PHD, Inc.

What PHD, Inc. does

PHD, Inc. is a privately held US industrial automation component manufacturer founded in 1957 and headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The company designs, manufactures, and sells pneumatic, electric, and hydraulic actuators and related motion-control components including cylinders, linear slides, grippers, clamps, rotary actuators, escapements, multi-motion actuators, and switches/sensors. Its product catalog spans over 136 unique product series, supplemented by an Unlimited - Unique Solutions custom engineering service that has produced more than 35,000 bespoke designs for applications in dry rooms, clean rooms, explosion-proof environments, and other specialized settings.

PHD sells build-to-order components primarily through an indirect channel: the MDN (PHD & MAC Distribution Network) of 98 worldwide distribution partners that provide 24/7 local support, factory-trained application specialists, and drop-in replacement capability for competitor products. Direct engagement occurs through an inside sales team, factory application engineers, and the MyPHD online portal. The company reports industry-leading 1-3 business day delivery on most products, 0.4% or less warranty returns, and a 98.5% on-time delivery target, supported by ISO 9001 certified manufacturing and an installed base of relatively new machining equipment (average age 5 years).

The business serves 100+ industries including automotive manufacturing, food and beverage processing, medical manufacturing, battery manufacturing (including dry room compatible products), glass container production, stretch blow molding, and packaging equipment. Geographic reach spans North America, Europe, and Asia, with active distribution and dedicated application engineering in China. PHD is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, no parent company, and no public ticker, and has historically funded growth through operations rather than external capital.

Name

PHD, Inc.

Legal name

PHD, Inc.

Website

https://phdinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

PHD, Inc. is a privately held Fort Wayne, Indiana-based industrial automation manufacturer founded in 1957 that designs and builds pneumatic, electric, and hydraulic actuators, grippers, clamps, and slides sold through a global network of 98 distributors to automotive, food & beverage, medical, and packaging OEMs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Actuators

NAICS

Fluid Power Cylinder and Actuator Manufacturing (333995), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

Electronic Components & Accessories (3670), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084)

akta.pro primary industry

Actuators & Motion Devices (Linear, Rotary, Electric Actuators for Motion Control) (IMAHAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Linear Motion & Actuation (Linear Motors, Electric Cylinders, Actuators) (IMAGACAG)

Keywords

• Industrial automation actuators
• Pneumatic cylinders
• Hydraulic actuators
• Electric linear actuators
• Factory automation components

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Automation Component Sales: Direct sales of industrial automation actuators including cylinders, escapements, grippers, linear slides, rotary actuators, clamps, multi-motion actuators, and switches/sensors. Build-to-order products typically ship in 1-3 business days.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PHD, Inc. manufactures and sells industrial automation actuators, including pneumatic, electric, and hydraulic cylinders, grippers, linear slides, rotary actuators, clamps, escapements, multi-motion actuators, and switches/sensors. The company offers more than 136 unique product series and over 35,000 custom design variations through its Unlimited - Unique Solutions program, with build-to-order products typically shipping in 1-3 business days. It sells primarily to OEMs and manufacturers across automotive, food and beverage, medical, packaging, battery, glass, and stretch blow molding industries via a 98-partner worldwide distribution network and direct inside sales.

Product overview

PHD, Inc. is a manufacturer of industrial automation actuators offering a comprehensive portfolio of pneumatic, electric, and hydraulic motion control products. The core product lines include cylinders (NFPA tie rod, compact, ISO, and electric ball screw variants), clamps (workholding, swing, frame, pin, and power clamps), grippers (parallel, angular, 3-jaw, and specialized magnetic/polymer configurations), linear slides (thruster, rodless gantry, and electric actuator types), rotary actuators, escapements, and blow molding equipment. The company provides over 136 unique product series with over 35,000 custom design variations through its Unlimited - Unique Solutions program. Digital design tools including the Product Selector app, CAD configurator, Sizing app, and Cv calculator support engineering selection. Products serve diverse industries including automotive manufacturing, food & beverage processing, medical manufacturing, packaging, semiconductor, and material handling, with distribution through a worldwide MDN partner network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tom Thumb: The original product line - small bore cylinders that provided the foundation for PHD's manufacturing capabilities, known for durability, reliability, strength, and rebuildability.

Products and services

• Cylinders Full range of pneumatic, hydraulic, and electric cylinders including NFPA tie rod cylinders (Series AS/AVS/HVS, EA/EL/EH/ES, A/AV/HV), 4-position cylinders, compact cylinders (CRS, CTS, CV, OCG, OCQ), ball screw electric cylinders (ECV, ECFA), IP69K electric cylinders (ECP), and tandem cylinders (TD). Used by OEMs and manufacturers requiring linear motion in industrial automation.
• Linear Slides Comprehensive slide actuator family including thruster slides, rodless gantry slides, high load gantry slides, compact rail slides, miniature slides, electric actuators, and slide tables. Used for linear motion positioning in industrial automation applications.
• Clamps Comprehensive clamp portfolio including workholding clamps, swing clamps, power clamps, frame clamps (PFC, PFD), pin clamps, identification stamping clamps, and shot pin actuators. Used for welding, stamping, and assembly applications in metal forming and manufacturing.
• Grippers Extensive gripper portfolio including parallel grippers, angular grippers, 3-jaw grippers, magnetic grippers, flexion grippers, and electric grippers for part handling across diverse industries including automotive, food and beverage, and medical manufacturing.
• Rotary Actuators Rotary motion actuators including miniature, heavy duty, multi-position, compact tables, high load, high force, and compact configurations for rotational positioning applications in manufacturing automation.
• Escapements Pneumatic escapement actuators (Series 160 double rod, Series LC single rod) for part singulation and transfer in manufacturing processes.
• Blow Molding Equipment Specialized actuators for stretch blow molding including stretching cylinders, needle cylinders, nozzle cylinders, and transfer arms for plastic bottle manufacturing.
• Multi-Motion Actuators Combined linear and rotary motion actuators including pneumatic/hydraulic, air/oil tandem, and multi-position configurations for complex motion sequences in manufacturing automation.
• Tri-Axis Tooling Modular tooling transfer press systems including extension tubes, arm clamps, collar clamps, finger holders, universal mounts, receiver adapters, receiver blocks, swing plates, ball clamps, and mounting components for three-axis positioning applications.
• Air On Demand Solutions Portable pneumatic air and vacuum generation solutions including Series ERDP Remote Drive, Series ERPP Pneumatic Pump, and Series ERVG Vacuum Generator for applications where traditional pneumatic systems are impractical.
• Switches & Sensors Position sensing and control components including DC inductive proximity switches, NFPA bracket switches, Hall effect switches, reed switches, solid state switches, and teachable switches for actuator position feedback.
• Unlimited - Unique Solutions Custom automation solutions service with over 35,000 unique designs created for specific customer applications across industries including volumetric pumps, grippers, cylinders, slides, and specialized actuators for applications such as dry rooms, clean rooms, explosion-proof environments, and deionized water applications. Factory application engineering team handles custom solution design and quote requests.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1-3 business day delivery on most products (industry leading)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Yamaha RoboticsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYamaha Robotics is the Master Distributor for Yamaha robots in North America. Since 1976, Yamaha Robotics has provided industrial manufacturing with assembly robots unsurpassed for payload, speed, and dependability. PHD products complement Yamaha's robot offerings with pneumatic, electric, and hydraulic actuators for automation applications.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Schunk: Schunk is a specialist in gripping systems, linear modules, and rotary modules, directly comparable to PHD's gripper, slide, and rotary actuator families serving automotive and medical manufacturers.
• Festo: Festo is a global leader in pneumatic and electric automation, offering cylinders, grippers, slides, and valve terminals that directly overlap with PHD's core product portfolio for OEM machine builders.
• IAI Corporation: IAI specializes in electric actuators and Cartesian robots, competing with PHD's expanding electric actuator (ECV, ESW, EXFA) lines targeting precision pick-and-place and assembly automation.
• Misumi Corporation: Misumi offers configurable linear actuators, grippers, and automation components via a catalog/e-commerce model with rapid delivery, similar in spirit to PHD's build-to-order, 1-3 day shipping approach.
• Bimba Manufacturing: Bimba manufactures pneumatic cylinders, rotary actuators, and grippers aimed at the same OEM and end-user machine builder segments served by PHD's standard and custom actuator lines.
• SMC Corporation: SMC is the world's largest pneumatics manufacturer with an extensive catalog of actuators, grippers, and motion control components serving the same automotive, food/beverage, and packaging OEMs that PHD targets.
• Camozzi Automation: Camozzi produces pneumatic cylinders, grippers, and proportional regulators, closely overlapping PHD's core pneumatic catalog and competing in similar industrial OEM applications.

Broad incumbents

• Emerson (ASCO Numatics): Emerson's ASCO Numatics line supplies pneumatic cylinders, valve manifolds, and motion control components, serving many of the same machine builder and process industry customers as PHD.
• Bosch Rexroth: Bosch Rexroth offers a comprehensive linear motion, pneumatics, and assembly technologies portfolio that overlaps PHD's electric actuators and slides while serving broader factory automation needs.
• Parker Hannifin: Parker's Industrial Motion & Control division competes with PHD in pneumatic cylinders and rotary actuators while also offering broader fluid power, electromechanical, and aerospace solutions.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/phd_inc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/Phdincorporated
• Facebookfacebook.com/phdinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phd-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/phdinc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about PHD, Inc.