The Steelastic Company

What The Steelastic Company does

The Steelastic Company, founded in 1970 and headquartered in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, designs and manufactures calenderless, extrusion-based tire component manufacturing systems for global tire manufacturers. Its core technology replaces traditional calendering with proprietary extrusion processes that produce steel belt, body ply, cap strip, apex, and gum edging components with faster changeovers, smaller footprints, and lower capital intensity than conventional lines. The product portfolio spans Classic and Next Generation Extruded Steel Belt Systems, Body Ply Systems, Cap Strip Systems, Automatic Apex Systems, Cold and Hot Gum Edging systems, and the RMS-branded extruders, extrusion systems, and mini calenders added through the 2015 RMS Equipment Company merger.

The company sells capital equipment via direct enterprise field sales with regional coverage across the Americas, Europe, and APAC, complemented by Global Key Account Managers for capital and aftermarket sales. Revenue streams include one-time equipment sales, aftermarket spare parts and retrofits, scheduled Preventative Maintenance Optimization Programs (PMOP), field service and machine audits, training programs, and custom engineering integrations including MES/SCADA traceability. Customers are global tire OEMs serving PCR, TBR, OTR, and aircraft tire segments, with more than 900 Steelastic systems operating across 55+ countries. The company is privately held and has been a portfolio company of The Heico Companies since 1998, operating within Heico's Industrial Technologies Group.

Name

The Steelastic Company

Legal name

The Steelastic Company, LLC

Website

https://steelastic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Steelastic designs and manufactures calenderless, extrusion-based tire component manufacturing systems, including steel belt, body ply, cap strip, and apex equipment, sold globally to tire manufacturers across PCR, TBR, OTR, and aircraft segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tire Manufacturing Equipment

NAICS

All Other Miscellaneous General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (333998)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Tire manufacturing equipment
• Calenderless extrusion systems
• Tire component production
• Rubber extrusion machinery
• Tire building equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Cuyahoga Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tire Component Manufacturing Equipment Sales: Sale of capital equipment including tire component production systems (belt, body ply, cap strip, apex), rubber extrusion systems, and mini calenders. Equipment sales to tire manufacturers globally with custom system integration capabilities.
2. Aftermarket Parts & Services: Spare parts, machine audits, field service, preventative maintenance programs (PMOP), upgrades, retrofits, and rebuilds for installed equipment.
3. Training Services: Maintenance and operator training programs including classroom and hands-on training, equipment-specific content, and certificates of completion.
4. Engineering Services: Custom system integrations, line audits, and engineering consulting for tire production optimization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Steelastic Company designs and manufactures calenderless, extrusion-based tire component manufacturing systems for global tire producers. Its core product lines include Classic and Next Generation Extruded Steel Belt Systems, Body Ply Systems, Cap Strip Systems, and Automatic Apex Systems, complemented by RMS-branded rubber extruders, extrusion systems, and mini calenders. The company also delivers aftermarket parts, training, machine audits, preventative maintenance, custom system integrations, and engineering consulting for installed equipment.

Product overview

The Steelastic Company offers a comprehensive portfolio of calenderless, extrusion-based tire component manufacturing systems. The core product line includes Classic and Next Generation Extruded Steel Belt Systems, Body Ply Systems, Cap Strip Systems, and Automatic Apex Systems, all designed for passenger car, truck/bus, OTR, and aircraft tire manufacturing. These systems are complemented by Cold Gum Edging and Hot Gum Edging (DRRD) subsystems, and the Extrusion-Based Tire Manufacturing Cell for trials. Following the 2015 merger with RMS Equipment Company, the portfolio expanded to include RMS-branded rubber extruders (SBE and PME series), RMS Extrusion Systems (SRRD), and RMS Mini Calenders. The company also provides a full suite of aftermarket services including machine upgrades, retrofits, spare parts, maintenance training, field service, machine audits, PMOP, and custom engineering integrations. With over 900 calenderless systems deployed globally, the products enable tire manufacturers to produce multiple SKUs profitably without traditional calendering equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classic Extruded Steel Belt Systems Proven extrusion-based alternative to calendering for manufacturing premium-quality steel belt/breaker used in passenger, truck, OTR, aircraft, non-pneumatic tires and rubber track. Sold to global tire manufacturers.
• Next Generation Extruded Steel Belt Systems Advanced extrusion-based steel belt system featuring multi-camera AVIS inspection with closed-loop feedback, increased automation, and 3-15% greater productivity than Classic systems. Sold to global tire manufacturers.
• Body Ply Systems Extruded steel and textile body ply systems that produce body ply material without calendering, using precision extrusion and splicing technology for PCR, TBR, OTR, and aircraft tires.
• Cap Strip Systems Extruded textile and steel cap strip systems providing full cord encapsulation with precision cord spacing and no cut cords, for premium and EV tires. Sold to tire manufacturers.
• Automatic Apex Systems First automated system to extrude, form and apply rubber apex onto tire beads, featuring robotic handling and vision-based inspection for passenger, aircraft, and motorcycle tires.
• Cold Gum Edging Systems Cold gum application system for belts and body ply that unwinds pre-manufactured cold gum material and precisely applies it top-applied or wrapped. Sold to tire manufacturers.
• Double Roll Roller Die (DRRD) Hot Gum Edging System Hot gum edging system that extrudes rubber via a die into a double roll system to produce gum material as thin as 0.25mm with very tight tolerances.
• Extrusion-Based Tire Manufacturing Cell Calenderless manufacturing cell demonstrating extrusion-based production of steel belt, body ply, and cap strip materials for trial runs and demonstrations. Sold to global tire manufacturers.
• RMS Rubber Extruders High-performance cold feed rubber extruders (SBE smooth barrel and PME pin type series) for manufacturing tire components and rubber products. Acquired via RMS Equipment Company.
• RMS Extrusion Systems Rubber extrusion systems including Single Roll Roller Die (SRRD) combining extruder flexibility with calender accuracy, plus Inner Liner Abrasion Strip/Chafer Application systems. Acquired via RMS Equipment Company.
• RMS Mini Calenders 2-Roll Mini Calender machines in 6x10, 8x14, and 8x17 sizes for economical production of dimensionally accurate rubber strips. Acquired via RMS Equipment Company.
• CordSight Extrusion Thermal Inspection System Standalone thermal inspection system using infrared thermography to detect missing cords, missing rubber, and extrusion defects in real-time. Sold as an upgrade or retrofit to tire manufacturers.
• Cooling Drum Accumulator (CDA) Standalone accumulator enabling continuous extrusion during downstream stoppages for windup changes and adjustments, with 5+ minutes accumulation capacity.
• Digital Pressure Follower Controller (PFC3000) Standalone digital PLC-based controller upgrade for maintaining extrusion pressure with a PID control loop and touchscreen interface.
• SafeSplice Cold Feed Extrusion Splicing Unit Standalone automated splicing unit (Mini, Pro, and Max models) that safely joins rubber feedstock, eliminating manual hot knife operations.
• Strip Gauge Inspection System Standalone in-line laser measurement system traversing across extruded strips to verify gauge with audible and visual alarms for out-of-spec product.
• Maintenance & Operator Training Program Comprehensive training program covering preventative maintenance, equipment operation, knife and component servicing, delivered in classroom and hands-on formats with certificate of completion. Sold to tire manufacturers.
• Machine Audits & Field Service Expert field service technicians providing start-up commissioning, relocation, diagnostics, and machine audits with critical spare parts identification. Sold to tire manufacturers.
• Spare Parts Genuine Steelastic critical and recommended spare parts, assembly rebuilds (knife, chuck, guide), and inventory planning assistance. Sold to tire manufacturers.
• Custom System Integrations Engineering services including PID control integrations, unloader integrations, robotics, vision inspection, and automation for manufacturing systems. Sold to tire manufacturers.
• Line Audits Tire production line audits covering preventative maintenance, cycle time analysis, wear parts, diagnostics, and system calibration recommendations. Sold to tire manufacturers.
• Preventative Maintenance Optimization Program (PMOP) Scheduled preventative maintenance program with discounted service pricing, forecasted costs, and documented service history. Sold to tire manufacturers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,000+ PCR steel belted tires per day from single extrusion-based steel belt system
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature11 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Industrial Machinery): Japanese industrial conglomerate with tire and rubber manufacturing machinery capabilities serving Asian tire OEMs. MHI is a broad incumbent in industrial machinery — overlapping with Steelastic primarily in extrusion and tire-component systems sold into Japanese and broader Asian tire customers.
• ITW (Illinois Tool Works) - Tire & Rubber segment: Diversified American industrial manufacturer with tire and rubber-related machinery and component businesses. ITW is a broad incumbent competing in parts of the tire equipment value chain, though its portfolio is far more diversified than Steelastic's focused tire-component niche.

Direct peers

• Pelmar Engineering Ltd. Israel-based supplier of new and rebuilt tire manufacturing equipment, including calendering and extrusion systems, with global reach into tire OEMs. Pelmar is a direct competitor particularly in the secondary/aftermarket equipment market for tire component production lines.
• VMI Group: Netherlands-based manufacturer of tire building machines and rubber processing equipment, with a complementary portfolio covering tire assembly stages downstream of Steelastic's component-prep systems. VMI is a direct peer serving the same global tire OEM customers with adjacent process equipment.
• Herbert Maschinenbau GmbH: German specialist in tire building and tire component assembly machinery serving major tire manufacturers worldwide. Herbert complements Steelastic's component-prep systems with downstream tire-building stages, making it a directly comparable equipment peer in the same value chain.
• TROESTER GmbH & Co. KG: German-based global leader in calendering, extrusion, and tire component manufacturing equipment, with deep installed base across major tire manufacturers. TROESTER is Steelastic's most direct competitor, particularly in calendering and steel belt systems where the two companies historically compete for the same OEM slots.
• CIMA Impianti S.r.l. Italian-based supplier of complete tire manufacturing plants and equipment including calendering, extrusion, and tire-building systems. CIMA competes with Steelastic in component preparation equipment and serves an overlapping European and emerging-market tire manufacturer base.
• KraussMaffei (Berstorff legacy): Major German industrial machinery group with a tire and rubber processing equipment business inherited from Berstorff. KraussMaffei competes in extrusion, calendering, and rubber compounding equipment — overlapping directly with Steelastic's process technology and customer base.

Regional players

• Marangoni S.p.A. Italian tire industry equipment and retreading specialist with significant European presence and adjacent capabilities in tire building machinery. While more focused on retreading than primary manufacturing, Marangoni overlaps with Steelastic in serving European tire manufacturers and adjacent process technologies.

Emerging players

• Sumitomo Rubber Industries (machinery operations): Major Japanese tire manufacturer with internal equipment design and limited external equipment offerings. Sumitomo is an emerging player in the tire-equipment ecosystem that overlaps with Steelastic both as a customer and as a developer of in-house process technology for tire components.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steelastic

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 The Steelastic Company