What Ductformer does

Ductformer is a privately held US manufacturer of sheet metal duct fabrication machinery, founded in 2004 and based at a single facility in St. Louis, Missouri. The company engineers and assembles capital equipment for HVAC ductwork production, including CR-series rollformers (CR8 through CR14) that produce TDFC flange connectors, cleats, and standing-S profiles; TDFC and fully automatic wrap brakes for bending; coil cradle and expanding mandrel decoiler systems for coil handling; the CR6018 automated duct coil line; the Line-A-Duct insulation system; and the DFTL-series toggle-lock clinching machines. Its technical differentiator is a proprietary Direct Drive Oil Bath Gear Reduction transmission system that replaces the chain-and-sprocket designs common in the industry, providing quieter operation, positive power transfer, and maintenance-free sealed-bearing performance.

Ductformer sells primarily through direct B2B engagement — phone, email, and a content-rich website — to commercial HVAC duct fabricators, sheet metal fabrication shops, and industrial manufacturing operations worldwide. The company runs an inbound-driven model supplemented by a Quick Ship inventory program (24-48 hour shipment for in-stock TDFC Power Brakes and CR Series Rollformers) that bypasses the standard 8-12 week custom build lead time, a certified pre-owned equipment channel, and equipment financing offered through DirectCapital. Spare parts and roll tooling provide a recurring aftermarket revenue stream tied to the installed base. Revenue is not disclosed and the company shows no external equity investors or funding history, consistent with a founder-owned, cash-generative industrial business of 11-50 employees.

Ductformer maintains a design partnership with Custom Rollform Products Inc. for collaborative machine engineering and operates a sub-brand (DFTL Series) for its clinching line. Its go-to-market is concentrated in inbound direct sales with global freight logistics for international customers; there is no disclosed distributor network, no field service organization, and no AI/ML or software-defined product layer — automation is delivered via PLC controllers and AC vector drives rather than intelligent systems.

Name

Ductformer

Legal name

Ductformer

Website

https://ductformer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ductformer is a St. Louis-based manufacturer of sheet metal duct fabrication machinery — rollformers, brakes, coil lines, decoilers, and clinching machines — sold to commercial HVAC duct fabricators and industrial manufacturers worldwide via direct sales and a Quick Ship inventory program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Heavy Machinery Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling sheet metal duct fabrication machinery including rollformers, power brakes, duct lines, coil lines, and clinching machines. Products sold as capital equipment with one-time purchase model.
2. Spare Parts and Components: Replacement parts, roll tooling, and components for Ductformer machines. Deep inventory maintained for rapid replacement to keep customer production lines operational.
3. Quick Ship Inventory Program: Pre-built machines available for immediate shipping, enabling faster revenue recognition and delivery compared to custom-ordered equipment with 8-12 week lead times.
4. Used Machinery Sales: Certified pre-owned equipment sales including trade-ins and surplus machinery, providing secondary market revenue and trade-in options for customers upgrading to new equipment.
5. Financing Services: Financing options through DirectCapital partner to enable customers to purchase equipment through payment plans rather than full upfront payment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ductformer engineers, manufactures, and sells American-made sheet metal duct fabrication machinery for the commercial HVAC industry. Its product line includes rollformers (CR8, CR10, CR12, and CR14 series) for TDFC, TDC, cleat, and standing S profiles; bending machines such as the TDFC Power Brake and Fully Automatic Wrap Brake; fully automated duct coil line systems with decoilers and coil cradles; the Line-A-Duct insulation applicator; and the DFTL clinching machine for toggle-lock sheet metal fastening. The company sells directly to commercial sheet metal fabrication shops and HVAC contractors worldwide, ships from its St. Louis, MO facility, and supports customers with a Quick Ship program, spare parts, used equipment, and financing through DirectCapital.

Product overview

Ductformer is a manufacturer of sheet metal duct fabrication machinery, offering a comprehensive portfolio of interconnected industrial machines for HVAC ductwork production. The product lineup centers on rollformers (CR8, CR10, CR12, and CR14 series) that produce TDFC flange connectors, cleats, and standing S profiles; bending machines including the TDFC Power Brake and Fully Automatic Wrap Brake; coil handling systems (Coil Cradles and Expanding Mandrel Decoilers); the Line-A-Duct insulation system; duct coil line automation systems; the DFTL clinching machine for toggle-lock fastening; and the duct beader for cross-breaking. These machines share common engineering features including all-gear drive systems with oil bath gear reduction, are manufactured in St. Louis, Missouri, and are designed for standalone operation or seamless integration into fully automated coil line systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DFTL Series: Clinching machines for HVAC duct flange connectors using Toggle Lock fastening system

Products and services

• CR12-TDFC Rollformer A premium 12-station rollformer designed for HVAC duct flange connectors, producing C-Style TDFC (Transverse Duct Flange Connector) profiles directly onto duct ends and eliminating secondary bolt-on connectors. Targeted at commercial sheet metal fabrication shops.
• CR14-TDFC Rollformer A high-precision 14-station rollformer producing F-Style TDFC profiles for HVAC duct flange connectors, with superior profile accuracy and material integrity for 16 to 26 gauge steel. For commercial HVAC duct fabricators.
• CR14-TDFC Dual Head Rollformer A 14-station dual-head rollformer that rollforms TDFC profiles on both edges of duct simultaneously, doubling production capacity for automated duct lines. For high-volume HVAC duct manufacturers.
• CR12-TDFC Dual Head Rollformer A high-capacity 12-station dual-head rollformer producing C-Style TDFC profiles on both edges of duct simultaneously, designed for large-scale automated duct lines. For high-volume HVAC duct manufacturers.
• CR8-SDC Rollformer A precision 8-station rollformer producing S-Cleats and Drive-Cleats for HVAC duct flange connectors with ultra-quiet direct oil bath gear reduction transmission. For sheet metal fabrication shops.
• CR8-CF Cleat Former An 8-station rollformer producing high-quality S-cleats and Drive-cleats in a single pass-through operation for L-shape and Full Wrapper ducts. For HVAC duct fabricators.
• CR8-CF-DH Dual Head Cleat Former A high-speed 8-station dual-head rollformer that rollforms both edges of sheet metal simultaneously, doubling output for S and Drive cleat profiles in coil lines. For commercial sheet metal shops.
• CR8 Auto Feed Rollform System An integrated rollformer combining precision 8-station rollforming with an automated feeding system that produces Flat 'S' and Drive Cleats directly from coil stock, eliminating manual material handling. For automated production environments.
• CR10-SS Standing S Rollformer A heavy-duty 10-station rollformer producing Standing S profiles with a 1-1/4 inch tall vertical leg for high-velocity and high-pressure HVAC applications. For industrial duct fabricators.
• DFTL Clinching Machine A high-speed sheet metal fabrication machine that creates permanent Toggle Lock mechanical bonds between two pieces of metal through cold-form fastening, replacing rivets, screws, and welding. For sheet metal fabrication shops.
• TDFC Power Brake A power brake designed for bending 90-degree bends on rectangular ductwork for Full Wrapper or L-Shape Duct with TDFC style (F-Style and C-Style) flange connectors. For commercial HVAC duct fabricators.
• Fully Automatic Wrap Brake 60" or 72" A fully automatic wrap brake system (DB-60/DB-72) that receives a part and bends either Full Wrap Duct or L-Sections, featuring PLC technology, color touch screen controls, and brushless A-C Vector Motion Control Drives. For automated duct fabrication lines.
• Duct Beader A sheet metal duct beader that beads up to 16 gauge mild steel sheets in a single pass-through operation with adjustable depth beads on 12 inch centers. For HVAC duct fabrication shops.
• Design One Coil Cradle System A heavy-duty coil handling system with 15,000 lb capacity featuring a one-piece tubular mandrel design for easy one-person coil loading, utilizing hydraulically driven neoprene rollers for smooth payoff. For automated duct coil lines.
• Second Generation Expanding Mandrel Decoiler A second-generation decoiling system with 15,000 lb capacity featuring internal grip expansion from 19 to 24 inch I.D., equipped with Timken Roller Thrust Bearings for smooth high-tension payoff without material telescoping. For automated coil lines.
• Line-A-Duct DL-60/72 A compact duct insulator system that applies glue and insulation to ductwork, featuring glue extrusion system, variable speed drives, and compatibility with any manufacturer's Coil Line System. For duct fabricators adding insulation capability.
• Duct Coil Line System (CR6018) A fully automated duct coil line system that integrates decoiling, notching, beading, and shearing, processing 60 inch wide coils in 18 to 26 gauge materials with programmable microprocessor controls. For high-volume HVAC duct manufacturers.
• Dual Head TDFC Rollformer A high-capacity rollformer that rollforms TDFC profiles on both edges of sheet metal simultaneously, available in CR12 (12-station, C-Style) and CR14 (14-station, F-Style) configurations. For automated duct coil lines.
• Dual Head Cleat Former
• Used and Certified Pre-Owned Machinery Sales
• Spare Parts and Components Replacement parts, roll tooling, and components for Ductformer machines, with deep inventory maintained to keep customer production lines operational. Requestable via [email protected].
• Quick Ship Program Pre-built in-stock machines (including TDFC Power Brakes and CR Series Rollformers) available for immediate freight scheduling, loading onto truck within 24-48 hours after payment finalization. Bypasses the standard 8-12 week manufacturing lead time.

Quantifiable outcome

• Eliminates secondary bolt-on connectors, saving material costs and labor hours per project
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Custom Rollform Products Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative design partnership where Ductformer engineers work alongside experts at Custom Rollform Products Inc. to design duct fabrication machines. The partnership combines decades of experience solving complex metal bending problems with high industrial standards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Roper Whitney: Established manufacturer of sheet metal machinery including brakes, shears, rolls, and HVAC-specific equipment. Broad incumbent competing in adjacent categories with Ductformer's bending and forming product lines.
• Tennsmith: Manufacturer of sheet metal fabrication equipment including brakes, shears, and rolls. Comparable as broad incumbent in metalworking machinery serving HVAC duct fabricators and general sheet metal shops.
• Trumpf: Global leader in machine tools and sheet metal fabrication technology including laser cutting, bending, and automation. Broad incumbent whose automation solutions compete in the upper tier of HVAC duct fabrication automation.
• Cincinnati Incorporated: Long-established American manufacturer of metal fabrication machinery including press brakes, shears, and laser cutting systems. Comparable as broad incumbent in industrial sheet metal machinery serving HVAC and industrial fabrication customers.
• Bystronic: Global manufacturer of sheet metal fabrication machinery including press brakes, laser cutting systems, and automation. Larger incumbent serving broader industrial sheet metal fabrication markets including HVAC ductwork.

Direct peers

• Formtek (Mestek): Division of Mestek manufacturing HVAC coil line and duct fabrication systems. Directly comparable in automated coil line offerings and customer base of commercial HVAC sheet metal fabricators.
• Engel Industries: Direct competitor manufacturing HVAC duct fabrication machinery including rollformers, coil lines, and plasma cutters for commercial sheet metal shops. Highly comparable product portfolio and customer base to Ductformer.
• New Tech Machinery: Manufacturer of portable and fixed rollforming equipment for HVAC, roofing, and metal building industries. Competes with Ductformer's rollformer product line, particularly in duct connector and cleat forming applications.
• Lockformer (Eagle Bending Machines): Long-established manufacturer of sheet metal duct fabrication equipment including Pittsburgh lock machines, rollformers, and bending equipment serving the same HVAC duct fabricator customer base as Ductformer.
• Samco Machinery: Manufacturer of roll forming equipment and coil processing lines for various industries including HVAC duct fabrication. Comparable in rollforming technology and modular line design philosophy to Ductformer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Ductformer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ductformer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Ductformer