Founded in Rheda-Wiedenbrück in 1963, Venjakob has evolved into one of the world’s leading suppliers of industrial coating systems. While the company now operates on a global scale — with 380 employees, production facilities in Germany and the USA, and an extensive international sales and partner network — it remains proudly family-run, now in its third generation.
“In surface finishing, machine and plant concepts must be flexibly adaptable to specific requirements,” explains Christian Nü.er, Managing Partner at Venjakob. “From the very beginning, we have made it our mission to work closely with our customers in research and development, supporting them in meeting constantly changing demands.”
Spirit of innovation
A standout recent development from Venjakob is its hot melt adhesive application system featuring inductively heated rollers. Traditionally, rollers have been heated using water or thermal oil; however, this new approach delivers lower energy consumption and operating costs, while also helping to reduce CO₂ emissions. Conventional heating methods each come with limitations. Water-based systems are restricted to temperatures of up to 160°C, while thermal oil can reach around 260°C and is therefore more commonly used.
However, oilbased systems require significantly more energy — often up to twice as much as water heating — and involve additional operational considerations. “Oil expands when heated,” explains Patrick Ade, sales engineer at Venjakob. “Many precautions must be taken when operating with heat transfer fluids. The oil must be changed regularly and disposed of properly as hazardous waste.”
Against this backdrop, Venjakob set out to develop a more efficient and environmentally responsible solution. An internal brainstorming process led to the integration of inductors within the dosing rollers themselves. These generate a magnetic field that heats the roller shell directly to temperatures of up to 210°C.
This approach offers several key advantages: it eliminates the need for external heating peripherals, ensures uniform heat distribution across the roller surface, and avoids energy losses associated with systems such as oil pipework. Venjakob states that it is currently the only series manufacturer offering hot melt roller application machines with inductive roller heating. The first systems are already in operation within the furniture industry, as well as in other sectors.
Venjakob in action – Nolte Küchen
One of Venjakob’s notable success stories is Nolte Küchen – a family-owned company founded in 1958 that produces high-quality fitted kitchens. Responding to consumers’ desire for individuality, Nolte Küchen offers a wide range of colours and attractive surface concepts, with production taking place across approximately 100,000 sqm at two locations – in Löhne and Melle.
Previously, auxiliary materials such as panels, side elements, and plinths were painted by external partners. Nolte Küchen sought to bring this process inhouse using state-of-the-art production methods and customised system concepts – and Venjakob delivered.
The system needed to operate economically with small batch sizes, allow up to 20 colour changes, and provide short throughput times. Coated materials had to be completely dry after the coating process so that the reverse sides could be painted immediately afterward.
To keep set-up times for the many possible colour changes as short as possible, a colour management system was implemented. All adjustable parameters relevant to surface coating can be preset in any quantity at a central touchscreen control station in front of the spray cabin and recalled as spray programs. Individual programs are easy for the operator to modify and can be stored in the system.
At the customer’s request, the humidification system was integrated into the supply air system for the spray coating area. The incoming air is heated, cleaned, and humidified before entering, providing optimal air quality for the best coating results. A second supply air system without humidification supplies the sanding machine, dust extraction, and drying sections.
Customer-focused solutions
From standalone systems to modular plant concepts, Venjakob offers the right solution for every company size and level of requirement. Crucially, Venjakob prioritises solutions that are energy and resource-efficient through a tailored approach.
“It is always individual,” affirms Christian Streit, Head of the Wood and Building Materials division at Venjakob. “We analyse what equipment the customer is currently using. During planning and development, ideas often emerge that generate further savings – whether by enabling the customer to make better use of their existing technology or by optimising it with our own solutions that have already proven successful in practice.”
Within a climate of rising energy efficiency requirements, volatile material costs, and increasing demand for sustainable production processes – Venjakob continues to be a trusted and valuable partner for the industry.
