Channel Technologies Group

What Channel Technologies Group does

Channel Technologies Group (CTG), founded in 1959 and headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, designs and manufactures piezoelectric materials, transducers, and turnkey integrated systems. The active specialty piezoceramic operating assets associated with CTG's Ceramics Division were acquired by Piezo Kinetics Inc. (PKI) in 2017, consolidating powder formulations and finished product inventories under PKI's vertically oriented Bellefonte, Pennsylvania manufacturing operation near Penn State University.

Piezo Kinetics manufactures specialty piezoelectric ceramic elements and assemblies—including rings, bars, cylinders, plates, shear plates, discs, rods, hemispheres (up to 3 inches OD), and piezoelectric composites—using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and lead metaniobate formulations covering Navy Type classifications (Types I, II, III, V, and VI). Application-specific grades include PKI 409 for high-power ultrasonic drivers (cleaners, fish finders, sonars), PKI 509 for receivers (hydrophones, accelerometers), PKI 802/804/809 for medical drivers, PKI 532 for sensors, and PKI 552/556 for high-displacement sensors, alongside lead metaniobate grades PKI 100 and PKI 105 for wide-bandwidth and high-temperature sonar applications. CTG also acquired Materials Systems in 2014 for an undisclosed amount, broadening the broader group's ultrasonic device portfolio.

The business model is hardware sales of piezoceramic elements and assemblies, augmented by value-added manufacturing services (partial and full assembly, subassembly, testing, packaging) and engineering collaboration. Distribution is direct sales via phone, email, and quote-based engagement, with no intermediaries. End markets span military (hydrophones, sonar, ballistics), automotive (air bags, suspension, security), medical (ultrasound, apnea and fetal monitors, infusion pumps), consumer (microphones, igniters, toys), industrial (ultrasonic welders, flow sensors, robotics), instrumentation (NDT, vibration damping, oil exploration), and telecommunications/commercial segments. The Crest Group (Trenton, NJ) is the parent, having acquired PKI in 1996.

Name

Channel Technologies Group

Legal name

Piezo Kinetics, Inc.

Website

https://channeltechgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Channel Technologies Group designs and manufactures piezoelectric materials, transducers, and turnkey integrated systems. Following CTG's 2014 acquisition of Materials Systems and the 2017 transfer of its Ceramics Division assets to subsidiary Piezo Kinetics Inc., operations produce PZT and lead metaniobate ceramic elements serving military, automotive, medical, consumer, industrial, and instrumentation markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Piezoelectric Components and Materials

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Dielectrics & Insulating Materials Chemicals (Low-k/High-k precursors) (IMAEAKAJ)

Keywords

• Piezoelectric materials
• Piezoceramic manufacturing
• Piezoelectric transducers
• Ultrasonic equipment
• Piezoelectric actuators

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara

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. Piezoelectric Ceramic Products Sales: Manufacture and sale of specialty piezoelectric elements and assemblies including standardized shapes (rings, bars, cylinders, plates, discs, rods) and custom piezoceramic products. Revenue generated through product sales with potential for value-added manufacturing services including partial and full product assembly, component subassembly, product testing, and packaging.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Channel Technologies Group designs and manufactures piezoelectric materials, transducers, and turnkey integrated systems built around lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and lead metaniobate ceramics. The company's products include piezoceramic shapes (rings, bars, cylinders, plates, discs, rods, shear plates, hemispheres, and composites) plus application-specific material grades engineered for military, automotive, medical, industrial, and consumer end uses. Value-added assembly, testing, packaging, and engineering collaboration are bundled with the ceramic elements.

Product overview

Channel Technologies Group's Ceramics Division was acquired by Piezo Kinetics Inc. in 2017. The division manufactured specialty piezoelectric ceramic elements and assemblies, including powder formulations and finished product inventories. These products now continue under Piezo Kinetics as standardized and customized piezoceramic shapes (rings, bars, cylinders, plates, shear plates, discs, rods, and composites), PZT materials (Navy Types I-VI), and lead metaniobate materials (PKI 100, 105). Value-added manufacturing services include assembly, testing, and prototype development. The products serve military, automotive, commercial, medical, consumer, and industrial markets including hydrophones, transducers, actuators, and generators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Piezoelectric Ceramic Products (rings, bars, cylinders, plates, shear plates, discs, rods, hemispheres, composites) Standardized and custom piezoceramic shapes manufactured from PZT and lead metaniobate, serving as the active elements in piezoelectric transducers, piezo pick-ups, actuators, and generators for military, automotive, medical, industrial, and consumer applications.
• PZT Materials (Lead Zirconate Titanate, Navy Type I-VI) Proprietary PZT powder grades including PKI 409 (Navy Type I, high-power drivers), PKI 509 (Navy Type II, receivers such as hydrophones and accelerometers), PKI 802/804/809 (Navy Type III, medical drivers), PKI 532 (Navy Type V, sensors), and PKI 552/556 (Navy Type VI, high-displacement sensors).
• Lead Metaniobate Materials (PKI 100, PKI 105) Lead metaniobate piezoelectric ceramic materials offering low mechanical Q, negligible aging, wide operating temperature range, and high longitudinal coupling, targeted at wide bandwidth sensors, high-temperature applications, and underwater sonar equipment.
• Piezoelectric Composites Composite piezoelectric products delivering lower impedance, lower mechanical Q, higher coupling, and broader frequency bandwidth than monolithic ceramic parts, primarily for medical diagnostic ultrasound, non-destructive testing, and SONAR applications.
• Value-Added Manufacturing Services (assembly, subassembly, testing, packaging, prototype development)

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Channel Technologies Group (Ceramics Division)coreOthers · 1 January 2017In 2017, PKI purchased the Ceramics Division's assets of Channel Technologies Group, including all powder formulations and inventories of finished products. This acquisition made PKI the leading manufacturer of specialty piezoelectric ceramic elements and assemblies in North America.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• PI Ceramic (Physik Instrumente): PI Ceramic is a leading manufacturer of piezoelectric ceramic elements, components, and transducers, with overlapping PZT and other piezoceramic material offerings and direct competition in actuators, sensors, and ultrasonic applications.
• APC International: APC International manufactures piezoelectric ceramic elements including PZT, piezoelectric crystals, and custom piezo components, directly competing with PKI across transducer, sensor, and ultrasonic applications.
• Fuji Ceramics: Fuji Ceramics is a Japanese manufacturer of piezoelectric ceramic elements and transducers with comparable PZT-based product lines serving sonar, medical ultrasound, and industrial sensor markets.
• Noliac (a CTS company): Noliac specializes in piezoelectric components including multilayer piezo actuators and custom piezo ceramic elements, directly competing with PKI in actuators, sensors, and specialty piezo assemblies.
• SensorTech: SensorTech designs and manufactures ultrasonic transducers and piezoelectric components for industrial, medical, and defense applications, with comparable material and assembly capabilities to PKI.

Broad incumbents

• TDK Corporation: TDK is a global electronic components leader with a significant piezoelectric materials and multilayer piezo actuator portfolio, competing in automotive, consumer, and industrial piezo applications as part of a much broader component portfolio.
• CTS Corporation: CTS Corporation designs and manufactures electronic components including piezoelectric sensors and actuators, serving automotive, industrial, and medical markets; it acquired Noliac, expanding direct piezo ceramic capabilities.
• Morgan Advanced Materials: Morgan Advanced Materials produces advanced technical ceramics including piezoelectric and dielectric materials for ultrasonic, sonar, and sensor applications, with overlap to PKI in specialty ceramic components for defense and industrial customers.
• CeramTec: CeramTec manufactures advanced technical ceramics including piezoceramic components for medical, industrial, and defense applications, overlapping with PKI in transducer and ultrasonic applications as part of a broader ceramic portfolio.
• Meggitt Sensing Systems: Meggitt supplies high-performance sensors and piezoelectric-based components for aerospace, defense, and industrial markets, overlapping with PKI in vibration, acoustic, and ultrasonic sensing applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Piezo-Kinetics-Inc-158394005014044
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/channel-technologies-group

Compliance1 record

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&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Channel Technologies Group