What Craftsman Tools does

Craftsman Tools Limited is a UK-based, family-owned precision engineering SME founded in 1953 in West Yorkshire, headquartered in Otley. The company designs and manufactures toolholding and workholding equipment for CNC machine tools, and is the only UK firm producing its full workholding range in-house. Core toolholding products include the Craftsman Capto™ quick-change system (licensed from Sandvik Coromant since 1998 and exported worldwide), 4xD anti-vibration boring bar holders, 80-bar through-coolant static toolholders, turning holders and blade holders. Workholding products comprise BCSL self-locking expanding mandrels (runout tolerance guaranteed from 0.005mm TIR), collets and workdrivers, CNC-lathe rotating centres (up to 8,000 rpm, 2,000-hour guarantee), single-piece 250-grade cast-iron cube-type workholding, bespoke hydraulic/pneumatic/mechanical fixtures, and zero-point fixturing capable of up to 90% increases in machine running time. The company is ISO 9001:2015 (NQA) certified and operates an award-winning in-house Apprentice School in partnership with the University of Sheffield AMRC with Boeing.

The firm serves a blue-chip B2B customer base across aerospace and defence (BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce), oil and gas (Sulzer since 1996, Cameron Ireland / OneSubsea), machine tool OEMs (Yamazaki Mazak, Cinetic Landis), automotive (including EV supply chain targeting Tesla), and medical device manufacturers, exporting 60-80% of output to 32+ countries. Distribution combines direct field sales with channel partnerships through Sandvik Coromant, Walter Tools and Seco Tools, and direct B2B online catalogue sales. A North American sister company, Chevin Tools (Chicago, 1999), supports US-market reach.

Revenue is generated through four streams: sale of standard toolholding products, sale of standard workholding equipment, sub-contract manufacturing services (prototypes through batch production), and bespoke design/engineering services. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Disclosed revenue exceeds £4 million (2013), with the company actively expanding into EV workholding, intelligent IoT-enabled tool-holding (Innovate UK / University of Huddersfield, 2017), and additional machine-specific variants for DMG MORI, Doosan, Okuma, Haas, Hwacheon and Nakamura-Tome platforms.

Name

Craftsman Tools

Legal name

Craftsman Tools Limited

Website

https://craftsmantools.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Craftsman Tools Limited is a family-owned UK precision engineering SME (founded 1953, under 50 employees) that designs and manufactures CNC toolholding and workholding equipment, holding a global license from Sandvik Coromant for the Craftsman Capto™ system and serving blue-chip customers in aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, and machine tool manufacturing across 32+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Toolholding & Workholding Equipment

NAICS

Cutting Tool and Machine Tool Accessory Manufacturing (333515)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures) (IMAHADAB)

Keywords

• Precision toolholding
• CNC workholding equipment
• Quick-change toolholders
• Precision engineering fixtures
• Sub-contract machining services

Headquarters

HQ city

Otley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Toolholding Products: Manufacture and sale of precision toolholding equipment including Craftsman Capto™ holders, boring bars, turning holders, and blade holders. Products sold directly to end users and through channel partners globally.
2. Workholding Equipment: Design, manufacture and supply of expanding mandrels, collets, workdrivers, rotating centres, cube-type workholding, and zero-point fixtures. Both standard range and bespoke solutions.
3. Sub-contract Manufacturing: Full supply chain management and sub-contract manufacturing services from prototypes through to large batch production across aerospace, automotive, oil & gas sectors.
4. Bespoke Fixtures and Engineering Design: Custom design and manufacture services for bespoke fixtures, workholding solutions, and engineering consulting.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Craftsman Tools manufactures and sells precision toolholding and workholding equipment for CNC lathes and machining centres, including the globally licensed Craftsman Capto™ quick-change system, boring bar holders, turning holders, blade holders, expanding mandrels, rotating centres, cube-type workholding, fixtures, and zero-point fixturing. The company also provides sub-contract manufacturing, supply chain management, and bespoke engineering design services to aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, medical, and machine-tool customers in over 32 countries.

Product overview

Craftsman Tools is a precision engineering company offering a comprehensive portfolio of toolholding, workholding, and supply chain management products and services. The product line is organized into two main categories: Toolholding products (Craftsman Capto™ quick-change toolholders, Anti-vibration Boring Bar Holders, Through Coolant Static Toolholders, Turning Holders, and Blade Holders) and Workholding products (Expanding Mandrels & Sleeves including BCSL Mandrels, Collets & Workdrivers, Rotating Centres, Cube-Type Workholding, Fixtures, and Zero Point Fixturing). The company also provides sub-contract manufacturing services and an online catalogue. All products are designed and manufactured in-house at their UK facility, with the Craftsman Capto™ system being licensed from Sandvik Coromant. Products serve diverse industries including aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, medical, defence, and energy, with exports to over 60 countries worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Craftsman Capto™: Quick-change toolholding system developed using over 70 years of experience. A modular system for high precision applications in milling, turning, grinding and quality inspection. Also available as workholding system (Craftsman Capto™ Workholding).
• BCSL Mandrels

Products and services

• Craftsman Capto™ Toolholding Quick-change toolholder system for CNC lathes that secures cutting tools to the lathe turret during metal machining, enabling rapid tool changes to reduce machine downtime and increase productivity. Licensed from Sandvik Coromant.
• Craftsman Capto™ Workholding Modular quick-change workholding system for high precision applications in milling, turning, grinding and quality inspection. Available in six sizes (C3, C4, C5, C6, C8, C10) covering torque range 120-4000 Nm.
• Anti-vibration Boring Bar Holders

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 90% increase in machine running time through zero-point fixturing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Companies targeting Tesla EV contractsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Supply chain partnerships with companies targeting major electric vehicle companies including Tesla for new workholding device development for EV drivetrain components.
• University of HuddersfieldcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2017Innovate UK funded partnership to develop intelligent tool-holding incorporating IoT sensing technology with dynamic models for predicting surface finish during machining. Craftsman Tools provides mechanical expertise while the university supplies sensor technology, modelling and analytics. Previously worked together on successful KTP (2009-2011) establishing on-machine probing for lights-out production.
• Sandvik Machining Solutions ABcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 April 2016Global Supply Agreement signed in 2016, representing the latest development after working closely together for more than 20 years. Craftsman Tools manufactures and exports Coromant Capto® toolholders globally under license, first within the UK, then in the US, then globally since 1998. Products sold through Sandvik's worldwide distribution network.
• University of Sheffield AMRC (Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre) with BoeingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Long-standing partnership with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. Apprentices trained in conjunction with AMRC with Boeing. Collaborative relationship for research and development in manufacturing technologies.
• Chevin Tools (USA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1999Sister company opened in Chicago, USA in 1999 to support North American market. Together with the UK group, exports up to 65% worldwide.
• Cinetic LandiscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1998Development partnership for collet-type workdriver for grinding machines. Craftsman Tools holds worldwide exclusivity to sell the Landis workdriver product.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Schunk: German precision technology company with extensive toolholding and workholding ranges, including quick-change systems analogous to Craftsman Capto™. Overlaps directly across stationary toolholding, clamping, and gripping product categories.
• Röhm: German manufacturer of toolholding chucks, drill chucks, and workholding devices for CNC machining. Directly competes with Craftsman's chuck, mandrel, and toolholder categories across European and global industrial customers.
• Hainbuch: German specialist in precision workholding, chucks, and clamping systems for CNC turning and milling. Highly comparable to Craftsman across the workholding product line, with similar focus on bespoke and modular solutions for industrial OEMs.
• Guhring: German manufacturer of precision cutting tools and tool holders with global distribution. Comparable to Craftsman's toolholder categories and shares similar export-led go-to-market through international tooling distribution networks.
• Allmatic: German manufacturer of clamping technology, workholding fixtures, and zero-point systems for CNC machining. Comparable product set to Craftsman's zero-point fixturing and bespoke fixture offerings.
• Lang Technik: German manufacturer of precision workholding systems, particularly macro-precision vises and zero-point clamping systems. Comparable to Craftsman's zero-point fixturing and prismatic workholding ranges serving CNC machining applications.
• Kitagawa: Japanese workholding specialist producing chucks, cylinders, and rotary tables for CNC lathes and machining centres. Directly comparable to Craftsman's workholding offerings and shares similar global industrial customer base.
• Forkardt: Specialist in precision chucks and workholding for turning, grinding, and machining operations. Directly competes with Craftsman's chuck and mandrel ranges and serves overlapping aerospace, energy, and general industrial customers.

Broad incumbents

• Kennametal: Global tooling manufacturer with broad metalworking solutions, including the Walter Tools brand through which Craftsman distributes. Overlaps with Craftsman's toolholder portfolio and competes for similar industrial OEM customers across aerospace, automotive, and energy.
• Sandvik Coromant: Global leader in metal cutting tooling and the licensor of Coromant Capto®. While also Craftsman's channel partner and licensor, Sandvik Coromant offers its own broad workholding and toolholding ranges that compete for the same OEM customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Craftsmantooluk

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Craftsman Tools