Precision Control Systems

What Precision Control Systems does

Precision Control Systems, Inc. (PCS) operates as a combined entity with Research Inc. (RI) under the PCS/RI brand, designing and manufacturing industrial infrared heating systems, infrared lamps, power control systems, and simulation modules. The company traces its technical lineage to Research Inc. (founded 1951) and PCS (founded 1998), with the two unified when PCS combined RI's Infrared Heating Division in 2007. Core technology spans multiple electric heating modalities — short-wave IR (T3), medium-wave and long-wave IR, infrared carbon emitters, convection, conduction, graphite heaters, and hybrid configurations — managed through proprietary DZC Power Control and Phase Angle control technology. The product catalog includes the ChamberIR clamshell series, StripIR, LineIR, PanelIR, SpotIR, CoolIR, Hi-TempIR, LampIR Quartz, and SimulateIR product families, alongside ControlIR power and automation controllers (Models 5820, 5620, 5420, 915F, 935F).

The business serves industrial manufacturers across four primary verticals: aerospace, automotive, medical device manufacturing, and general industrial manufacturing. Its Medical Automation Division, operating for 25 years out of Minnesota's Medical Alley, supplies custom-engineered manufacturing equipment to medical device OEMs — including continuous catheter reflow ovens, scanning vertical reflow ovens, braid annealing systems, automated chemical processing stations, dip coating systems, tube bonding, fatigue test systems, and conveyorized/batch shape setting systems. The company maintains both a catalog of ready-to-use products and a custom systems engineering capability for multi-zone heater carts, specialized curing towers, and tailored industrial heating solutions.

PCS operates a direct enterprise field sales model, with quote-based pricing on undisclosed terms, serving over 5,000 cumulative clients through phone, email, and its website (pcscontrols.com). Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales across four streams — catalog infrared heating products, custom systems, control systems and automation, and replacement parts/components — supplemented by professional engineering services. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investment, no parent company, no public listing, and 11-50 employees based at its Eden Prairie, Minnesota headquarters.

Name

Precision Control Systems

Legal name

Precision Control Systems, Inc. & Research Inc.

Website

https://researchinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Precision Control Systems (PCS/RI) designs and manufactures industrial infrared heating systems, control systems, and custom automation equipment for aerospace, automotive, medical device, and general industrial manufacturers, with a 25-year Medical Automation Division serving Minnesota's Medical Alley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Infrared Heating Systems

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers) (IMAHAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Process Automation Instrumentation & Control (DCS, Valves, Actuators, Analyzers) (IMAHAHAM)

Keywords

• Industrial infrared heating
• Control systems
• Medical device automation
• Infrared lamps
• Custom thermal processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Eden Prairie

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, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Industrial Infrared Heating Products: Sale of ready-to-use infrared heating products including ChamberIR, ExtrudeIR, StripIR, and other product lines designed for immediate deployment in industrial applications.
2. Custom Systems and Solutions: Design and build of custom infrared heating systems and automation equipment tailored to specific customer industrial processes.
3. Control Systems and Automation: Sale of control systems including PLC and DCS control systems, standalone power controllers, and power control systems for industrial automation.
4. Replacement Parts and Components: Supply of replacement lamps and components for existing infrared heating systems.
5. Professional Services: Engineering services, system integration, and consultation for custom industrial automation solutions from R&D to production.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Precision Control Systems, Inc. (combined with Research Inc.) designs and manufactures industrial infrared heating systems, control systems, infrared lamps, and simulation modules for aerospace, automotive, medical device, and general manufacturing applications. The portfolio includes ready-to-use product lines such as ChamberIR clamshell heaters, ExtrudeIR, StripIR, LineIR, PanelIR, SpotIR, CoolIR, Hi-TempIR, LampIR Quartz, and SimulateIR, complemented by ControlIR power control systems (Models 5820, 5620, 5420, 915F, 935F) and a 25-year Medical Automation Division delivering custom catheter reflow ovens, braid annealing systems, chemical processing stations, dip coating systems, tube bonding, and shape setting equipment. Custom systems engineering for specialized curing towers and multi-zone heater carts rounds out the offering.

Product overview

Precision Control Systems (PCS) and Research Inc. combine over 70 years of infrared heaters, systems, and control solutions. The company offers a portfolio of ready-to-use infrared heating products including the ChamberIR (clamshell heaters), ExtrudeIR, StripIR, LineIR, PanelIR, SpotIR, CoolIR, Hi-TempIR, LampIR Quartz, and SimulateIR series. These products are complemented by ControlIR power control systems (Models 5820, 5620, 5420, 915F, 935F) and specialized medical automation solutions developed over 25 years. The company also provides custom systems engineering for tailored industrial heating solutions. Core heating technologies include short-wave IR (T3), medium-wave IR, long-wave IR, infrared carbon emitters, convection heating, conduction heating, graphite heaters, and hybrid configurations with Phase Angle and DZC power control.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CoolIR: Infrared heating product line for industrial applications.
• Hi-TempIR
• LampIR Quartz
• LineIR
• PanelIR
• StripIR
• SpotIR
• SimulateIR
• Braid Annealing Station
• ControlIR
• ChamberIR

Products and services

• ChamberIR Series Infrared Heating Systems Industrial infrared heating chamber/clamshell systems designed for efficient, precise heating in industrial applications such as aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing. Includes models ChamberIR 4069, ChamberIR E4, ChamberIR: ProfileIR 4069P, and ChamberIR: ExtrudeIR 4069E.
• ControlIR Power Control Systems Advanced power control and automation systems for industrial infrared heating, available in Models 5820, 5620, 5420, 915F, and 935F for precise temperature and process control.
• StripIR Strip Heaters Infrared strip heating product offering efficient, precise heating for industrial applications requiring linear heat zones.
• LineIR Line Heaters Advanced ready-to-use infrared heating product designed for line heating applications in industrial settings.
• PanelIR Panel Heaters Panel-style infrared heating solution for industrial applications requiring flat heating surfaces.
• SpotIR Spot Heaters Spot heating infrared system for targeted precision heating in specific application areas.
• LampIR Quartz Infrared Lamps Quartz-based infrared lamp heating product for industrial applications requiring clean, efficient radiant heat, also supplied as replacement lamps for existing systems.
• Hi-TempIR High-Temperature Heaters High-temperature infrared heating product for demanding industrial processes requiring elevated temperatures.
• CoolIR Low-Temperature Heaters Cool-temperature infrared heating product for processes requiring controlled lower-temperature heating.
• SimulateIR Simulation Module Simulation infrared heating product for testing and validating infrared heating processes before full-scale implementation.
• Braid Annealing Station Annealing station for braid annealing applications in medical device and industrial manufacturing.
• Medical Automation Solutions Custom manufacturing equipment for medical device manufacturers, from R&D to production. Includes continuous catheter reflow ovens, scanning vertical reflow ovens, braid annealing systems, automated chemical processing stations, dip coating systems, tube bonding systems, dual axis fatigue test systems, and conveyorized and batch shape setting systems. Located in Minnesota's Medical Alley, serving manufacturers large and small.
• Custom Infrared Heating Systems Custom infrared heating solutions designed and built to meet specific industrial process needs, including multi-zone heater carts, specialized curing towers, conveyorized ovens, batch ovens, prototype heating fixtures, custom heaters, and custom power controllers. Engineering services provided from R&D to production scale-up.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy-efficient systems for industrial heating applications

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Watlow: Designer and manufacturer of industrial heaters, temperature sensors, controllers, and power systems. Overlaps with PCS's combined heating element and ControlIR-style controller portfolio.
• Glenro: Manufacturer of industrial infrared ovens, dryers, and process heating systems for web, sheet, and parts heating. Directly comparable in custom IR oven and conveyorized heating solutions.
• Chromalox: Supplier of industrial heating solutions including electric heaters, temperature controls, and process heating systems. Closely comparable to PCS across both heating hardware and control instrumentation.
• Heraeus Noblelight: Global manufacturer of industrial infrared emitters, lamps, and flash lamps for industrial heating and drying. Direct peer to PCS in IR heating technology across automotive, aerospace, electronics, and medical applications.
• Casso-Solar Technologies: Designer and builder of industrial infrared ovens, dryers, and custom thermal processing systems. Comparable custom-engineered IR heating offering for industrial manufacturers.
• Energy Technology Inc. (ETI): Manufacturer of infrared emitters, heating modules, and process heating solutions. Comparable product portfolio to PCS's IR lamp and emitter offering.
• Advanced Energy: Provider of precision power conversion, measurement, and control solutions for industrial process equipment. Comparable to PCS in the power control and process instrumentation layer (ControlIR equivalents).
• Infrared Heating Technologies (IHT): Specialist in infrared heating equipment and systems for industrial curing, drying, and processing. Direct peer in IR-focused thermal processing for manufacturing applications.

Emerging players

• Harland Medical Systems: Provider of customized manufacturing equipment and surface treatment solutions for medical device OEMs. Comparable to PCS's Medical Automation Division in catheter, coating, and bonding equipment.

Broad incumbents

• Honeywell Thermal Solutions: Broad industrial conglomerate with a thermal solutions business covering burners, heaters, and process controls. Overlaps with PCS's process heating and control scope, but at much larger scale and across a wider portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PrecisionControlSystems

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 Precision Control Systems