Crafts Technology

What Crafts Technology does

Crafts Technology is a precision industrial manufacturer specializing in tailor-made components fabricated from superhard materials, including cemented tungsten carbide, polycrystalline diamond (PCD), advanced ceramics, and high-strength steels. The company's core technology stack spans materials science formulation (notably its proprietary CraftAlloy CP Tungsten Carbide), precision micro-manufacturing capable of features below 0.001 inch at sub-micron tolerances, and modular tooling system design. Its product portfolio is organized around seven core offerings: micro nozzles and needles for fluid dispensing, knives/anvils/cutters/slitters for precision cutting, modular countersink drilling systems, AFP and ATL blades for automated fiber placement of composites, micro manufacturing services, superhard wear parts, and tungsten carbide core pins for injection molding. Quantified performance claims include 25-40% cycle time reductions in molding, halved changeover times in AFP operations, and core pin delivery in 3 weeks versus industry-norm 9-12 weeks.

The company sells directly to OEMs and end-users through an enterprise field sales motion, with technical sales engineers engaging customer engineering teams on application-specific solutions. Pricing is custom and quote-based. The customer base spans aerospace (Boeing, Boeing Defense for AFP/ATL consumables and composite drilling), medical (Hologic for COVID-19 test vials, Becton Dickinson, tier-1 molder Prestige Mold), fluid dispensing (Nordson), industrial (P&G), and secondary verticals in automotive, fluid power, non-woven, and wire & spring. Marketing is conducted through a technical content engine (website, whitepapers, blog), industry events (AeroMat 2021), webinars, and workforce/community partnerships.

Crafts Technology was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. In April 2021 it was acquired by Hyperion Materials & Technologies and now operates as a division of Hyperion, with President Jeffrey Taylor continuing to lead the business. At acquisition the company had 40+ employees, had doubled revenue in the prior five years, and held several patents including co-patented AFP blade technology developed with Boeing and Fives.

Name

Crafts Technology

Legal name

Crafts Technology, Inc.

Website

https://craftstech.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crafts Technology is a precision industrial manufacturer of tailor-made components from superhard materials, including tungsten carbide, PCD, and advanced ceramics, serving OEMs in aerospace, medical, fluid dispensing, and automotive through direct enterprise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Industrial Tooling & Components

NAICS

Cutting Tool and Machine Tool Accessory Manufacturing (333515), Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (332), Saw Blade and Handtool Manufacturing (332216), Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing (33272)

SIC

Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541), Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490), Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial & Machinery Injection Molded Components (Gears, Wear Parts) (IMANAFAF), Tooling, Jigs, Fixtures & Molds for Airframe/Composite Manufacturing (IMABAEAI)

Keywords

• Tungsten carbide components
• Precision industrial tooling
• Cemented carbide manufacturing
• Superhard wear parts
• Custom injection mold tooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Elk Grove Village

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Components and Tooling Sales: Manufacture and sale of precision industrial components from superhard materials including tungsten carbide core pins, nozzles, needles, knives, anvils, cutters, slitters, wear parts, AFP blades, and modular drilling systems. Products sold directly to OEMs and end-users in aerospace, automotive, medical, and other industrial sectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Crafts Technology custom-manufactures precision industrial components and tooling from superhard materials, including tungsten carbide, polycrystalline diamond (PCD), advanced ceramics, and high-strength steels. Its portfolio spans core pins for injection molding, micro nozzles and needles for fluid dispensing, knives/anvils/cutters/slitters, modular countersink drilling systems, AFP/ATL composite cutting blades, superhard wear parts, and micro-manufactured features below .001 inch. Products are sold directly to OEMs and end-users in aerospace, medical, automotive, fluid dispensing, fluid power, non-woven, and wire & spring industries.

Product overview

Crafts Technology is a precision manufacturing company specializing in superhard industrial components and tooling. The company operates as a division of Hyperion Materials & Technologies following its 2021 acquisition. Their product portfolio centers on seven core offerings: Micro Nozzles & Needles for fluid dispensing equipment; Knives, Anvils, Cutters & Slitters for precision cutting; Modular Countersink Drilling systems for aerospace and automotive applications; AFP & ATL Blades for automated fiber placement; Micro Manufacturing capabilities for features below .001 inch; Superhard Wear Parts from tungsten carbide, PCD, and advanced ceramics; and Tungsten Carbide Core Pins for injection molding. The company leverages Materials Science expertise in cemented carbide, polycrystalline diamond (PCD), advanced ceramics, and high-strength steels to deliver transformational engineering solutions that optimize wear life, corrosion resistance, and productivity for OEMs and end-users across aerospace, automotive, medical, fluid power, and fluid dispensing industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CraftAlloy™: CraftAlloy™ is Crafts Technology's proprietary tungsten carbide material brand used for precision components including core pins for injection molding. CraftAlloy™ CP Tungsten Carbide offers superior rigidity (183% higher Young's Modulus of Elasticity compared to 420 Stainless Steel) and thermal conductivity (315% higher than stainless steel) for medical injection molding applications.

Products and services

• Micro Nozzles & Needles Precision nozzles and needles for fluid dispensing equipment meeting exacting micron-level specifications for orifice size (below 25 microns / .001 inch), roundness, surface finish, positioning, and aspect ratio, for fluid dispensing OEMs and end-users.
• Knives, Anvils, Cutters & Slitters Precision cutting tools including knives, anvils, cutters, and slitters manufactured from superhard materials (tungsten carbide, PCD, advanced ceramics) for demanding industrial cutting and forming applications.
• Modular Countersink Drilling Modular composite countersink drilling systems using PCD and carbide inserts that allow systematic refurbishment of countersink inserts and drills, reducing changeover time and overall cost compared to integral designs, for aerospace and automotive composite drilling operations.
• AFP & ATL Blades Automated Fiber Placement and Automated Tape Laying blades for cutting composite tape, using tungsten carbide or PCD to optimize tool life and enhance change-out for the lowest cost per cut, serving aerospace airframe and composite processing OEMs.
• Micro Manufacturing Precision manufacturing service producing features below .001 inch with tolerances below .0001 inch at six-sigma Cpk above 3.0, for micro-scale components and sub-assemblies requiring micron-level precision.
• Superhard Wear Parts Precision-manufactured wear parts from superhard materials (tungsten carbide, PCD, advanced ceramics) delivering optimum life and corrosion resistance for demanding industrial applications across aerospace, automotive, fluid power, and other sectors.
• Tungsten Carbide Core Pins – Injection Molding CraftAlloy CP Tungsten Carbide core pins for injection molding, providing 183% higher rigidity and 315% better thermal conductivity than 420 stainless steel, enabling reduced deflection, improved cycle times (25-40% reduction), and enhanced wear life for medical, automotive, and industrial molders.
• Nozzles & Needles Fluid dispensing nozzles and needles with stringent testing and inspection including UV curing and plasma surface treatment, featuring surface finish values below .05 microns (2 microinches), for fluid dispensing OEMs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cycle time reduction of 25%-40% with tungsten carbide core pins due to superior thermal conductivity
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hyperion Materials & TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2021Hyperion Materials & Technologies, a global leader in hard and super-hard materials headquartered in Worthington, Ohio, acquired Crafts Technology in April 2021. The acquisition combines Crafts' engineering expertise and manufacturing capabilities with Hyperion's materials expertise and global footprint. Crafts now operates as a division of Hyperion, continuing to focus on service, innovation, and growth as a non-rival supplier.
• BoeingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen-source partnership between Boeing (end user), Fives (OEM), and Crafts Technology (consumable manufacturer) to develop AFP blades technology. This collaboration leveraged the strengths of each entity resulting in improved blade life, reduced manufacturing cost, and halved changeover time.
• Fives Industrial Engineering GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fives (OEM machine manufacturer) and Crafts Technology to develop optimal cutting tools for aerospace applications including AFP and ATL machines. Combined expertise achieved higher performance for both machine manufacturers and OEMs.
• Harper CollegeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRegistered apprenticeship program partnership with Harper College to develop workforce training and career pathways in manufacturing.
• Women in Manufacturing (WiM IL)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Women in Manufacturing Illinois chapter to host virtual tours and showcase manufacturing careers to women in the industry.
• Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndustry organization partner supporting manufacturing excellence and workforce development in Illinois.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• OSG USA: Manufacturer of taps, end mills, drills, and thread mills with carbide tooling capabilities. Overlaps with Crafts in precision carbide cutting tooling and aerospace/automotive customer applications.
• Guhring USA: Manufacturer of precision rotary cutting tools including carbide drills and microtools. Comparable to Crafts' micro manufacturing and precision drilling offerings, particularly for aerospace fastener-hole and countersink applications.
• Kennametal: Global manufacturer of metal-cutting tools, cemented carbide wear parts, and engineered solutions for aerospace, defense, medical and industrial markets. Directly comparable to Crafts in tungsten carbide tooling and wear components, but operates at vastly larger scale across a broad product portfolio.
• Ceratizit (Plansee Group): Part of the Plansee Group producing cemented carbide cutting tools, wear parts, and rod stock. Comparable to Crafts in tungsten carbide wear and cutting applications across aerospace, automotive, and general engineering, with a stronger European footprint.
• Walter Tools (Walter USA): Established manufacturer of precision carbide cutting tools, drills, taps and milling cutters. Comparable product portfolio to Crafts' knives, cutters, modular drilling, and tooling solutions for aerospace and automotive applications.
• Sandvik Coromant: Division of Sandvik AB producing carbide cutting tools, inserts, and tooling systems for metalworking. The most direct comparable to Crafts' carbide cutting tools and modular drilling products, with overlapping aerospace and automotive customer bases.
• Mitsubishi Materials (Cutting Tools Division): Manufacturer of carbide inserts, drills, end mills, and special cutting tools. Overlaps with Crafts on precision carbide cutting tools and modular tooling systems for aerospace and industrial OEMs.
• Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal / Diamond Innovations: Division of Sumitomo Electric producing sintered carbide and PCD/CVD diamond cutting tools. Direct peer in the superhard materials tool space where Crafts competes with its PCD and advanced ceramic offering.

Direct peers

• Hyperion Materials & Technologies: Parent company of Crafts Technology and direct peer in hard and super-hard materials (tungsten carbide, PCD, diamond). Produces comparable cemented carbide, PCD, and advanced ceramic products to the same aerospace and industrial customer base.
• General Carbide Corporation: US-based custom manufacturer of tungsten carbide wear parts, cutting tools, and engineered components. Closely comparable to Crafts in scale and approach: custom cemented carbide parts for aerospace, fluid handling, and industrial OEMs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJ32n-KcXOjoymhb-D9nVvA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crafts-technology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Crafts Technology