Development and manufacture of thermoforming and welding machines for packaging, medical and refrigerator technology
KIEFEL GmbH
Freilassing (headquarters) · Micheldorf (Kiefel Packaging GmbH) · Roissy en Brie · Dover, NH (USA) · Thailand · Netherlands (Customer Innovation Center)New on Amplifa
About Kiefel
KIEFEL GmbH, headquartered in Freilassing, is a manufacturer of thermoforming and welding systems for the packaging, medical and refrigerator industries. The company supports customers from product development through proof-of-concept testing in the Customer Innovation Centers to series production, including in-house toolmaking and training. The machine portfolio includes steel-band thermoforming machines (SPEEDFORMER KMD), tilting/cup forming machines (KTR), fiber thermoforming systems (NATUREFORMER) for natural fiber packaging made from cellulose, annual plants and recycled paper, large-scale systems for refrigerator interior and door liners (SHARPFORMER), as well as inline systems and filling systems for medical bags. Materials processed include polymers such as PP, PET, PS, PLA, PVC, PE, EVA, HIPS and ABS. Kiefel is part of the Brückner Group, employs around 600 staff and maintains a sales and service network in over 60 countries. Quality is certified under ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 50001.
- Site
- Freilassing
- Processes
- Thermoforming (plastic packaging, cups, blisters, trays), Fiber thermoforming (natural fiber packaging, wet or dry process), High-frequency welding (medical bags: blood bags, infusion bags etc.), Thermal contact welding (non-PVC medical bags), Filling and sealing of medical/pharmaceutical bags (KMS/KIS), Toolmaking (thermoforming tools for KTR, KMD, KFT), Design and manufacture of series and special-purpose machines (joining, forming, high-frequency, Sample production and material testing at the Customer Innovation Center (thermoforming,
- Materials
- PET, PP, PS, PLA, PVC, PE, EVA, HIPS
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, ISO 50001:2018, EcoVadis Silver Medal, EcoVadis Silver
- Founded
- 1955
- Employees
- 600
- Industries
- Packaging industry (polymer & natural fiber), Medical & pharmaceutical industry, Refrigerator/appliance industry
- 01
Research phase & requirements analysis
- 02
Proof of Concept at the Customer Innovation Center
- 03
Toolmaking & machine development
- 04
Assembly of the systems
- 05
Installation & training
- 06
After-sales service & upgrades
Locations
Freilassing
DEHeadquarters with development, toolmaking, assembly, Material R&D Center and Customer Innovation Center
- Materials
- Steel, stainless steel, aluminum, plastics
- Thermoforming machine assembly
- Toolmaking
- CNC measurement
- Material R&D Center
Micheldorf
ATKiefel Packaging GmbH (closure announced for end of 2025)
Roissy en Brie
FRSARL Kiefel France, sales and service
Dover, NH (USA)
USBrueckner Group USA Inc. / Kiefel USA, headquarters and Customer Innovation Center
Thailand
THProduction site of Brückner Group Asia-Pacific
Netherlands
NLCustomer Innovation Center (Polymer Packaging)
Machine Solutions & Applications
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermoforming (plastic packaging, cups, blisters, trays)Plastics | – | – | – | – | PET, PP, PS, PLA, PVC, EVA, HIPS, ABS, PE |
| Fiber thermoforming (natural fiber packaging, wet or dry process)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Cellulose, Annual plants, Recycled paper |
| High-frequency welding (medical bags: blood bags, infusion bags etc.)Joining | – | – | – | – | PVC, EVA, PU |
| Thermal contact welding (non-PVC medical bags)Joining | – | – | – | – | PE, PP, multilayer films |
| Filling and sealing of medical/pharmaceutical bags (KMS/KIS)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Finished empty bags |
| Toolmaking (thermoforming tools for KTR, KMD, KFT)Engineering | – | – | – | – | PET, PP, PS, natural fibers |
| Design and manufacture of series and special-purpose machines (joining, forming, high-frequencyEngineering | – | – | – | – | Plastics, alternative materials |
| Sample production and material testing at the Customer Innovation Center (thermoforming,Engineering | – | – | – | – | Polymers, natural fibers |
| Cutting/punching (inline punching station for fiber products)Machining | – | – | – | – | Natural fibers |
26 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel-band thermoforming machine (SPEEDFORMER KMD) | Kiefel KMD 64.2 Speed | – | – | – | – |
| Steel-band thermoforming machine (SPEEDFORMER KMD) | Kiefel KMD 78.2 Premium | – | – | – | – |
| Steel-band thermoforming machine (SPEEDFORMER KMD) | Kiefel KMD 78.2 Speed | – | – | – | – |
| Steel-band thermoforming machine (SPEEDFORMER KMD) | Kiefel KMD 78.2 Power | – | – | – | – |
| Steel-band thermoforming machine (SPEEDFORMER KMD) | Kiefel KMD 78.2 Smart / KMD 78 Smart | – | – | – | – |
| Steel-band thermoforming machine (SPEEDFORMER KMD) | Kiefel KMD 85 Speed | – | – | – | – |
| Steel-band thermoforming machine (SPEEDFORMER KMD) | Kiefel KMD 90.1 Premium | – | – | – | – |
| Tilting/cup forming machine (SPEEDFORMER KTR) | Kiefel KTR 5.2 Speed | – | – | – | – |
| Tilting/cup forming machine (SPEEDFORMER KTR) | Kiefel KTR 6.2 Speed | – | – | – | – |
| Fiber thermoforming system (NATUREFORMER) | Kiefel KFT 90.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Fiber thermoforming system, laboratory machine (NATUREFORMER) | Kiefel KFT Lab | – | – | – | – |
| Fiber thermoforming system (NATUREFORMER) | Kiefel KFL 90.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Large thermoforming system for refrigerator components (SHARPFORMER) | Kiefel KID Premium 1.000 | – | – | – | – |
| Large thermoforming system for refrigerator components (SHARPFORMER) | Kiefel KID Smart 1.250 | – | – | – | – |
| Large thermoforming system for refrigerator components (SHARPFORMER) | Kiefel KID Speed 1.000 | – | – | – | – |
| Large thermoforming system for refrigerator components (SHARPFORMER) | Kiefel KID Speed 1.100 | – | – | – | – |
| Inline system for medical bags | Kiefel KIR | – | – | – | – |
| Inline system for medical bags | Kiefel KIT | – | – | – | – |
| Inline form-fill-seal system for medical polyolefin bags (SOLUTIONPERFORMER) | Kiefel KFS | – | – | – | – |
| Inline system filling system | Kiefel KIS | – | – | – | – |
| Tabletop filling module | Kiefel KMS | – | – | – | – |
| L-line system for medical bags with tube film | Kiefel KLR | – | – | – | – |
| Sliding table system with high-frequency welding | Kiefel KSR | – | – | – | – |
| Sliding table system with thermal contact welding | Kiefel KST | – | – | – | – |
| Tablet/tray machine (high-frequency welding, PVC/EVA) | Kiefel KXR | – | – | – | – |
| Tray machine (thermal contact welding, non-PVC) | Kiefel KXT | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Quality
Kiefel is certified under ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 50001; suppliers are integrated via quality guidelines, inspection certificates and machine-based measurement according to defined inspection instructions.
| Evidence | Freilassing |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 | |
| ISO 14001:2015 | |
| ISO 45001:2018 | |
| ISO 50001:2018 | |
| EcoVadis Silver |
History
- 1945
Paul Kiefel founds a workshop for bicycles and agricultural machinery in Piding
- 1946–1953
Production of tractors based on Jeep designs
- 1950er
Development of the first high-frequency welding presses
- 1955
Relocation to the Freilassing site; focus on mechanical engineering for plastic film processing
- 1960er
High-frequency welding systems for door linings, medical products and thermoforming machines
- 2007
Kiefel becomes part of the Brückner Group
- 2020
Red Dot Award for HMI design
- 2021
Opening of the Material R&D Center and Customer Innovation Centers for Packaging at headquarters; ABB Sustainability Award
- 2022
K-Messe K 22 with a focus on sustainability, EcoVadis Silver, first sustainability report of the Brückner Group, German Sustainability Award (finalist)
- 2023
Inauguration of the new headquarters and Customer Innovation Center at Brückner Group USA; WorldStar Award for NATUREFORMER KFT 90 Speed; launch of SOLUTIONPERFORMER KFS; gold at the German Packaging Award; new production site of the Brückner Group in Thailand; joined UN Global Compact
- 2024
NPE 2024 with KMD 90.1 Premium; launch of SPEEDFORMER KTR 6.2; Matt Sieverding becomes CEO
- 2025
70 years of Kiefel; K-Messe with KTR 6.2; restructuring; EcoVadis Silver
- 2024 (Nov)
Announcement of the closure of Kiefel Packaging GmbH in Micheldorf at the end of 2025