); volume 28.8–245.1 l; | – | Singen |
| Steam-jet cleaning device | Elma Elmasteam 8 basic | – | 4–8 bar, < 160 °C, external dimensions 360×355×520 mm | – | – |
| Steam-jet cleaning device (MDR Class I) | Elma Elmasteam 8 med | – | 4–8 bar, < 160 °C, external dimensions 315×350×520 mm, pressure vessel 5 l | – | – |
| Steam-jet device (compact) | Elma Elmasteam 4.5 basic | – | – | – | – |
| Manual multi-chamber cleaning machine (watch cleaning) | Elma Elmasolvex SE | – | 4 media containers of 0.6 l each, external dimensions 502×516×657 mm, spin speeds up to 1200 rpm | – | – |
| Fully automatic solvent ultrasonic vacuum cleaning machine (Ex-certified) | Elma Elmasolvex VA | – | 64/80 mm baskets, rotation/oscillation | – | – |
| Fully automatic multi-chamber cleaning machine (solvent/aqueous) | Elma Elmasolvex RM | – | 4 cleaning chambers + heating chamber, 64 mm baskets | – | – |
| Ultrasonic device series | Elma Elmasonic Easy, Easy R, Select, P, Med, Xtra | – | – | – | Singen |
| Cavitation meter | Elma Elmasense Cavicheck | – | – | – | – |
Quality assurance
A continuous quality management system accompanies the entire process from design to final inspection; qualification and requalification of ultrasonic devices is performed with the Elmasense Cavicheck cavitation meter with standards-compliant evaluation in the Elma Hub. Certifications according to ISO 13485 and ISO 14001 demonstrate the management and environmental system across all production sites.
| Evidence | Singen | Mühlhausen-Ehingen |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 13485 | ||
| ISO 14001 |
Company history
- 1948
Hans Schmidbauer founds Elma (elektrische Maschinen) in Singen and invents the world's first electric watch cleaning machine
- 1975
Manfred Schmidbauer takes over the leadership and makes Elma a global specialist in industrial cleaning technology
- 2014
End of the Manfred Schmidbauer era; transition to a generational change
- 2019
Mirja Schmidbauer takes over as managing partner; leadership in the third generation by Cornelia and Mirja Schmidbauer