What Drake Manufacturing Services does

Drake Manufacturing Services Co., LLC is a privately held US manufacturer of precision CNC thread grinding machines, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Warren, Ohio. The company designs, builds, and services a portfolio of custom-configured CNC grinding and milling equipment, including External Thread Grinders (GS:TE series), Internal Thread Grinders (GS:TI series), Dual Spindle Grinders (GS:DS), Crown Grinders (GS:CG) for tapered roller bearings, Rack Mills (RM), and Vertical Thread Mills (VTM). Its machines are used to grind precision threads on components such as ball screws, gears, lead screws, rolling dies, taps, thread gages, worm gears, electronic steering components, and rotor components. The underlying technology platform combines linear motor drive systems (eliminating ball screw wear), cast polymer base construction for vibration damping and thermal stability, and the proprietary PartSmart menu-driven CNC software, with control hardware primarily sourced from FANUC.

Drake generates revenue through three streams: one-time sales of custom-configured CNC machines (quote-based pricing with no public list), recurring service and preventive maintenance contracts via a global field support network, and the CS:R Control System Renewal program that retrofits mechanically sound but electrically obsolete machines with new FANUC controls, servo motors, and Drake PartSmart software. Distribution is hybrid: direct enterprise field sales out of Warren, Ohio, supplemented by regional channel partners in China (Beijing Xianshengxin), India (Empire Machine Tools MCAT Division with eight locations), and Taiwan (DKSH). The company is ISO 9001 certified, employs 51-100 people, and markets primarily through trade shows (IMTEX, CIMT), digital content, and a Request-for-Quote funnel. No external funding rounds, acquisitions, or parent company relationships are disclosed.

Name

Drake Manufacturing Services

Legal name

Drake Manufacturing LLC

Website

https://drakemfg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Drake Manufacturing Services is a privately held, Warren, Ohio-based builder of custom precision CNC thread grinding machines for manufacturers of ball screws, gears, bearings, taps, and steering components, distributed globally through direct sales and Asian channel partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

CNC Machine Tools

SIC

Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541)

akta.pro primary industry

Grinding, Honing & Superfinishing Equipment (IMAHADAE)

Keywords

• Precision CNC machining
• Thread grinding machines
• CNC machine tools
• Precision manufacturing equipment
• Linear motor drives

Headquarters

HQ city

Warren

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CNC Machine Sales: Sale of precision CNC thread grinding machines including external thread grinders, internal thread grinders, dual spindle grinders, crown grinders, rack mills, and vertical thread mills. Machines are custom-built for customer applications.
2. Service and Maintenance: Preventive maintenance programs, OEM parts supply, and global network of field support specialists to keep machines productive.
3. Control System Renewal (CS:R): Economical package to return mechanically sound but electrically obsolete machines to higher productivity through new CNC controls, servo motors, and electrical systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Drake Manufacturing Services is a full-service manufacturer of precision CNC thread grinding machines. Its portfolio includes external thread grinders, internal thread grinders, dual spindle grinders, crown grinders, rack mills, and vertical thread mills, supported by proprietary linear motor drive technology, cast polymer machine bases, and the PartSmart menu-driven software. The company also provides machine rebuilding, field service, and control system renewal through its CS:R program.

Product overview

Drake Manufacturing Services is a full-service, turn-key manufacturer of precision CNC machines for the thread grinding industry. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of grinding machines including External Thread Grinders (GS:TE series), Internal Thread Grinders (GS:TI series), Dual Spindle Grinders (GS:DS series), Crown Grinders (GS:CG), Rack Mills (RM), and Vertical Thread Mills (VTM). These machines share common technology foundations including linear motor drive systems, cast polymer bases for vibration damping, and PartSmart™ menu-driven CNC software. The company also offers the CS:R Control System Renewal service to upgrade obsolete control systems on existing machines. Drake's machines are primarily used for grinding precision threads in applications including ball screws, gears, lead screws, rolling dies, taps, thread gages, and worm gears.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GS:TE External Thread Grinders Precision CNC external thread grinding machines for manufacturers producing threaded components such as screws, leadscrews, and shafts.
• GS:TI Internal Thread Grinders Precision CNC internal thread grinding machines designed for grinding internal threads on components such as ring gears, ball nuts, and spline nuts.
• GS:DS Dual Spindle Grinders Dual-spindle CNC thread grinding machines built to grind threads on both ends of a workpiece in a single setup, increasing throughput for high-volume production.
• GS:CG Crown Grinders Crown grinding machines used to produce crowned or contoured profiles on cylindrical parts such as rollers and shafts.
• RM Rack Mills Rack milling machines designed to produce precision racks and pinions used in steering systems, machining axes, and linear motion drives.
• VTM Vertical Thread Mills Vertical-configuration CNC thread milling machines for machining larger or heavier threaded components that cannot be processed on horizontal platforms.
• GS:TEI External/Internal Thread Grinders Combined external and internal thread grinding machines that process both thread types on a single platform, used by manufacturers needing flexible thread production.
• CS:R Control System Renewal Control system renewal service that retrofits older Drake thread grinding machines with modern CNC controls and PartSmart software, extending equipment service life.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Empire Machine Tools (MCAT Division)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmpire Machine Tools serves as the exclusive India representative for Drake's thread grinding machine solutions. Established in 1945, Empire provides local sales and service support through eight locations throughout India, covering External and Internal Thread Grinders, Dual Spindle Grinders, Crown Grinders, and Rack Mills. Contact: Naveen Patel, Vice President - Business Development.
• Beijing Xianshengxin Science and Technical Company LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeijing Xianshengxin Science and Technical Company Limited represents Drake in China. Provides local sales and service support for Chinese customers. Contact: Andy Zhang.
• DKSH TaiwancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDKSH Taiwan represents Drake in Taiwan, providing local sales and service support for the Taiwan market.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Erwin Junker Machinery Inc. Junker manufactures CNC grinding machines for tools, threads, and components including non-circular grinding. It competes head-to-head with Drake in high-precision thread grinding for cutting tools and drive components.
• Gleason Corporation: Gleason is a global leader in gear manufacturing technology including thread and worm grinding machines for power transmission components. Its thread/worm grinding capabilities overlap with Drake's worm gear, lead screw and rotor component applications.
• Walter Maschinenbau GmbH (United Grinding Group): Walter designs and builds tool grinding machines including thread and profile grinders for taps, end mills and similar cutting tools. It directly competes with Drake's external/internal thread grinder portfolio in the precision cutting tool manufacturing segment.
• Fritz Studer AG (United Grinding Group): Fritz Studer is the leading global manufacturer of precision cylindrical and external/internal thread grinding machines. It is the most direct competitor to Drake in CNC thread grinding for ball screws, taps, gages and steering components, operating at much larger scale within the United Grinding Group.
• Klingelnberg GmbH: Klingelnberg produces cylindrical gears, gear grinding and gear measuring machines including cylindrical and thread-related grinding solutions. It is comparable to Drake through overlapping precision grinding technology for gears, worms and thread profiles.

Regional players

• Matrix Precision Technology (Taiwan): Matrix Precision manufactures external thread grinders and related precision tooling machines in Taiwan, serving the same Asian markets where Drake is represented through DKSH Taiwan. It is a regional competitor with overlapping thread grinding product offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Okamoto Corporation: Okamoto is a major Japanese manufacturer of surface, cylindrical and creep-feed grinding machines. While its focus skews broader than Drake's thread specialization, it competes for the same precision grinding budgets at large manufacturing customers.
• Danobat Group: Danobat is a Spanish machine tool builder producing grinding, turning and milling solutions for highly demanding sectors including aerospace and automotive. It is comparable to Drake through its high-precision grinding machine portfolio and engineered solutions approach.
• EMAG Holding GmbH: EMAG is a German machine tool group offering grinding, turning, gear cutting and automation cells for automotive and industrial customers. It competes with Drake indirectly through broader turnkey manufacturing systems that include precision grinding components.

Emerging players

• Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH: Liebherr's gear cutting and grinding division produces high-precision cylindrical gear cutting and grinding machines including gear hobbing and profile grinding. It overlaps with Drake in worm gear, rotor and drive component grinding applications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Drake_mfg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6wCrM5dwDvwimD5jgbLQ9w
• Facebookfacebook.com/Drake-Manufacturing-200676606623857
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drake-manufacturing-services-co.

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Drake Manufacturing Services