CRAFT Tech
CRAFT Tech (Combustion Research and Flow Technology, Inc.) is an employee-owned CFD software and engineering services firm serving aerospace, defense, energy, and national security clients with proprietary solvers (CRUNCH CFD, CRAFT CFD, RPFM, SIG3D, AEGIS), plus consulting and R&D to NASA, DoD, JAXA, and Hanwha.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersPipersville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What CRAFT Tech does
Combustion Research and Flow Technology, Inc., doing business as CRAFT Tech, is a private employee-owned engineering software and services firm founded in 1994 and headquartered in Pipersville, Pennsylvania, with satellite offices in Huntsville, Alabama; Oxford, Mississippi; and Charlotte, North Carolina. The company specializes in high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software and technical consulting for aerospace, defense, energy, and national security applications, with a stated focus area spanning "deep sea to deep space."
CRAFT Tech's core technology is a modular multi-physics CFD software portfolio built around two flagship solvers: CRUNCH CFD, a multi-physics flow solver with a comprehensive graphical user interface supporting Navier-Stokes and Parabolized Navier-Stokes equations, real-fluid equations of state, combustion modeling, cavitation, and phase change; and CRAFT CFD, a multi-block structured-grid solver for aerospace and propulsion. These are complemented by domain-specialized modules including RPFM for high-altitude rocket plume signatures (extending to 250 km), AEGIS Toolkit for hybrid continuum-rarefied (CFD/DSMC) coupling, SIG3D for visible/IR/UV signature analysis, and the Chemistry Table Generator for combustion chemistry lookup tables. Differentiated physics capabilities include supercritical CO2 real-fluid modeling, MIT-licensed cryogenic boiling models, Flamelet Generated Manifold (FGM) combustion, and validated Cavitation with Thermal Effects, supported by integrations with ANSYS Fluent via UDF, Pointwise for grid generation, and Cantera for chemistry.
The business model combines enterprise software licensing (annual subscription, not publicly disclosed pricing), technical consulting engagements, joint research and development with government agencies and universities (NASA, US Army, DoD, JAXA, MIT, Purdue, Case Western, UCF, Hanwha), and software training. Distribution is primarily direct to U.S. government, defense, and aerospace customers supplemented by international channel partners VINAS in Japan and UIT in Korea; thought-leadership demand generation runs through ASME Turbo Expo, AIAA SciTech Forum, AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum, technical webinars, and joint go-to-market with ANSYS and Pointwise. The company has no disclosed external venture or private equity funding, operates profitably at 11-50 employees, and continues to release software and win peer-reviewed awards (most recently the 2024 AIAA Liquid Propulsion Best Paper Award) into 2026.
CRAFT Tech firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CRAFT Tech
- Legal name
- Combustion Research and Flow Technology, Inc.
- Website
- https://craft-tech.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CRAFT Tech (Combustion Research and Flow Technology, Inc.) is an employee-owned CFD software and engineering services firm serving aerospace, defense, energy, and national security clients with proprietary solvers (CRUNCH CFD, CRAFT CFD, RPFM, SIG3D, AEGIS), plus consulting and R&D to NASA, DoD, JAXA, and Hanwha.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CRAFT Tech industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Engineering Simulation Software
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hydrodynamics & Performance Engineering (Resistance, Propulsion, Seakeeping, Maneuvering) (IMAJAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Military Aerospace Engines & Propulsion (IMABAMAD)
Keywords
Where CRAFT Tech is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pipersville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
CRAFT Tech business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Licensing: Licensing of proprietary CFD software including CRUNCH CFD, CRAFT CFD, SIG3D, RPFM, and AEGIS Toolkit. Customers access software through fileshare portal with license management.
- Technical Consulting: Engineering consulting services providing CFD analysis, design optimization, and simulation support for complex aerospace, defense, energy, and turbomachinery applications.
- Research and Development: R&D services collaborating with government agencies, academic institutions, and industry partners on advanced simulation methodology development.
- Software Training: Training services on proprietary software and tools enabling customer teams to leverage cutting-edge solvers effectively.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise software licensing with comprehensive support and training |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
CRAFT Tech product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CRAFT Tech develops, licenses, and supports proprietary high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software — centered on the CRUNCH CFD multi-physics solver and CRAFT CFD structured-grid solver, complemented by modules such as RPFM (rocket plume), AEGIS Toolkit (CFD/DSMC coupling), SIG3D (radiation transfer), and the Chemistry Table Generator. The company also delivers technical consulting, research and development, and training services for aerospace, defense, energy, and national security customers.
Product overview
CRAFT Tech offers a unified CFD software portfolio centered on two core solvers: CRUNCH CFD (a multi-physics flow solver with comprehensive GUI) and CRAFT CFD (a structured-grid Navier-Stokes/Parabolized Navier-Stokes solver). These are complemented by specialized modules including RPFM for rocket plume simulations, AEGIS Toolkit for hybrid continuum-rarefied flow coupling, SIG3D for radiation/infrared signature analysis, and the Chemistry Table Generator for combustion modeling. Software licensing, technical consulting, and training services round out the product portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CRUNCH CFD: Multi-physics flow solver with modular framework and comprehensive graphical interface (GUI).
- CRAFT CFD
- SIG3D
- RPFM
- AEGIS Toolkit
Products and services
- CRUNCH CFD Multi-physics Computational Fluid Dynamics flow solver with a modular framework and comprehensive GUI for high-fidelity simulation of Navier-Stokes, Parabolized Navier-Stokes, real-fluid effects, combustion, cavitation, and phase change. Sold under license to aerospace, defense, and energy customers.
- CRAFT CFD Multi-block, structured grid Navier-Stokes and Parabolized Navier-Stokes solver for aerospace, defense, and energy applications. Sold as a licensed CFD solver to engineering teams.
- RPFM (Rocket Plume Flowfield Module) Module for missile and launch vehicle rocket plume simulations, with multi-processor support and high-altitude extensions up to 250 km. Licensed as an add-on to CRAFT Tech's CFD solvers for defense and aerospace customers.
- AEGIS Toolkit Automatic Efficient Generalized Interface Surface toolkit that enables hybrid modeling of continuum and non-continuum interfaces (CFD/DSMC coupling) for spacecraft reentry and rarefied flow simulations. Licensed as an add-on to CRAFT Tech solvers.
- SIG3D Parallelized radiation transfer code that calculates visible, infrared, and long-wavelength ultraviolet optical signatures for aerospace and defense signature analysis. Licensed as a standalone tool to government and industrial customers.
- Chemistry Table Generator Toolkit for pre-computing flamelet lookup tables that drive combustion chemistry modeling in CRUNCH CFD. Sold as a licensed add-on for combustion simulation users.
- Technical Consulting Engineering consulting engagements providing CFD analysis, design optimization, and simulation support for aerospace, defense, energy, and turbomachinery applications. Sold as project-based professional services to government and industrial clients.
- Software Training Training services on CRAFT Tech's proprietary CFD software and solvers, enabling customer engineering teams to use the tools effectively. Sold alongside software licenses and as standalone engagements.
- Research and Development Services Collaborative research and development services with government agencies, academic institutions, and industry partners on advanced simulation methodology. Sold as sponsored research and development programs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 46.64% reduction in circumferential distortion with optimized supersonic inlet design while maintaining 81.6% efficiency
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CRAFT Tech
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CRAFT Tech technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature12 records
CRAFT Tech partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- University of Central Florida (UCF)coreJoint DoD award of $500,000 for applied research to develop modeling and simulation capability predicting hypersonic environment over range of trajectories up to Mach 15.
- Pointwise, Inc.corePartnership for grid generation software integration. Pointwise creates mesh generation software for CFD preprocessing. CRAFT Tech demonstrates advanced grid generation using Pointwise for complex turbomachinery and aerospace configurations, including multi-block structured and hybrid unstructured topologies.
- VINAScoreSoftware distribution partner in Japan providing software licensing services, CFD simulation consulting, design optimization support, and HPC/cloud application services for customers in Japan.
- UITcoreSoftware distribution partner in Korea striving to deliver global solutions with local service by understanding and anticipating customers' needs in the Korean market.
- ANSYScorePartnership to develop user-defined-function (UDF) interface implementing CRAFT Tech's turbulent combustion model within ANSYS Fluent. CRAFT Tech won 2016 ANSYS Hall of Fame Competition for this LES turbulence-chemistry interaction subgrid model.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)coreCollaborative development of meso-scale boiling model for cryogenic fluids. MIT developed the model for boiling processes in water, which CRAFT Tech adapted for cryogens using thermodynamic scaling concepts.
- NASA John H Glenn Research CentercoreCollaborative research on cryogenic line chilldown simulations. NASA provided experimental data for liquid hydrogen chilldown validation studies.
- Purdue UniversitycoreAcademic collaboration with Dr. Charles Merkle on multi-zonal modeling for rocket combustion dynamics, resulting in 2024 AIAA Best Paper Award.
- University of KansascoreAcademic collaboration with Prof. Cheng Huang on multi-zonal modeling for rocket combustion dynamics, resulting in 2024 AIAA Best Paper Award.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CRAFT Tech competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ANSYS: ANSYS is the dominant commercial CFD platform (ANSYS Fluent) and a direct technology partner of CRAFT Tech (which delivers its combustion model as a Fluent UDF). It is the principal broad incumbent against which CRAFT Tech competes and integrates.
- Siemens Digital Industries Software (Simcenter STAR-CCM+): Siemens' Simcenter STAR-CCM+ is a leading multiphysics CFD platform serving aerospace, defense, and turbomachinery — directly competing with CRUNCH CFD across CRAFT Tech's primary verticals.
- Dassault Systèmes (SIMULIA / Fluidyn): Dassault's SIMULIA portfolio (including Fluidyn for multiphysics CFD) competes with CRAFT Tech in aerospace propulsion and turbomachinery simulation, offering an integrated CAE platform.
Direct peers
- Convergent Science: Convergent Science develops CONVERGE CFD, a widely used engine- and combustion-focused CFD tool. It is a direct peer in turbulent combustion modeling for gas turbines and rocket engines, the same niche CRAFT Tech's Thickened Flame Model and FGM address.
- Flow Science: Flow Science develops FLOW-3D, a general-purpose CFD platform used in aerospace, defense, and energy. It competes for the same multiphysics simulation dollar CRAFT Tech addresses, particularly in cavitation and free-surface flows.
- Metacomp Technologies: Metacomp's CFD++ is a high-fidelity compressible flow solver used in aerospace and propulsion. It competes with CRAFT Tech's CRAFT CFD structured-grid solver in the same high-speed aerospace applications.
Emerging players
- Cadence Design Systems (NUMECA): Cadence's NUMECA suite specializes in turbomachinery CFD (pumps, compressors, turbines) — overlapping directly with CRAFT Tech's sCO2 compressor and turbomachinery design work for customers like Hanwha Power Systems.
- Engys: Engys develops HELYX, an open-source-based general-purpose CFD platform with LES and combustion capabilities. It targets similar industrial and academic customers as CRAFT Tech with a more accessible, lower-cost model.
- PSIC (Precision Simulations, Inc.): PSIC provides specialized CFD consulting and software for aerospace propulsion and turbomachinery — comparable niche focus to CRAFT Tech's technical consulting practice serving government and industrial customers.
Others
- Reaction Design (now part of ANSYS): Reaction Design (CHEMKIN/Fortran-based chemistry toolkits) historically integrated with CRAFT CFD/CRUNCH for combustion chemistry. Its incorporation into ANSYS Chemkin-Pro represents adjacent chemistry infrastructure that competes for similar combustion-simulation workflows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CRAFT Tech social profiles
Digital presenceCRAFT Tech financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CRAFT Tech leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CRAFT Tech funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CRAFT Tech M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CRAFT Tech
What does CRAFT Tech do?
CRAFT Tech develops, licenses, and supports proprietary high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software — centered on the CRUNCH CFD multi-physics solver and CRAFT CFD structured-grid solver, complemented by modules such as RPFM (rocket plume), AEGIS Toolkit (CFD/DSMC coupling), SIG3D (radiation transfer), and the Chemistry Table Generator. The company also delivers technical consulting, research and development, and training services for aerospace, defense, energy, and national security customers.
Is CRAFT Tech a public or private company?
CRAFT Tech is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was CRAFT Tech founded?
CRAFT Tech was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CRAFT Tech based?
CRAFT Tech is headquartered in Pipersville, United States, in the North America region.
How does CRAFT Tech make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Software Licensing is the primary driver. The others are technical Consulting, research and Development and software Training.
Who are CRAFT Tech's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ANSYS, Siemens Digital Industries Software (Simcenter STAR-CCM+) and Dassault Systèmes (SIMULIA / Fluidyn). Direct peers are Convergent Science, Flow Science and Metacomp Technologies. Emerging players are Cadence Design Systems (NUMECA), Engys and PSIC (Precision Simulations, Inc.). Reaction Design (now part of ANSYS) is listed as an others.
Does CRAFT Tech have an API?
No public API is recorded for CRAFT Tech.
What industry is CRAFT Tech in?
CRAFT Tech's product category is Engineering Simulation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAGAB, Hydrodynamics & Performance Engineering (Resistance, Propulsion, Seakeeping, Maneuvering), with a secondary code of IMABAMAD, Military Aerospace Engines & Propulsion. Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7371.