What Smooth-On does

Smooth-On, Inc. is a privately held specialty chemical manufacturer founded in 1895 and headquartered in Macungie, Pennsylvania, with an additional training academy in East Texas. The company produces mold making and casting materials spanning multiple chemical families: tin-cure and platinum-cure silicone rubbers, silicone expanding foams, polyurethane rubbers and resins, urethane expanding foams, polysulfide rubbers, epoxy casting and laminating resins, epoxy putties, epoxy and urethane coatings, polymer modifiers for concrete and gypsum (including the PCI-recognized Forton VF-774), adhesives, lifecasting materials, skin-safe special-effects materials, sealers and release agents, colorants/paints/fillers, and tools and equipment. Products are sold under a deep sub-brand portfolio including Dragon Skin, Ecoflex, Body Double, Mold Star, Smooth-Cast, TASK, Crystal Clear, VytaFlex, FOAM-iT!, EpoxAcast, EpoxAmite, Free Form, Alja-Safe, and Chavant (the latter added via the 2021 acquisition of The Chavant Clay Company). The company serves approximately a dozen customer segments, including industrial manufacturers and engineers, theme parks/zoos/aquariums, concrete mold making and GFRC, medical simulation and prosthetics/orthotics, special effects and propmaking, sculpture and art casting, prototyping, architectural restoration, lifecasting, model making, cosplay, taxidermy, and home crafts/hobbies.

The company's technical differentiation rests on a combination of certified safety, durability, and formulation breadth. Its platinum-cure silicones are certified to OECD TG 439 skin-safety standards by an independent laboratory without animal testing. Its flame-rated materials (UL-94V-O and ASTM E-84 Class A) are positioned as the widest variety in the industry for use in public spaces, and its Forton VF-774 polymer additive is the only additive recognized by the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute with a 20-year durability study for GFRC panels. In October 2021, Smooth-On acquired The Chavant Clay Company of Farmingdale, New Jersey, combining two centennial companies with a combined 256-year history and extending the portfolio into sulfur-free modeling and sculpting clays for industrial and creative applications. In 2024, the company launched Matrix Dryve, an all-powder polymer-modified gypsum system with flame-rating certifications, and reformulated its Maker Pro Paint Fluorescent line.

Smooth-On generates revenue primarily through one-time sales of physical chemical materials, distributed via a global network of independent distributors covering the USA, Canada, Central America/Caribbean, South America, Europe, South Africa, Middle East/India, Southeast Asia/Asia, and Australia/New Zealand, supplemented by a direct e-commerce storefront (shop.smooth-on.com) for continental US customers. Go-to-market is reinforced by an extensive educational infrastructure including in-person masterclasses at the Allentown, PA facility, distributor-sponsored seminars, college and university training programs, an extensive YouTube tutorial library, how-to articles, online material calculators, and technical support. The company is privately held with no public equity listing, private equity backing, or venture capital involvement identified in available sources.

Name

Smooth-On

Legal name

Smooth-On, Inc.

Website

https://smooth-on.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Smooth-On is a 130-year-old privately held specialty chemical manufacturer of mold making and casting materials, producing silicones, urethanes, epoxies, polysulfides, foams, and adhesives for industrial manufacturers, themed environments, medical simulation, special effects, and hobbyist applications worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mold Making and Casting Materials

NAICS

Rubber Product Manufacturing (3262), Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (326), Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261), Urethane and Other Foam Product (except Polystyrene) Manufacturing (32615)

SIC

Fabricated Rubber Products, Nec (3060), Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821), Plastics Products, Nec (3089)

akta.pro primary industry

Molded & Extruded Industrial Rubber Parts (Custom Components) (IMANALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food-Grade, Medical & Cleanroom Rubber Compounds (IMANAJAH), Custom Color, UV-Stabilized & Weathering-Resistant Rubber Compounds (IMANAJAJ), Rubber Additives & Curative Packages (pre-dispersed masterbatches) (IMANAJAL)

Keywords

• Mold making materials
• Casting rubbers
• Urethane resins
• Special effects materials
• Industrial casting chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Macungie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mold Making and Casting Materials Sales: Sale of liquid rubbers (silicone, urethane, polysulfide), plastics, foams, and related chemical materials for mold making and casting applications. Products are sold through distributors globally and direct via e-commerce web store.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Smooth-On manufactures liquid rubbers (silicone, urethane, polysulfide), plastics, foams, epoxy systems, polymer-modified gypsum, adhesives, and related specialty chemicals used for mold making and casting. The company produces its own proprietary chemical formulations sold under branded product lines such as Dragon Skin, Ecoflex, Smooth-Cast, VytaFlex, EpoxAcast, Forton, and Matrix Dryve.

Product overview

Smooth-On is a manufacturer of mold making and casting materials offering a comprehensive portfolio across multiple chemical families including silicone rubbers (tin cure and platinum cure), silicone expanding foams, urethane rubbers, polysulfide rubbers, urethane resins, urethane expanding foams, epoxy casting and laminating resins, epoxy putties, epoxy and urethane coatings, flame rated materials, adhesives, lifecasting materials, skin safe FX materials, polymer modifiers for concrete and gypsum, sealing and release agents, colorants/paints/fillers, and tools and equipment. The company serves diverse applications including industrial manufacturing, concrete casting, sculpture and art, lifecasting, medical simulation, prosthetics/orthotics, special effects, prototyping and more. Key product series include Dragon Skin™ and Ecoflex™ silicone rubbers, Smooth-Cast™ and TASK™ urethane resins, VytaFlex™ and PMC™ urethane rubbers, EpoxAcast™ and EpoxAmite™ epoxy systems, and Matrix Dryve™ and duoMatrix™ concrete/gypsum modifiers. Smooth-On acquired The Chavant Clay Company in 2021, expanding into sculpting and modeling clays. The company also offers educational seminars, technical support, and material calculators for customer assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dragon Skin™: High performance silicone rubber series for mold making and special effects
• Ecoflex™
• Body Double™
• Mold Star™
• Smooth-Cast™
• VytaFlex™
• OOMOO™
• Crystal Clear™
• FOAM-iT!™
• FlexFoam-iT!™
• TASK™
• Forton®
• duoMatrix™
• Alja-Safe™
• Dragon Skin FX-Pro™
• Simpact™
• Tarbender™
• XTC-3D™
• Ease Release™
• SO-Strong™
• UVO™
• Silc Pig™
• Maker Pro Paint™
• Free Form™
• EpoxAcast™
• EpoxAmite™
• EpoxAcoat™
• Plasti-Paste™
• Shell Shock™
• Feather Lite™
• SMASH! Plastic™
• URE-BOND™
• Gypsona™
• Turbine Mixer
• Kwikee™ Sprayer
• Pressure Chamber
• Skin Tite™
• Psycho Paint™
• Soma Foama™
• Derma-tac™
• Ultimate Blood™
• Polysulfide Rubber (FMC™ Series)
• Matrix Dryve™
• Chavant

Products and services

• Silicone Rubber - Tin Cure High-tear condensation-cure silicone mold rubbers designed for production casting of urethane, epoxy, and polyester resins, and for casting low-temperature melt metal alloys. Sold to industrial manufacturers, foundries, and art fabricators.
• Silicone Rubber - Platinum Cure Addition-cure silicone mold rubbers with the lowest long-term shrinkage and longest library life of all mold rubbers. Certain variants are certified skin safe for direct human application and food safe for culinary applications. Sold to medical simulation, prosthetics, and special effects professionals.
• Silicone Expanding Foams - Platinum Cure Soft two-component platinum silicone casting foams used for foam-filled appliances, padding and seat cushioning, orthotics/orthopedics, potting and encapsulation of electrical circuits, and vibration dampening.
• Urethane Rubber Easy-to-use polyurethane mold rubbers with good wear resistance that can be poured, brushed, or sprayed onto prepared surfaces, cure with negligible shrinkage, and reproduce exceptional detail.
• Polysulfide Rubber Mold rubber with a manufacturing history since World War II that is unaffected by sulfur or moisture in modeling clays, used by art bronze foundries and in the lost wax process.
• Urethane Resins Liquid plastic casting resins for industrial, art-related, and hobbyist projects, available in rigid or semi-rigid forms, used for models, prototypes, props, and industrial parts.
• Urethane Expanding Foams Fast-curing rigid and flexible urethane foams for industrial, military, and art-related applications that expand many times their original volume.
• Epoxy Casting and Laminating Resins Epoxy resins with superior physical and performance properties, including higher heat resistance, used for impact tooling, fixtures, encapsulating, potting, and composite applications.
• Epoxy Putties Easy-to-use mix-and-apply-by-hand epoxy putties available as rigid or semi-rigid, used for fabrication and sculpting applications including artificial tree bark, vines, coral pieces, and flame-rated themed elements.
• Flame Rated Materials Self-extinguishing materials with low smoke generation intended for theme parks, zoos, aquariums, hotels, and other public spaces.
• Adhesives Epoxy, urethane, and silicone adhesives for hundreds of bonding and repair applications, manufactured by Smooth-On since 1895.
• Lifecasting Materials Alginates for single-use molds of hands and face, plus skin-safe silicones for lasting molds used with resins, wax, and other materials, used by special effects artists and medical simulation professionals.
• Skin Safe FX Materials Skin-safe silicones and silicone gels for direct skin application used to create hyper-realistic special effects including knife slashes, burns, and bullet holes, used by film, TV, and theater makeup artists.
• Polymer Modifiers for Concrete and Gypsum Polymer additives including Forton VF-774 for lightweight GFRC panels and alpha gypsum additives for stronger, weather-resistant gypsum castings, used by architectural and decorative concrete fabricators.
• Matrix Dryve All-powder polymer-modified gypsum system introduced in 2024 as a more economical alternative to urethane and epoxy resins, with UL-94V-O and ASTM E-84 Class A flame rated certifications, used for architectural castings and themed environment fabrications.
• Sealing and Release Agents Sealers and release agents compatible with Smooth-On rubbers, plastics, and foams to ensure successful mold making and casting projects.
• Colorants, Paints and Fillers Colorants for urethanes, epoxies, and silicones; architectural-grade paints for scenic design; and fillers for achieving various finishes including metal, stone, marble, and wood effects.
• Tools and Equipment Tools and equipment including mixing containers, mechanical mixers, dispensing guns, sprayers, and vacuum and pressure chambers to make processing easier.
• Chavant Modeling and Sculpting Clays Sulfur-free modeling and sculpting clays acquired via The Chavant Clay Company acquisition in October 2021, used by sculptors, industrial designers, and special effects artists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Forton VF-774 supported by PCI-recognized 20-year durability study
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments13 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Chavant Clay CompanycoreOthers · 1 October 2021Smooth-On acquired The Chavant Clay Company of Farmingdale, New Jersey on October 1, 2021. This acquisition expanded Smooth-On's manufacturing capabilities in modeling and sculpting clays. The combination brought together two centennial companies with a combined history of 256 years, focused on creative and industrial applications.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• 3M Company: 3M's adhesives and sealants portfolio overlaps Smooth-On's long-standing adhesive line (manufactured since 1895) and broader industrial bonding applications, though 3M is a far larger, more diversified specialty materials incumbent.
• Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. Shin-Etsu is a leading global silicone and PVC producer whose KE-series silicone elastomers serve industrial molding, medical, and electronics applications adjacent to Smooth-On's platinum-cure mold rubbers.
• Wacker Chemie AG: Wacker is a global silicone elastomer and polymer manufacturer whose SILPURAN, ELASTOSIL, and addition-cure silicone lines compete with Smooth-On's platinum-cure series in skin-safe, medical, and industrial mold-making applications.
• Elkem ASA: Elkem's Silicones division produces base silicone elastomers, including skin-safe grades, that feed both upstream compounders and finished mold-making applications competing with Smooth-On's specialty silicone rubbers.
• Dow Inc. Dow is one of the world's largest silicone and polyurethane raw-material producers, supplying base polymers and silicone elastomers into the same mold-making, casting, and adhesive end markets Smooth-On serves. Overlaps at the materials-input layer rather than finished specialty products.
• Momentive Performance Materials (KCC): Momentive (acquired by KCC) supplies a broad portfolio of specialty silicones, including skin-safe and addition-cure grades that overlap Smooth-On's platinum silicone and skin-safe FX franchise, primarily via industrial channels.

Direct peers

• Polytek Development Corp. Polytek is the closest direct competitor to Smooth-On, formulating platinum-cure and tin-cure silicones, polyurethane rubbers, and casting resins for mold making, special effects, and prototyping. Both serve the same hobbyist-through-industrial customer base with similar chemistry platforms and direct e-commerce.
• BJB Enterprises: BJB Enterprises manufactures polyurethane casting resins, foams, and epoxy systems for industrial mold making, prototyping, and specialty casting — directly overlapping Smooth-On's urethane and epoxy casting resin lines, particularly for industrial and tooling customers.
• Alumilite Corporation: Alumilite is a direct competitor in urethane casting resins, silicone mold rubbers, and Alumilite dyes/colorants aimed at the same hobbyist, prototyping, and small-batch industrial mold-making customers. Overlapping product set, similar channel strategy.

Regional players

• TAP Plastics: TAP Plastics is a US West Coast retail and e-commerce distributor of mold-making silicones, casting resins, and adhesives that overlap with Smooth-On's hobbyist, education, and small-business customer segments, including its own private-label mold rubbers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smoothon
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/SmoothOn
• Facebookfacebook.com/smoothon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smooth-on-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/smoothon
• Pinterestpinterest.com/smoothon
• TikToktiktok.com/@smoothon

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Smooth-On