Star Hydraulics
Star Hydraulics is a UK-based manufacturer founded in 1983 that designs and produces electro-hydraulic servo valves using proprietary sapphire ball-in-slot technology, serving aerospace, steel, power generation, rail, and materials testing customers globally through a network of 30+ country distributors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersTewkesbury, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Star Hydraulics does
Star Hydraulics Limited is a privately held British manufacturer specializing in electro-hydraulic servo valves, founded in 1983 by Paul Shillam in Tewkesbury, United Kingdom. The company designs, develops, and manufactures servo valves built around a proprietary sapphire ball-in-slot feedback mechanism developed in 1988, which eliminates ball glitch, reduces contamination-related failures, and enables billions of cycles per service life across an operating range of -45°C to +145°C with Skydrol, water glycol, and phosphate ester fluids. The product portfolio spans 2-stage and 3-stage servo valves with flows up to 300 l/m, servo proportional valves, pressure control valves, and ancillary manifolds, adaptors, and flushing blocks, alongside direct drop-in replacement valves for Moog, Rexroth, Parker, Vickers, and other manufacturers.
The company's revenue model is anchored in hardware sales of new servo valves, supplemented by an aftermarket repair, service, and upgrade business that handles valves from more than 20 manufacturers and carries a 12-month warranty, plus spare parts supply and free customer training seminars. Pricing is quote-based with no public list prices. Distribution is executed through a global network of authorized distributors and service partners in 30+ countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australia, complemented by direct sales from the Tewkesbury headquarters. Customer segments are vertically diversified and include aerospace structural testing (SpaceX, Blue Origin), flight simulation (Lufthansa Flight Training), primary metals (British Steel, SSAB, Bridgnorth Aluminium), power generation (Drax), rail infrastructure (PPM-T Gdansk), and materials testing (Lansmont, GDS Instruments, Phoenix Materials Testing).
Star Hydraulics holds ISO 9001:2015 quality management certification as well as ATEX and IECEx certifications from Intertek for intrinsically safe valves used in potentially explosive atmospheres, qualifying the company for hazardous-environment applications in power generation, oil and gas, and similar regulated industries. The company remains founder-owned and organically grown, with no disclosed external investment, M&A activity, or institutional investor involvement across its 40+ year history.
Star Hydraulics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Star Hydraulics
- Legal name
- STAR Hydraulics Limited
- Website
- https://star-hydraulics.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Star Hydraulics is a UK-based manufacturer founded in 1983 that designs and produces electro-hydraulic servo valves using proprietary sapphire ball-in-slot technology, serving aerospace, steel, power generation, rail, and materials testing customers globally through a network of 30+ country distributors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Star Hydraulics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Hydraulic Servo Valves
- NAICS
- Fluid Power Valve and Hose Fitting Manufacturing (332912)
- SIC
- Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Proportional & Servo Hydraulics (Electrohydraulic Valves, Servo Systems) (IMAHAGAF)
Keywords
Where Star Hydraulics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tewkesbury
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Star Hydraulics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Servo Valve Manufacturing & Sales: Manufacturing and sale of electro-hydraulic servo valves including 2-stage, 3-stage, high flow, servo proportional, and pressure control valves. Direct replacement valves for Moog, Rexroth and other manufacturers.
- Servo Valve Repair & Service: Expert servicing, repairing and upgrading of servo valves from multiple manufacturers. Fast turnaround with 12-month warranty on all repairs. Free evaluation and detailed repair assessment for standard mechanical feedback valves.
- Spare Parts Supply: Supply of spare parts including Buship & Spool Assemblies (BSA), Armature/Feedback wire Sub-Assemblies (AFSA), inlet orifices, filter assemblies, coils, nozzles, and motor caps for various servo valve makes and models.
- Valve Upgrades: Upgrading existing valves to higher specifications or incorporating STAR's Sapphire Technology to extend valve life beyond original expectations.
- Manifolds, Adaptors & Flushing Blocks: Supply of isolation modules, control port shut off modules, manual flushing blocks and custom manifolds.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Standard servo valve products |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Star Hydraulics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Star Hydraulics designs, develops and manufactures electro-hydraulic servo valves, ancillary equipment, and accessories using proprietary sapphire ball-in-slot technology. The company also provides expert servicing, repair, and upgrading of servo valves from its own and competing manufacturers, along with spare parts, manifolds, and flushing blocks. Products serve industrial hydraulic flow, pressure, position, velocity and force control applications.
Product overview
STAR Hydraulics is a British manufacturer specializing in electro-hydraulic servo valves, offering an extensive portfolio of products and services. The core product range includes servo valves with flows up to 75 l/m (Series 300, 454, 455, 458, 460, 500-2, 502-2, 507-2, 500E2, 502E2, 552, 553, 550E, 552E, 590-1, 590-0, 592-0, 592-1, 593-1, 1550, 1552, 1554), servo valves with flows up to 300 l/m (Series 200, 456, 550, 890, 892, 897, 890E, 892E, 890-2, 892-2, 897-2, 990), high flow 3-stage servo valves (Series 901HF, 902HF), servo proportional valves (Series 650, DD3), pressure control valves (Series 595), and manifolds/adaptors/flushing blocks (SM055-A, SM089-A, SM550-D, STO0981). The company differentiates through its proprietary Sapphire Technology featuring a ball-in-slot design to eliminate ball glitch. Complementary services include expert servo valve repair and service for competitor brands, production/fabrication capabilities, and customer training programs. The company holds ISO9001:2015 certification and operates from Tewkesbury, UK with a worldwide distribution network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Electro-Hydraulic Servo Valves Star Hydraulics' core product range including 2-stage and 3-stage servo valves with flows up to 75 l/m and up to 300 l/m, used for precise hydraulic flow control in industrial applications such as aerospace testing, rolling mills, flight simulators and power generation.
- Servo Proportional Valves Servo proportional valves including Series 650 and Direct Drive Valve Series DD3 for proportional flow control applications across industrial hydraulics, plastics processing and rail.
- Pressure Control Servo Valves 2-stage pressure control servo valves including Series 595 for precise pressure regulation in hydraulic systems across power generation, gas turbines and industrial processes.
- High Flow 3-Stage Servo Valves 3-stage and high-flow 2-stage servo valves including Series 901HF and 902HF for very high flow hydraulic applications in rolling mills, aerospace testing and large industrial systems.
- Manifolds, Adaptors and Flushing Blocks Isolation modules (SM055-A, SM089-A), Control Port Shut Off Module (SM550-D), and Manual Flushing Blocks (STO0981) for hydraulic system integration, isolation and maintenance.
- Servo Valve Service & Repair Expert servicing, repairing and upgrading of electro-hydraulic servo valves from STAR and other manufacturers including Moog, Rexroth, Parker, Vickers, Bosch, Dowty, Pegasus, Atchley and others. All repaired valves carry a 12-month warranty with free evaluation and detailed repair assessment for standard mechanical feedback valves.
- Spare Parts Supply Supply of spare parts including Buship & Spool Assemblies (BSA), Armature/Feedback Wire Sub-Assemblies (AFSA), inlet orifices, filter assemblies, coils, nozzles, and motor caps for various servo valve makes and models.
- Intrinsically Safe Servo Valves ATEX/IECEx certified electro-hydraulic servo valves for use in potentially explosive atmospheres, with certification IECEx ITS 17.0015X, CE 0359 ITS ATEX 201792X, and CE ITS 17 ATEX 301793X (Ex II 1G, Ex II 3G).
- Production and Fabrication Services Full production facility offering precision grinding, EDM machining, honing, lapping, CNC machining center, and CNC lathe for close tolerance manufacturing of hydraulic components.
- Training Services Free training seminars on Electro-Hydraulic Servo Valves, Filtration and Flushing offered at STAR's facility in Tewkesbury, UK, with content tailored to specific customer needs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% reduction in servo valve failures for British Steel
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Star Hydraulics
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments11 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Star Hydraulics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Star Hydraulics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
33 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Motion Engineering & Services Pty LtdcoreOfficial distributor for Australia located in New South Wales, Unanderra. Provides servo valve sales, service, repair and upgrade services.
- Delta p HydraulicscoreOfficial distributor for Northern and Southern Ireland based in Carlow. Sells and supports STAR servo valves in the Irish market.
- HydraustarcoreOfficial distributor for France located in Saint-Firmin-Des-Pres. Distributes STAR servo valves throughout France.
- SANDNER-Messtechnik GmbHcoreOfficial distributor and service partner for Germany in Biebesheim. Also provides repair services for STAR valves in the German market.
- Fizner Automazione s.a.s.coreOfficial distributor for Italy based in Padova. Distributes STAR servo valves and provides local support.
- Aratron Hydraulikk AScoreOfficial distributor for Norway in Sola. Provides servo valve sales and support for Norwegian market.
- RDL Hydraulics Sp. z o.o.coreOfficial distributor for Poland in Miszewko. Has secured major contract with PPM-T of Gdansk for rail tamping applications.
- ZRS Testing Systems ABcoreOfficial distributor for Sweden in Billdal. Provides STAR servo valves to Swedish industrial customers.
- Delta Hidráulica s.l.coreOfficial distributor for Spain and Portugal based in Orio, Gipuzkoa. Covers Iberian Peninsula market.
- TeMeCo Services AGcoreOfficial distributor for Switzerland and Lichtenstein in Dübendorf.
- Norton Hydraulics (Midland) LtdcoreOfficial distributor for UK West Midlands based in Birmingham, Stechford.
- Global Servo Hydraulics Inc.coreOfficial distributor for USA in Kennedale, Texas. Provides servo valve sales and support in Texas region.
- HYDRAULEX DetroitcoreOfficial service partner for USA in Chesterfield, Michigan. Provides repair services for STAR servo valves.
- HYDRAULEX SeattlecoreOfficial service partner for USA in Puyallup, Washington. Provides repair services for STAR servo valves.
- Industrial Servo Hydraulics Inc.coreOfficial service partner for USA in Fraser, Michigan. Provides servo valve repair and upgrade services.
- K + S ServicescoreApproved service center in Southgate, Michigan (service center in USA). Served as distributor approaching North American steel manufacturer for STAR valve trials. Key partner for US market.
- Lynch Fluid ControlscoreOfficial distributor for Canada in Mississauga, Ontario. Also serves US market from North Tonawanda, New York location.
- P.S.I. Fluid PowercoreOfficial distributor for Canada in Edmonton, Alberta. Provides servo valve sales and support for Western Canada.
- Paragon TechnologiescoreService partner with multiple US locations: Great Lakes (Warren, Michigan), Pacific (Henderson, Nevada), Atlantic (Charlotte, North Carolina). Provides repair services across USA.
- Perfection Servo HydraulicscoreService partner with Batavia Repair Centre (Illinois) and Texas Repair Centre (Grand Prairie). Provides servo valve repair services.
- SunSourcecoreOfficial distributor in Addison, Illinois. Provides servo valve sales and support services.
- Global Hidráulica e PneumáticacoreOfficial distributor for Brazil in São Paulo. Distributes STAR servo valves throughout Brazilian market.
- TSP - TecServo Proporcional Hidraulica IndustrialcoreOfficial distributor for Brazil in Itatiba, São Paulo. Provides servo valve sales and support.
- Hydraulitek SpAcoreOfficial distributor for Chile in Concepción. Distributes STAR servo valves in Chilean market.
- Beijing Star-Hedao Hydraulics TechnologycoreOfficial distributor for China in Beijing. Provides servo valve sales and support for Chinese market.
- Servocontrols & Hydraulics Pvt LtdcoreOfficial distributor for India in Belgaum, Karnataka. Helped secure contract with Austrian railway tamping machine manufacturer for STAR 650 series valves.
- PT. Total Fluid ControlcoreOfficial distributor for Indonesia in Tangerang, Banten. Distributes STAR servo valves in Indonesian market.
- A&D Company LimitedcoreOfficial distributor for Japan in Tokyo. Provides servo valve sales and support.
- STI Product Co LtdcoreOfficial distributor for Japan in Nagoya. Distributes STAR servo valves in Central Japan.
- Hanvit Industries LtdcoreOfficial distributor for Korea in Incheon. Distributes STAR servo valves in South Korean market.
- SNUenesG Co LtdcoreOfficial distributor for Thailand in Rayong. Provides servo valve sales and support for Thai market.
- Middle East Hydraulic EngineeringcoreOfficial distributor for Egypt in Cairo. Distributes STAR servo valves in Egyptian market.
- Sealtec HydraulicscoreOfficial distributor for South Africa in Vereeniging. Distributes STAR servo valves in South African market.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Star Hydraulics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Daman Products: Daman Products is a US-based manufacturer of hydraulic valves, manifolds, and servo valve components. Comparable niche player serving industrial hydraulics with overlapping product offering and similar focus on hydraulic system components.
- Hydraforce: Hydraforce manufactures hydraulic valves, manifolds, and electronic controls for mobile and industrial equipment. Comparable fluid power component manufacturer with overlapping customer segments in motion control and hydraulics, though more focused on mobile applications.
- Parker Hannifin: Parker Hannifin manufactures hydraulic servo valves and motion control components as part of its broad industrial portfolio. Star explicitly offers replacement valves for Parker servo products, indicating direct product overlap in industrial hydraulics.
- Atchley Controls: Atchley Controls specializes in high-performance electro-hydraulic servo valves for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. Comparable niche servo valve manufacturer serving similar flight simulation, materials testing, and aerospace testing markets as Star Hydraulics.
- Moog Inc. Moog is the leading global manufacturer of electro-hydraulic servo valves and motion control products. Star Hydraulics directly competes with Moog and offers drop-in replacements for several Moog product lines, making them the most directly comparable peer.
- Bosch Rexroth: Bosch Rexroth is a major fluid power and motion control manufacturer with extensive servo valve product lines (e.g., 4WSE series referenced in Star's customer cases). Direct competitor in industrial hydraulics with significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.
- Bucher Hydraulics: Bucher Hydraulics manufactures hydraulic valves and systems for mobile and industrial applications including servo and proportional valves. Comparable European-headquartered fluid power manufacturer serving mobile equipment, agricultural, and industrial hydraulics markets.
- MTS Systems: MTS Systems manufactures servo-hydraulic testing systems and components used in materials testing. Star explicitly lists MTS in its repair service catalog and serves similar materials testing customers (e.g., Lansmont, Phoenix Calibration, GDS Instruments).
Regional players
- Yuken Kogyo: Yuken is a Japanese manufacturer of hydraulic valves, pumps, and servo valves primarily serving Asian industrial markets. Comparable product portfolio in electro-hydraulic servo valves but regional focus on Japan and Asia versus Star's global distribution model.
Broad incumbents
- Eaton (Vickers): Eaton's Vickers brand historically produced servo valves for industrial hydraulics and is listed in Star's repair catalog. Eaton is a broad industrial incumbent offering overlapping fluid power capabilities as part of a much wider electrical and industrial portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Star Hydraulics social profiles
Digital presenceStar Hydraulics compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Star Hydraulics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Star Hydraulics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Star Hydraulics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Star Hydraulics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Star Hydraulics
What does Star Hydraulics do?
Star Hydraulics designs, develops and manufactures electro-hydraulic servo valves, ancillary equipment, and accessories using proprietary sapphire ball-in-slot technology. The company also provides expert servicing, repair, and upgrading of servo valves from its own and competing manufacturers, along with spare parts, manifolds, and flushing blocks. Products serve industrial hydraulic flow, pressure, position, velocity and force control applications.
Is Star Hydraulics a public or private company?
Star Hydraulics is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Star Hydraulics founded?
Star Hydraulics was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Star Hydraulics based?
Star Hydraulics is headquartered in Tewkesbury, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Star Hydraulics make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Servo Valve Manufacturing & Sales are the primary driver. The others are servo Valve Repair & Service, spare Parts Supply, valve Upgrades and manifolds, Adaptors & Flushing Blocks.
Who are Star Hydraulics's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Daman Products, Hydraforce, Parker Hannifin, Atchley Controls, Moog Inc., Bosch Rexroth, Bucher Hydraulics and MTS Systems. Yuken Kogyo is listed as a regional player. Eaton (Vickers) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Star Hydraulics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Star Hydraulics.
What industry is Star Hydraulics in?
Star Hydraulics's product category is Industrial Hydraulic Servo Valves. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAGAF, Proportional & Servo Hydraulics (Electrohydraulic Valves, Servo Systems). Its NAICS code is 332912 and its SIC code is 3561.