American Cylinder

What American Cylinder does

American Cylinder Co., Inc. is a privately-held manufacturer of pneumatic fluid power components, specializing in small bore air cylinders for the International Fluid Power market. Headquartered at 481 S Governors Hwy in Peotone, Illinois, with a headcount in the 11–50 range, the company was founded around 1977 and operates on an ISO 9001:2015-certified quality management system (certificate 71295532/11-IT-A9, issued by DEKRA). Its core competency is interchangeable NFPA-style pneumatic cylinders across bore sizes from 9/16" through 8", with material variants including Type 303/304 stainless steel (Stainless Steel Series), hard-coat aluminum (Aluminum 76 Series), and an all-stainless Corrosion Resistant (CR) Series featuring acetal resin internals and FDA-approved seals and lubrication for harsh environments. The product portfolio also extends into tie rod cylinders (Mini-Pak, MSP multistage power multipliers, TR Series), low-profile (LPC) and rodless linear slide (LSC) cylinders, three-position cylinders, magnetic-field MFC-switch capable variants, and supporting accessories such as 70 Series valves, Syntesi air prep (FRL) units, reed and solid-state sensor switches, mounting hardware, and flow control valves. Custom "Special Design Cylinders" engineering is offered for unusual pneumatic or hydraulic applications.

The company's go-to-market combines a network of independent stocking fluid power distributors located across every major industrial market — including internationally — with a direct e-commerce storefront at shop.americancylinder.com for standard catalog items and a "Request a Quote" workflow for custom configurations. Revenue mechanics are hardware sales of cylinders and accessories, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Marketing is primarily website- and catalog-driven, supplemented by a LinkedIn presence. There are no disclosed enterprise anchor customers; the company explicitly markets into six industry verticals — Food & Beverage, Medical, Marine, Agriculture, Car Washes, and Dairy Farms — addressing pain points such as corrosion, washdown exposure, FDA compliance, and component reliability.

Ownership is independent and private: no parent company, institutional investors, public listing, founder biographies, or management team biographies are disclosed in available sources. There are no documented funding rounds, mergers, acquisitions, leadership changes, or restructuring events. The company is operating and its website is maintained through 2026, with an active product catalog and distributor footprint across the United States and abroad.

Name

American Cylinder

Legal name

American Cylinder Co., Inc.

Website

https://americancylinder.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

American Cylinder Co., Inc. is a privately-held Illinois-based manufacturer of small bore pneumatic cylinders and related fluid power components, sold through independent stocking distributors and a direct e-commerce storefront, serving industrial buyers in food and beverage, medical, marine, agriculture, car wash, and dairy farm applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pneumatic Cylinders

NAICS

Fluid Power Cylinder and Actuator Manufacturing (333995), Fluid Power Valve and Hose Fitting Manufacturing (332912)

akta.pro primary industry

Pneumatic Components (FRLs, Cylinders, Valves) (IMAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pneumatic Air Preparation & Distribution (FRL assemblies, manifolds, air headers) (IMAHAGAD), Hydraulic Components (Pumps, Motors, Cylinders) (IMAHAGAA)

Keywords

• Pneumatic cylinders
• Fluid power components
• Small bore air cylinders
• NFPA tie rod cylinders
• Industrial automation hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Peotone

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pneumatic Cylinder Sales: Manufacture and sale of pneumatic cylinders including non-repairable, low profile, tie rod, and special design cylinders. Products sold through independent distributors and direct online purchasing.
2. Accessories and Components: Sale of mounting accessories, sensor switches, flow control valves, and other complementary components.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

American Cylinder Co., Inc. manufactures small bore pneumatic cylinders and related fluid power components for the International Fluid Power market. The product portfolio includes non-repairable interchange cylinders (stainless steel, aluminum, corrosion resistant, three position, magnetic field), low profile compact cylinders, NFPA-compliant tie rod cylinders, linear slide rodless cylinders, and supporting accessories such as valves, air prep units, sensor switches, mounting hardware, and flow control valves. Custom special design cylinder engineering is also offered for unusual applications.

Product overview

American Cylinder Co., Inc. is a manufacturer of small bore pneumatic cylinders and related fluid power components serving the International Fluid Power market. The product portfolio consists primarily of non-repairable interchange design cylinders (Stainless Steel Series, Aluminum 76 Series, Magnetic Field MFC-Switch Capable, Corrosion Resistant CR Series, Three Position Series), low profile compact cylinders (LPC Series), NFPA-compliant tie rod cylinders (Mini-Pak Series, MSP Series, TR Series), linear slide rodless cylinders (LSC Series), and supporting accessories including 70 Series Valves, Syntesi Air Prep FRL units, sensor switches, mounting accessories, and flow control valves. The company also offers custom/special design cylinder engineering for unusual applications. Products are sold through an independent distributor network and are ISO 9001:2015 certified.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CR Series (Corrosion Resistant): Corrosion resistant air cylinders with acetal resin and stainless steel components for harsh industrial environments including food and beverage and marine applications.
• Three Position Series
• TR Series

Products and services

• Stainless Steel Series Cylinders Stainless steel pneumatic cylinders with Type 303/304 stainless steel bodies and rods, designed for durability and corrosion resistance in demanding industrial environments.
• Aluminum 76 Series Cylinders Heavy-duty aluminum pneumatic cylinders featuring hard-coated aluminum body for industrial applications requiring lightweight yet durable components.
• Magnetic Field MFC-Switch Capable Series Cylinders Pneumatic cylinders equipped with internal magnets for switch actuation, enabling position sensing and feedback in automated systems.
• Corrosion Resistant CR Series Cylinders Corrosion-resistant cylinders constructed with stainless steel and acetal resin components, engineered for harsh environments, food and beverage, and marine applications with moisture exposure.
• Three Position Series Cylinders Three-position non-repairable cylinders capable of achieving multiple positions for applications requiring intermediate positioning or multiple power outputs with matching initial and total stroke.
• Low Profile LPC Series Cylinders Compact, low-profile interchange pneumatic cylinders designed for space-constrained applications while maintaining reliable performance.
• 70 Series Valves Series 70 pneumatic valves for controlling airflow and pneumatic system operation in industrial automation applications.
• Syntesi Air Prep (FRL) Air preparation units combining Filter, Regulator, and Lubricator (FRL) functions for conditioning compressed air in pneumatic systems.
• Linear Slide LSC Series Cylinders Linear slide pneumatic cylinders with rodless design for linear motion applications requiring smooth, guided movement without piston rod extension.
• Tie Rod Cylinders (Mini-Pak, MSP, TR Series) NFPA-compliant tie rod cylinders in various series (Mini-Pak, MSP, TR) offering conventional dimensions and mounting styles for fluid power applications requiring interchangeability with NFPA standards.
• Mounting Accessories Mounting hardware including flange brackets, mounting nuts, pivot brackets, trunnion brackets, foot brackets, and rod clevises for securing pneumatic cylinders.
• Sensor Switches and Components Magnetic and mechanical sensor switches for detecting cylinder piston position, including reed switches and solid state switches with associated clamping bands and connector cables.
• Flow Control Valves Flow control valves for regulating pneumatic cylinder speed, available in quick connect and threaded connect configurations with knob or screwdriver adjustment.
• Special Design Cylinders Custom-designed pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders engineered to meet specific application requirements for unusual or challenging industrial uses.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fabco-Air: Fabco-Air is a Florida-based manufacturer of pneumatic cylinders, including NFPA, stainless steel, and pancake cylinders, distributed through industrial fluid power channels. It is a direct peer competing in similar product categories and distributor channels as American Cylinder.
• Bimba Manufacturing (IMI): Bimba, now part of IMI plc, manufactures pneumatic cylinders including stainless steel, NFPA tie-rod, and specialty cylinders. It is one of the closest direct competitors to American Cylinder in the North American small-bore pneumatic cylinder market, with overlapping NFPA and stainless-steel offerings.
• Humphrey Products: Humphrey Products manufactures pneumatic valves, cylinders, and actuators, with a strong focus on small-bore and specialty pneumatic products. It competes with American Cylinder in the small pneumatic cylinder and valve category for industrial OEM customers.
• Clippard Instrument Laboratory: Clippard produces miniature pneumatic cylinders, valves, and air preparation components. Its focus on small-bore and stainless-steel cylinders directly mirrors American Cylinder's specialty, serving overlapping OEM and industrial customer bases.
• Camozzi Automation: Camozzi Automation manufactures pneumatic cylinders (Series 40, 60, 63), valves, FRLs, and accessories, with global distribution through fluid power channels. Its product mix and go-to-market through distributors closely parallels American Cylinder's offerings.
• Metal Work: Metal Work is an Italian pneumatic components manufacturer with pneumatic cylinders, valves, and FRLs (including the Syntesi FRL line American Cylinder distributes in the US). It is a direct peer in product mix, with a partnership-like distribution relationship through American Cylinder.

Broad incumbents

• Parker Hannifin: Parker Hannifin's Industrial segment offers a broad pneumatic and hydraulic product portfolio including pneumatic cylinders (e.g., P1S, P1V series). Parker is a global fluid power giant competing across all bore sizes and integrated automation, representing a much larger incumbent in the same product category as American Cylinder.
• SMC Corporation: SMC is the world's largest manufacturer of pneumatic components, including a wide range of pneumatic cylinders (CQ2, CQS series), valves, and air prep units. It competes with American Cylinder across bore sizes and end markets, with significantly greater scale and global distribution.
• Norgren (IMI Precision Engineering): Norgren, part of IMI plc, manufactures pneumatic cylinders, valves, and air preparation equipment globally. Its broad fluid power portfolio and global reach position it as a larger incumbent that competes with American Cylinder across multiple pneumatic product categories.
• Festo: Festo is a leading global pneumatic and automation supplier with a comprehensive line of pneumatic cylinders (DSNU, ADN, DSBG series), valves, and air preparation. Its comprehensive catalog and integrated automation solutions compete directly with American Cylinder's pneumatic cylinders and FRL offerings across industrial customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-cylinder-co

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 American Cylinder