What Sun Hydraulics does

Sun Hydraulics is a US-based designer and manufacturer of high-performance screw-in hydraulic cartridge valves, manifolds, and electro-hydraulic control components, founded in 1970 and headquartered in Sarasota, Florida. The company is a wholly-owned operating subsidiary of Helios Technologies (NYSE: HLIO), which carries an approximately $2.05–2.29 billion market capitalization and has paid dividends for 30 consecutive years. Sun's product portfolio is organized around three pillars: cartridges (pressure control, flow control, load holding, directional, electro-proportional, solenoid-operated, logic element, CavitySaver multi-function, and specialty categories), manifolds (standard and custom assemblies enabled by the QuickDesign 3D CAD tool), and electronics (XMD Series I/O modules, UControl, embedded amplifiers, coils, position indication, and supporting software). The company is recognized as the 4th-largest proportional valve manufacturer globally per a 2025 SAC Insight ranking and has accumulated 55 years of proprietary hydraulic IP, including the FLeX Series common-cavity platform, LoadAdaptive and LoadMatch load-holding technologies, the ENERGEN energy harvester (2025 LEAP Award winner), the eSense platform co-developed with Purdue University, and the newly launched QMEH high-pressure cartridge-style flow meter (April 2026).

The business operates a quote-based, channel-only go-to-market: Sun sells exclusively through a global network of 100+ authorized distributors and system integrators, providing no public pricing and no direct end-customer transactions. Eight in-region sales, engineering, and manufacturing offices in the US, UK, Germany, Italy, South Korea, China, India, and Brazil support local application engineering, custom manifold design, and rapid prototyping. Customer end-markets are diversified across construction equipment (primary use case), material handling, aerospace ground support, mining, agriculture, and general industrial manufacturing, with no disclosed end-customer concentration. Major inorganic moves include the 2018 acquisition of Faster Group (~$531M) and the 2016 acquisition of Enovation Controls (~$250M), which together extended Sun's product range into quick-disconnect couplings and electronic controls respectively. The Koski Center for Engineering Innovation anchors ongoing R&D, and the ecoline sub-brand represents Sun's energy-efficient product program aligned with broader equipment electrification trends.

Name

Sun Hydraulics

Legal name

Sun Hydraulics LLC

Website

https://sunhydraulics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Sun Hydraulics is a US-based designer and manufacturer of screw-in hydraulic cartridge valves, manifolds, and electro-hydraulic controls, serving OEMs in construction, material handling, aerospace ground support, mining, agriculture, and industrial manufacturing through a global authorized distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hydraulic Components & Fluid Power

NAICS

Fluid Power Valve and Hose Fitting Manufacturing (332912), Other Metal Valve and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing (332919), Totalizing Fluid Meter and Counting Device Manufacturing (334514)

SIC

Screw Machine Products (3451)

akta.pro primary industry

Hydraulic Power Units & Systems (HPUs, Manifolds, Integrated Circuits) (IMAHAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Proportional & Servo Hydraulics (Electrohydraulic Valves, Servo Systems) (IMAHAGAF)

Keywords

• Hydraulic cartridge valves
• Hydraulic manifolds
• Electro-hydraulic controls
• Industrial fluid power
• Screw-in valves

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarasota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hydraulic Cartridge Valves: Sale of screw-in cartridge valves for hydraulic pressure control, flow control, load holding, directional control, electro-proportional, and solenoid-operated applications. Sold through distributors and direct to OEMs.
2. Hydraulic Manifolds: Custom and standard manifold assemblies including line mount, sandwich, motor mount, sub plate, bar manifold, and gasket mount configurations. QuickDesign capability enables rapid custom manifold prototyping and production.
3. Electronics and Control Components: Embedded electronics, I/O modules (XMD Series, UControl), coils, cables, position indication systems, and hand-held programmers for electro-hydraulic control.
4. Accessories: Gauge port snubbers, adaptors, line fuses, cartridge control options, seal kits, cavity tooling, filter elements, and other hydraulic system accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sun Hydraulics designs and manufactures high-performance screw-in hydraulic cartridge valves, custom and standard manifolds, and electro-hydraulic electronic controls (including I/O modules, embedded amplifiers, coils, and configuration software). The company also offers the QuickDesign online manifold design tool that enables complete custom manifold designs in as little as ten minutes, and a range of hydraulic accessories and pre-engineered circuit solutions.

Product overview

Sun Hydraulics is a technology company specializing in screw-in cartridge valves, manifolds, and electronic controls for the hydraulic industry. The product portfolio is organized around three core pillars: Cartridges (screw-in hydraulic valves covering pressure control, flow control, load holding, directional, electro-proportional, solenoid-operated, logic element, CavitySaver multi-function, and specialty categories — including the proprietary LoadAdaptive and LoadMatch technologies), Manifolds (custom and standard hydraulic valve block assemblies with QuickDesign online configuration), and Electronics (I/O modules like the XMD Series with mobile app, embedded amplifiers, solenoid coils across multiple series, position indication, and software including CANpoint XMD, XMD Mobile App, AmpSet Blue, and AmpSet IR). Key branded programs include ecoline (energy-efficient products such as ENERGEN energy harvester and eSense load holding, developed with Purdue University), and FLeX Series valves. The portfolio also includes pre-engineered Solutions (hydraulic circuit configurations), Accessories, and Preferred Products. Sun Hydraulics operates as an operating company of Helios Technologies and serves global industrial markets including construction, material handling, and aerospace ground support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ENERGENTM: Energy harvester cartridge valve product line, part of the ecoline program, awarded the 2025 LEAP Award in Motion Control category
• eSense
• ecoline
• FLeX Series
• QuickDesign
• QuickSelect LoadHolding
• CavitySaver
• LoadAdaptive
• LoadMatch
• High Country Tek
• UControl

Products and services

• Screw-In Cartridge Valves

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-axis manifold design capability for complex hydraulic systems
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Daman ProductsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-location partnership in Mishawaka, Indiana where Sun Hydraulics operates extended manifold manufacturing at Daman Products facility. State-of-the-art facility provides 3-, 4-, and 5-axis compound drilling and integrated packages.
• NEM HydraulicsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian manufacturing partner located in Roncolo, Italy providing manufacturing resources in EMEA Region. Sun Hydraulics co-locates manufacturing operations at NEM Hydraulics facility.
• Faster Hydraulics Private LimitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndian liaison office partner in Pune, western India. Sun's representative sales office operates at Faster Hydraulics facility supporting growing distributor network in India.
• Faster do Brasil Com. Equip. Hidraulicos LtdaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrazilian liaison office partner located in Jacareí, São Paulo. Sun's representative office operates at Faster do Brasil facility supporting distributors and OEMs throughout Latin America.
• Helios TechnologiescoreOthersSun Hydraulics is a wholly-owned operating company of Helios Technologies (NYSE: HLIO). Helios provides corporate leadership, capital allocation, and strategic direction while Sun maintains operational autonomy in hydraulic product development and manufacturing. Helios Technologies has $2.29B market cap and 30 consecutive years of dividend payments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Hydac: German hydraulics supplier with strong cartridge and modular valve lines plus accumulators and filtration, overlapping with Sun in fluid power components across mobile and industrial machinery applications.
• Moog: Motion control specialist with servo and proportional valve offerings that overlap with Sun's electro-proportional cartridge portfolio in performance-sensitive applications such as aerospace ground support.

Direct peers

• Bucher Hydraulics: Swiss-headquartered hydraulics specialist offering cartridge valves, directional control valves, and integrated systems to mobile and industrial OEMs globally.
• Atos (Hydraulic Valves): Italian specialist in directional, pressure, and proportional hydraulic valves with strong European OEM presence — competes with Sun in cartridge valves and electro-hydraulic solutions.
• Yuken Kogyo: Japanese hydraulic valve manufacturer known for directional, pressure, and proportional valves used in industrial and mobile machinery — a direct competitor in the cartridge and modular valve category.
• Hawe Hydraulik: German manufacturer of hydraulic valves (including proportional and load-hold), pumps, and compact power units, with deep roots in mobile and industrial hydraulics across European OEMs.
• Kawasaki Precision Machinery: Manufacturer of hydraulic pumps, motors, and valves serving construction, agricultural, and industrial machinery — competes with Sun at the hydraulic component level on integrated OEM platforms.
• Bosch Rexroth: One of the world's largest hydraulic component and system suppliers, offering cartridge valves, proportional valves, pumps, motors, and integrated hydraulic electronics — directly comparable as a hydraulics technology incumbent competing in many of the same OEM sockets.

Broad incumbents

• Parker Hannifin: Diversified motion and control conglomerate with a major hydraulic cartridge valve and manifold portfolio alongside broader aerospace and electromechanical lines, competing head-to-head with Sun in industrial and mobile hydraulic components.
• Eaton: Industrial conglomerate with substantial hydraulics business (valves, pumps, cylinders, and integrated packages) that competes in construction and mobile equipment markets — overlapping with Sun's primary served segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sun Hydraulics