GRAVOTECH, the Expression of Things. The leader in permanent marking and engraving solutions.

The group merged its three historical trademarks Gravotech, Gravograph, and Technifor to create Gravotech, and to evolve its brand platform.

Our brand, recognized worldwide for its expertise in rotary and laser engraving applications, is embodying a new vision of its business, the Expression of Things, and adopts this concept through a new identity and a new website launched worldwide in January 2021.

The Internet of Things expresses the ability of objects to exchange digital information with each other. The Expression of things reflects Gravotech’s core business of empowering objects to express themselves through the written word, images and associated digital information.

We give the power to accompany the industrial digital transformation with the identification of manufactured parts to ensure their traceability.
We give the power to inform by creating signage that is more adapted to the environment, its constraints, and more appealing.
We give the power to satisfy the growing desire to put emotion back at the heart of items by personalizing them.

Gravotech is now one of 37 French «Showcases of the Industry of the Future» (Vitrine de l’Industrie du Futur), a label awarded by the Alliance of the Industry of the Future (AIF) to exemplary, innovative players committed to digitization.

The Group was recognized for its «Support Center», a project launched in 2016 and which underwent major development in 2017.

AIF notably underlined «the organizational transformation that enabled the implementation of digital continuity and the development of a service offer based on customer usage».

MML Capital and Bpifrance are the new shareholders supporting Gravotech in a shared ambition where dynamic growth is driven by innovation and consolidation of the Group’s international positions.

2018 Golden Globes party celebrated not only the talented actors but also the Gravograph M20, the chosen engraving machine which was immortalized thanks to speedy personalization each trophy.

The 2017 Open Parc Auvergne Rhône-Alpes tennis tournament is part of the prestigious ATP circuit; the event’s organizers commissioned Gravotech to design and manufacture the tournament trophies.

The project was a first for the Gravograph brand and involved a dozen innovative technologies: laser cutting of wood and acrylic, laser engraving on wood, rotary cutting, metal marking, additive manufacturing, digital printing and metal-plating of 3D printed objects.

Gravotech’s latest CO2 innovation has been recognized by SGIA (Specialty Graphic Imaging Association)!

LS900 Energy, our new budget-friendly engraving machine, won «Product of the Year» in «Category 105: Finishing - Equipment - Routers/Cutters».

Gravotech wins the export innovation prize at the 7th MOCI Awards for leading French SMEs in international markets.

This award acknowledges cutting-edge, independent French companies that have achieved international growth through their strategy of innovation.

The Gravotech Group was selected as the winner from among 1000 companies.

Released at the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016 respectively, the 3D stylus and lens responded to the same requirement, enabling a machine to mark objects of different sizes by constantly adjusting itself.

The stylus was designed for dot-peen marking and the lens for lasers.

This exclusive Gravotech innovation resulted in significant gains in productivity and simplified integration for our customers.

Gravotech Group was born following the merger of Gravograph, Technifor, and Vision Numeric.

Castle Harlan, Inc., the New York-based private equity investment firm, sold the Gravograph-Technifor Group, the world leader in the manufacture of permanent marking machines, devices, accessories, and related consumables, to LBO France, one of the leading private equity firms in Paris.

Based in Miribel (France), Technifor has built a solid reputation in dot-peen and laser marking systems for durable identification and traceability with the world’s major car manufacturers (50% of its sales), aeronautics and electrical industries over the last twenty-two years.

Annual growth of more than 17% over the last ten years had propelled the company, with its 145 employees and 8 subsidiaries worldwide, to more than 20 million euros in sales in 2002, 80% of which was generated outside France.

Castle Harlan’s management was convinced and keen to expand the product range of the world’s leading engraving machine, Gravograph New Hermes, which it had acquired in the spring of 2000.

Castle Harlan, Inc., the New York merchant bank, announces the acquisition of Gravograph Industries International, the world’s leading maker and seller of machines, accessories and materials used in the engraving industry.

Launch of 3Design the full 3D solution dedicated to Jewelry and fashion accessories.

The software launched by Gravograph in September 1998 was powerful, user-friendly and offered several new features for preparing a job and having it carried out by a machine.

The software represented a real breakthrough in the engraving sector.

As a specialist in the field of traceability, Technifor took a major step forward with its TL400 solution: this laser marking system provided power and precision that met the specific marking requirements for metal parts.

With Gravograph solutions first, later with Technifor solutions, Japan becomes the first country for the group to be present in Asia.

The first machine with an integrated control system.

The machine is a genuine revolution in the engraving industry.

Gravograph acquires New Hermes (US branch) and is listed on the stock exchange on October 10th.

Intended from the outset to make pieces communicate through engraving, sculpting, cutting and texturing, the concept of Type3 solutions has evolved to include modelling and design.

Having started with a single flagship product, Vision numeric quickly produces four independent software solutions:

• TypeEdit: for CNC machines
• LaserType: for laser machines
• 3DESIGN: the 3D artistic CAD solution
• Type3 CAA: dedicated to CATIA software

This digitally-controlled engraving machine – controlled by a computer designed entirely by Gravograph (hardware and software) – greatly boosted the professional-engraver market.

It enabled Gravograph to become the world leader in the market.

Four years after being founded, Technifor, which was based in Villeurbanne near Lyon at that time, invented a new marking technology - dot peen, or “digitally controlled marking” – and launched its first machine, the CN 2.

Some 30 years later, tens of thousands of machines have been sold in over 100 countries!

Founded in 1981, Technifor, inventor of dot-peen marking, is now the world’s leading manufacturer of permanent dot-peen, scribing and laser marking machines for the traceability and automatic identification of metal or plastic parts.

Technifor set up an office in the UK in the middle of the 1990s.

Association between Norbert Schimmel and V.E.V. (Vitos Etablissement Vitoux) for the creation of a joint subsidiary GRAVOGRAPH whose object is the commercialization of mechanical engraving machines manufactured by V.E.V.

The business activity in the UK was represented by Vitos from 1946 until 1987, when Gravograph Ltd was founded.

From the UK further expansion into Europe was next.

In 1940, New Hermes set their headquarters in the famous landmark of New York the “Flat Iron Building”.

With World War II, New Hermes did their bit for the war effort, enlarging the application to Signage for the US army.

Strong market roots where set. After the war, the group expanded into new territory, personalization: Pens, jewelry, watches, ladies compacts, and flatware.

New Hermes engraving machines flourished in shops, department stores and promotion tours, giving the brand new exposure.

New Hermes* Inc was founded in 1938 in the United States by a German immigrant, Norbert Schimmel and its business partner, Werner Dannheisser with a group of visionaries.

Although engraving machines were widely used in Europe, none were available in this country. After careful study of engraving techniques, they created their own version and solved notorious issues with the European versions.

Werner Dannheisser remembers this beginning: “This was a new product idea and we had to spend a lot of time and a lot of money in the development of the machine. In the beginning, both of us served as chief cook and bottle washer. We did everything from the paperwork and publicity to the shipping, once the machine was in production."

They became the world’s largest manufacturer of pantograph engraving machines, making them simple, reliable and user friendly.

This “pantograph” therefore laid the foundations of the future Gravograph Group, and these machines are still performing today.

*Hermes: the ancient Greek God of industry and commerce.