In 1981, company founder Wilfried Tappe began manufacturing aluminium rollers in a small garage in the heart of Herford. Today, in 2026, INOMETA GmbH can look back on an impressive 45 years. What began as a modest one-man operation has grown into an internationally renowned technology leader. The secret to the East Westphalian company’s success lies in a perfect balance of traditional family values, tireless innovation, an enormous range of solutions and a consistent commitment to sustainability.
Values of a family business and team spirit
Now in its second generation under the leadership of Cedric Tappe and co-managing director Christof Schotten, INOMETA continues to uphold the virtues of a true family business to this day. Long-term and reliable customer relationships based on mutual respect form the foundation. This success is largely driven by the company’s approximately 200 employees, who are the true backbone of this technology leader. Many experts began their professional careers within the company itself. With a modern, well-equipped training workshop and currently 16 technical apprentices, INOMETA is actively countering the shortage of skilled workers and shaping the specialists of tomorrow.
Pioneering spirit and unstoppable innovative drive
INOMETA’s history is inextricably linked to material innovations. A good 35 years ago, the company was one of the very first pioneers to use carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and glass fibre-reinforced plastic (GFRP) in roller manufacturing. Where traditional materials fail, these fibre composites offer extreme lightness, precision and vibration damping. Today, the company is perfecting this spirit of innovation at its state-of-the-art smart factory at its headquarters: a recent multi-million investment in four fully automated, robot-assisted production cells enables highly efficient, digitally networked series production in a true Industry 4.0 context.
Range of solutions – “More than rollers”
INOMETA now covers the entire value chain – from product development through precise multi-plane balancing to functional surface finishing. Whether wear-resistant, heat-resistant or non-stick coatings: the portfolio meets every industrial requirement. Thanks to its unique systems approach, such as the INOflex range for flexographic printing, customers receive all rotating printing units and web-guiding components from a single source. In addition to the printing and converting industries, the portfolio ensures future-proofing in the battery market: specialised low-friction rollers guide the thinnest electrode and separator films absolutely crease-free with minimal start-up torque.
Partnership and sustainability in practice
Under the motto ‘More than rollers’, INOMETA sees itself not merely as a supplier, but as a holistic development partner that breaks down traditional supplier-customer boundaries. This close cooperation goes hand in hand with environmental responsibility: consistent lightweight construction reduces material consumption and, by minimising mass inertia, drastically lowers the energy requirements of customers’ machines.
Digital milestones such as INOid – a cloud-based digital product identity for intelligent life-cycle tracking – guarantee future-proof, resource-efficient processes for the industry of tomorrow.