What Zaytran does

Zaytran designs and manufactures pneumatic parallel grippers and related automation components (locating pin cylinders, clamps, linear locators) for industrial automation systems. The company's core technology centers on a patented double helix synchronization system (US Patent 4591199) in which the force and synchronization functions are mechanically decoupled, enabling ±0.025 mm self-centering over 10+ million cycles. The product portfolio spans three lines: MAGNUM parallel grippers (aluminum for harsh industrial environments, PET for Class 1 clean rooms and food/DI water contact), GPAL mid-to-large grippers built around force-to-mass ratio, and XRAY-S long-stroke grippers for very large parts at multi-G acceleration, topped by the February 2026 launch of the 5,800 N XRAY-S-5800. Supporting features include linear bearing rails for torque isolation, double-sealed construction, dual-usage purge systems (pressurize for debris, evacuate for clean room), and field-installable fail-safe power-out brakes.

Zaytran was founded in 1980 in Elyria, Ohio, by the team that previously established Manatrol (now a Parker Hannifin division). The company initially produced large hydraulic valves, then pivoted in the 1980s to pneumatic grippers as the hydraulic valve market faded. Manufacturing is conducted at the single Elyria facility under ISO-9001 certification. Pricing is quote-based for both standard catalog items and custom configurations, with unit prices disclosed only for the lower-end MAGNUM series. Revenue is generated primarily through sale of gripper hardware, distributed globally via Festo Americas as the primary channel partner and direct sales for custom and technical applications. The company claims a global footprint but discloses no international offices.

Customer concentration is anchored in automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, with formal supplier approvals at Ford, General Motors, Tesla, and Stellantis, and integrator relationships with Wright Industries and Kawasaki Robotics. Documented end uses include engine block and transmission housing handling (200%+ output increase case study), camshaft machining ($1.2M+ annual customer savings), 125-lb wheel handling for Accuride, and Class 1 clean room hard disk platter handling. Distribution is primarily B2B2B via system integrators who specify Zaytran grippers in end effectors delivered to OEMs, supplemented by direct sales for technical and custom applications. The firm is privately held with no institutional investment identified.

Name

Zaytran

Legal name

ZAYTRAN, Inc.

Website

https://grippers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Zaytran manufactures pneumatic parallel grippers for industrial automation, specializing in clean rooms, welding, and die casting environments. Founded in 1980 in Elyria, Ohio, the company serves automotive OEMs, system integrators, and clean room manufacturers via direct sales and Festo Americas distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Pneumatic Grippers

NAICS

Fluid Power Cylinder and Actuator Manufacturing (333995)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Robot End-of-Arm Tooling (Grippers, Tool Changers, Welding/Cutting Heads) (IMAHAHAD)

Keywords

• Pneumatic grippers
• Industrial automation components
• Parallel jaw grippers
• Robotic end effectors
• Automation gripper manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Elyria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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. Pneumatic Gripper Hardware Sales: Zaytran generates revenue through the sale of pneumatic gripper products including Magnum, GPAL, and XRAY-S series. Products are sold directly and through distribution partners like Festo Americas. Pricing is quote-based for custom configurations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zaytran designs and manufactures industrial pneumatic parallel grippers and related automation components (locating pin cylinders, clamps) used as robotic end effectors in industrial automation. The portfolio spans the MAGNUM series (clean room to harsh industrial), the GPAL mid-to-large series with the highest force-to-mass ratio in its class, and the XRAY-S long stroke series for very large payloads (up to 5,800 N per jaw, strokes to 350 mm), all built around a patented double helix synchronization system and ISO-9001 certified manufacturing. Products are sold direct and through Festo Americas distribution to automation integrators and OEMs in automotive, aerospace, hard disk manufacturing, and heavy industrial segments.

Product overview

Zaytran manufactures pneumatic parallel grippers for industrial automation, serving applications from clean rooms to extreme harsh environments. The product portfolio includes three main gripper lines: MAGNUM grippers (standard parallel grippers for clean rooms, welding, grinding, and harsh environments, available in aluminum AL-series and PET-series for food/DI water applications), GPAL grippers (mid-to-large capacity with highest force-to-mass ratio on the market), and XRAY-S long stroke grippers (large format grippers for massive payloads with high acceleration capabilities, including the newly launched XRAY-S-5800 with 5,800N force per jaw). All products feature Zaytran's patented double helix synchronization system, purge systems for contamination protection, and are distributed through Festo Americas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MAGNUM: Parallel grippers for welding environments to Class One clean rooms. Uses third-generation ZAYTRAN technology with super tough, corrosive resistant materials. Available in aluminum (MAGNUM-AL) and PET versions (MAGNUM-PET).
• GPAL
• XRAY-S

Products and services

• MAGNUM Parallel Grippers Parallel grippers with patented helix synchronization technology, designed for precision in extreme environments such as clean rooms, welding, grinding, machining, and die casting. Sold to automation integrators across industries.
• MAGNUM-AL Aluminum Grippers Aluminum-bodied parallel grippers designed for normal to harsh environments including carbide dust and weld spatter. Feature a purge system for contamination prevention. Available in 130 N and 450 N grip force per jaw variants (MAGNUM-AL-130-13, MAGNUM-AL-130-26, MAGNUM-AL-450-26).
• MAGNUM-PET Clean Room Grippers Clean room, food-grade, and de-ionized water compatible parallel grippers with Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET-P) body and 316 stainless steel hardware. FDA approved for food contact and rated H1 for food-grade lubrication. Class One clean room certified with independent laboratory test reports.
• GPAL Mid-to-Large Grippers Mid-to-large precision long stroke grippers with the highest force-to-mass ratio on the market. Feature the Zaytran purge system and the longest strokes in their class. Models include GPAL-40 (132.5 lbs force per jaw, 2.80 lbs mass, 2.00 in stroke), GPAL-100 (196 lbs force per jaw, 5.3 lbs mass, 3.00 in stroke), and GPAL-200 (364 lbs force per jaw, 9.80 lbs mass, 4.00 in stroke).
• XRAY-S Long Stroke Grippers Large-format two-jaw parallel grippers designed for high-acceleration transfer of massive payloads in harsh environments. Feature linear bearing rails, sealed uni-body construction, long strokes up to 350 mm, position feedback options, and Power Out Brakes for fail-safe operation. Includes the XRAY-S-2200 (2,200 N per jaw) and XRAY-S-5800 (5,800 N per jaw, 1,400 Nm torque).
• XRAY-S-2200 Gripper Specific XRAY-S model with 2,200 N (495 pounds) grip force per jaw, available in 100 mm, 200 mm, and 350 mm stroke options. Features sealed uni-body construction with linear bearing rail, double rod scrapers on piston rods, and triple-sealed bearing blocks. Used by Tier 1 automotive suppliers for die-cast transmission housing handling.
• XRAY-S-5800 Robotic Gripper High-acceleration robotic gripper launched in February 2026 for large-part automation in industrial and automotive applications. Features 5,800 N gripping force per jaw and up to 1,400 Nm torque capacity, with dual machine-tool bearing rails and a CDA bronze-based synchronizing system for multi-G acceleration. Designed to improve reliability and reduce cycle times for transferring heavy components such as engine blocks. Distributed through Festo Americas.
• MAGNUM Sensor and Accessory Kits Field-installable sensor and accessory options for MAGNUM grippers, including inductive proximity switches (PNP/NPN), reed switches with LED, hall effect sensors, hardware mounting kits, and fail-safe active kits for the MAGNUM-AL-450 model.
• XRAY-S Accessories Accessories for XRAY-S grippers including magnetic sensors for below-surface mounting, a Power-Out Brake (POB) field-installable option for fail-safe operation, and kits for 6.5 mm and 12 mm tubular proximity switches.
• Automotive Locating Pin Cylinders Pneumatic locating pin cylinders used in automotive automation for positioning and locating workpieces; a separate product line from the gripper portfolio, covered under ISO-9001 manufacturing standard.
• Automotive Underbody Clamps Pneumatic underbody clamps used in automotive automation for fixturing and clamping during assembly operations; another product family in Zaytran's automation components portfolio, produced under ISO-9001 certification.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12x longer life than competitor grippers, with customers saving over $1.2 million per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Festo AmericascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 February 2026Festo Americas serves as the primary distribution partner for Zaytran grippers, including distribution of the new XRAY-S-5800 gripper. The partnership enables immediate shipment availability and extends Zaytran's market reach through Festo's established automation distribution network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Robotiq: Robotiq is a Canadian manufacturer of adaptive electric grippers and force-sensing end-of-arm tooling for collaborative robots. It overlaps with Zaytran in serving integrators who need plug-and-play gripping solutions, but competes with electric rather than pneumatic technology.
• OnRobot: OnRobot is a Danish collaborative robot end-effector vendor offering electric grippers, vacuum grippers, and force/torque sensors. It represents the emerging electric and cobot-compatible gripper category that could substitute for pneumatic grippers like Zaytran's in next-generation automation systems.
• Piab: Piab specializes in vacuum-based gripping and suction-based end-of-arm tooling, offering an alternative technology to pneumatic mechanical grippers. It is comparable as a specialized end-effector vendor targeting similar industrial automation and packaging customers, though differentiated by technology choice.

Broad incumbents

• Parker Hannifin: Parker Hannifin is a $70B+ global motion and control leader that absorbed Manatrol, the prior company founded by Zaytran's founding team. Parker's pneumatic and motion control divisions compete broadly in the same end-effectors and fluid power automation markets as Zaytran.
• SMC Corporation: SMC is the world's largest pneumatics manufacturer with a broad catalog including pneumatic grippers that overlap with Zaytran's offerings. While SMC's gripper line is part of a much wider pneumatics portfolio, it competes head-to-head on price in commodity parallel gripper SKUs.

Direct peers

• Gimatic: Gimatic (now part of Barnes Group) manufactures pneumatic grippers, linear actuators, and end-of-arm tooling for industrial automation, including automotive applications. It is a direct peer in parallel gripper technology with overlapping Tier 1 automotive and general industry customers.
• Festo: Festo is a global pneumatics and automation leader that serves as both Zaytran's primary distribution partner and a competing manufacturer of pneumatic grippers. Overlap is direct in standard parallel gripper SKUs, and Festo's massive catalog and global reach set the competitive benchmark Zaytran must match.
• Zimmer Group: Zimmer Group is a German manufacturer of pneumatic and electric grippers, including parallel and angular grippers for industrial automation. It is a direct competitor in heavy-payload and clean room gripper categories where Zaytran's MAGNUM and XRAY-S lines compete.
• Destaco: Destaco (a subsidiary of Stabilus) manufactures pneumatic grippers, linear actuators, and robotic end-of-arm tooling used in automotive and industrial automation. It is a direct peer in the parallel gripper category with overlapping automotive OEM customer base.
• Schunk: Schunk is a leading German manufacturer of gripping systems and clamping technology, including pneumatic and servo-electric parallel grippers directly competing with Zaytran's MAGNUM, GPAL, and XRAY-S lines. It is the closest direct competitor in high-precision industrial grippers for automotive and clean room applications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/zaytraninc

Compliance2 records

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 Zaytran