What itpstyli does

itpstyli LLC is a St. Louis, Missouri-based manufacturer and direct-to-customer retailer of precision probing components for the industrial metrology market. Founded in 2003 by Peter Schlafly, the company produces and sells CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) styli, extensions, holders, thread adapters, adapter plates, calibration spheres, and related accessories used for quality control, dimensional inspection, and gear measurement on CMMs, machine tools, and gear checking systems. The catalog spans thread sizes M2 through M8 and materials including ruby, carbide, silicon nitride, titanium, carbon fiber, and ceramic, with proprietary engineered solutions such as UltraScanning Diamond-Coated Styli and Thermal Stable Technology.

The company's commercial model is a hybrid of self-serve D2C e-commerce and consultative direct sales. Customers can purchase standardized SKUs through the online storefront using a product search and manufacturer cross-reference tool, while customized configurations are specified through a 'Design Your Own' online configurator or via phone and email consultation. Pricing is unit-based and committed to be 5% below the lowest competitor's price, with same-day shipping on in-stock items and publicly available Quality Certification 2024-2027. The go-to-market leans on content marketing (knowledge base, technical blog, infographics, catalog PDFs, YouTube) to attract technical B2B buyers in industrial manufacturing and machine-tool shops.

The entity operates as a privately held Missouri LLC with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors. Operations are concentrated in a single St. Louis headquarters serving primarily North America with implied global distribution. Reported headcount sits in the 11-50 range, consistent with a focused niche manufacturer/distributor rather than a scaled enterprise. The business model is transactional one-time purchase with no subscription, recurring, or platform revenue component documented.

Name

itpstyli

Legal name

itp Styli LLC

Website

https://itpstyli.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

itpstyli is a St. Louis-based manufacturer and D2C retailer of CMM styli, extensions, holders, and adapter plates for industrial metrology, selling precision probing components across thread sizes M2-M8 to manufacturing and machine-tool customers since 2003.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Metrology Precision Components

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Metrology, Inspection & Machine Tool Accessories (CMMs, Probing, Gauging) (IMAHADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metrology & Dimensional Measurement (CMMs, laser trackers, gauges, surface/roughness) (IMAGAFAD), Industrial Quality Inspection & Metrology (Machine Vision) (IMAIAMAF)

Keywords

• CMM styli
• Industrial metrology
• Coordinate measuring probes
• Machine tool probing
• Gear measurement systems

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

Revenue model

1. CMM Styli and Accessories Sales: One-time purchase of precision measurement components including styli (straight, cylinder, disk, star, hemispheric), extensions, holders, thread adapters, and adapter plates. Thread sizes M2 through M8 with materials including ruby, carbide, silicon nitride, titanium, carbon fiber, and ceramic.
2. Custom/Special Products: Customized styli and configurations designed to customer specifications through online configurator or direct consultation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

itpstyli manufactures and sells CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) styli, machine tool probe extensions, holders, thread adapters, adapter plates, calibration spheres, and accessories for industrial metrology. Products cover thread sizes M2 through M8 in materials including ruby, carbide, silicon nitride, titanium, carbon fiber, and ceramic. The company also offers an online custom design configurator for bespoke probing configurations.

Product overview

itpstyli is a specialized manufacturer of CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) styli and industrial metrology probing elements, offering the most comprehensive range of products for coordinate measuring machines, machine tool probes, and gear measurement systems. The product portfolio centers on core stylus products (Straight, Star, Cylinder, Disk, Hemispheric, and Spherical Styli) complemented by Extensions, Holders & Thread Adapters, and Adapter Plates. Specialized solutions include UltraScanning Diamond-Coated Styli for demanding applications, Thermal Stable Technology for temperature-critical environments, Calibration Spheres, Height Gage Adapters, and High Efficiency Fixed-Head Probing Systems. The company also provides custom design services via an online configurator, enabling customers to specify bespoke stylus, extension, holder, and adapter configurations. Thread sizes range from M2 through M8, with materials including ruby, carbide, titanium, carbon fiber, and ceramic. The products are designed for compatibility with major probe systems including Zeiss VAST XXT, Zeiss Dynamic Probe Heads, and MT Probe Heads.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Straight Styli Versatile general-purpose CMM measuring styli in thread sizes M2-M8 with ruby, carbide, or silicon nitride spheres.
• Star Styli Multi-point stylus configurations enabling measurement of multiple features in a single CMM setup.
• Cylinder Styli Specialized styli for measuring cylindrical features and internal diameters on coordinate measuring machines.
• Disk Styli Flat-faced styli for measuring grooves, slots, and recessed features requiring clearance from the measurement point.
• Hemispheric Styli Half-spherical stylus designs for specialized measurement applications requiring specific contact geometry.
• Spherical Styli Standard spherical contact styli with ruby, carbide, or silicon nitride spheres for precise point-to-point measurement.
• Styli Extensions CMM probe extensions including carbon fiber and ceramic stem options that extend reach while maintaining rigidity and thermal stability.
• Holders & Thread Adapters Complete range of stylus holders including Rotary Holders, Cubes, Thread Size Adapters, Non-threaded Styli Holders, Threaded-Styli Holders, Rotary Adapters, and Knuckle Holders.
• Adapter Plates Pre-configured plates for repeatable probe setups, including XXT Adapter Plates for Zeiss VAST XXT sensors and VAST Adapter Plates for VAST/MT systems, eliminating recalibration needs.
• CMM Accessories CMM accessories including calibration spheres with certification, anticrash protection adapters, screws, washers, tools (wrenches), thread measuring gages, and stylus wrenches.
• UltraScanning Diamond-Coated Styli Diamond-coated stylus solution designed for demanding contact conditions where standard materials cannot withstand aggressive wear, reducing wear and extending service life.
• Thermal Stable Technology Thermal stability solutions for CMM probe configurations that minimize measurement error due to temperature variations during inspection.
• Calibration Spheres High-quality calibration spheres with certification for stylus calibration, available with stainless steel base and ceramic sphere, with stands also offered.
• Height Gage Adapter Adapter enabling CMM styli to be used with height gages for expanded measurement capabilities.
• High Efficiency Fixed-Head Probing System Optimized probing system for fixed-head CMM configurations designed to improve measurement efficiency and throughput.
• Custom / Design Your Own Solutions Online configurator and custom manufacturing service for designing bespoke styli, extensions, holders, and tooling to meet specific application requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5% lower pricing than lowest competitor
• +1 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

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mahr: German precision measurement company producing probes, styli, and dimensional metrology equipment. Overlaps with itpstyli in industrial metrology accessories for CMM applications.
• L.S. Starrett Company: Long-established US manufacturer of precision measurement tools and metrology accessories. Comparable to itpstyli in stylus/measurement consumables category, but with much broader tool portfolio.
• Taylor Hobson (Ametek): Specializes in precision surface and dimensional metrology including probes and styli. Adjacent comparable to itpstyli in the CMM/precision inspection consumables market.
• Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence: Global metrology conglomerate owning multiple CMM brands (e.g., Brown & Sharpe, DEA). Competes broadly with itpstyli across industrial measurement accessories and probes.
• Mitutoyo: Japanese precision measurement leader with broad CMM and accessory lines. Comparable to itpstyli in offering styli and metrology consumables, but at much larger portfolio scale.
• Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology: Makes full CMM systems and supplies styli/accessories for its own VAST and MT probe families — categories where itpstyli competes as an independent aftermarket alternative.

Direct peers

• Fowler (Fred V. Fowler Company): US-based precision metrology accessory distributor and brand covering CMM styli, calipers, and inspection tools. Direct competitor in the same US aftermarket channel for measurement consumables.
• Insize: Global metrology accessory manufacturer known for broad, low-cost catalogs of precision measurement consumables. Closest direct price-positioning competitor to itpstyli.
• Renishaw: UK-based market leader in CMM probes, machine tool probes, and styli. Directly comparable to itpstyli in probe/stylus manufacturing and aftermarket, but operates at much larger scale with full OEM probe systems.
• Suburban Tool: US-based metrology supplier offering CMM accessories, styli, and inspection tooling. Direct competitor serving similar North American industrial metrology customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCk-VY8hty17UsW7haHcvy2A

Compliance1 record

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 itpstyli