Our History
1924
Harry Frank Moorhouse and Frank Rushworth founded Dathan Tool and Gauge Co.Ltd after serving in the navy during World War I under Commander Dathan.
1928
The company moved to larger premises under railway arches in Longroyd Bridge to expand their business into gear design and manufacture.
1935
Dathan Tool and Gauge Co. Ltd relocated to Thornfield Road, Lockwood, where they continued to grow and innovate, developing a helical shank type gear shaper cutter.
1939-1945
The company supported the war effort by producing Vernier gauges and employed mostly women due to men fighting in the war.
1958
Dathan transitioning from manufacturing Verniers to Gear Shaper Cutters. Workforce decreased to around a dozen employees, focusing on developing profile grinders. Vernier instruments were phased out by the late 1960s, leading to gear shape cutters becoming the principal product.
1974
The company moved to Meltham after outgrowing their Thornfield Road location, marking a new era of expansion.
1977
Dathan saw a significant advancement when one of the first proper desktop personal computers was purchased from HP. This gave the ability to develop the design geometry for the tools at a vastly improved rate with great accuracy.
1978
Richard Moorhouse wrote software for the first CNC machine in the milling process, officially joining full time in 1981. He continued to develop software for computerising the design process using HP workstations.
2004
The company purchased David Brown Gear Tools which was the part of the company that manufactured gear shaper cutters and hobs.
2008
We introduce our 6th CNC profile grinding machine, all built in-house to meet our exacting standards of precision.
2010
The 5S Kaizen visual management was introduced to help improve with efficiency on the factory floor. Gear skiving was also re-invented and the development of skiving tools started supporting the machine tool maker leading this technology
2011
We create a specialised area for our CNC machines to ensure a clean and temperature controlled working environment.
2012
To boost our sharpening capabilities, we got a new CNC Sharpening machine. We then also completed the 7th & 8th CNC grinding machines, all done in-house.
2013
This year we introduced a new optical device for the inspection department to improve the aid of picking up microscopic damage.
2014
A significant year as we collaborate with Profilator Gmbh on a joint project, leading to the acquisition of a Schneeberger machine for precision grinding of Carbide Power Skiving Tools.
2016
We expanded and opened up our office in China to assist with provided a professional service to international customers. This year also saw the competition of our 9th CNC profile grinding machine.
2018
Our Technical director Chris Moorhouse retried and Richard Moorhouse stepped into the role.
2019
We had some more significant advancements this year starting with our 2nd Klingenberg being purchased for the inspection department. We also welcomed Jonathan Zimmerman to the company to work with our Technical Department on Power Skiving Tools.
2020
We undertook a complete rebuild of a manual grinding machine which was successfully converted into a CNC profile grinding machine.
2022
We relocate and assume sole ownership of our German sharpening centre. Fubri now have full ownership of DF Germany, the sales office.
2023
We implemented the 2nd converted manual machine into a CNC profile grinding machine.
2024
Dathan has reached a monumental milestone! We mark our 100th anniversary. Since our humble beginnings in 1924, we have achieved remarkable accomplishments and continue to thrive in our industry.
2025
The company is continuing to look to the future with further investment whilst always focusing on quality. This year we have already introduced a new CNC Profile grinding machine that was built off-site.
Meltham
Since establishing our presence in Meltham in 1974, we have continuously expanded our factory to accommodate our growing operations. What began as a two-bay facility has evolved into a thriving manufacturing hub with multiple extensions added over the years.
Our Team
The highly skilled and dedicated team at Dathan Tools spans all ages, bringing a blend of experience and fresh perspectives. Their collective passion for precision engineering drives the company’s success and commitment to quality and innovation.
Our Directors
Our Sales Team
Our Production Team
Directors
Richard Moorhouse
Technical Director
Joined Dathan in 1981
Specialist in involute geometry and generating tools for gears.
Developed software for shaping and skiving.
Finally winding down to retirement.
Robert Moorhouse
Sales Director
Working for the family company was not on my radar back in 1981, as being a “hands on” engineer was not for me! The company was expanding quickly in those days, and there was no recognised person in sales. After some training on the “shopfloor” I moved into a sales position, where I have overseen the increase in sales, not just in UK but worldwide. I love to travel (which helps!) and experiencing different cuisines and cultures makes my career fun as well as fulfilling. I have met many interesting people on the way, many I can call a friend. Retirement? – Who knows, one day maybe.
Victoria Butterworth
Operations Director
Joined Dathan December 2019
Promoted to Operations Director August 2023
26 years’ experience in Engineering, mainly in the Aerospace sector, covering Planning & Management.
Logical, Patient, Good communicator , very understanding to people’s needs. Sympathetic.
Flying the flag for women in engineering!
Simon Moorhouse
Production Director
Simon Moorhouse joined the family firm straight from school in 1982. He is passionate about production engineering and quality at Dathan.
“I am very involved in production activities, and particularly interested in continuous improvement activities that result in a more organised and better workflow of the departments.”
Quality is key to our success, and being able to focus on individual customer requirements is fundamental to our business relationships.
In what’s left of my time I enjoy serious house renovations (energy efficiency), and going to the gym and taking our dog “Boo” for a walk.
Sales
Our knowledgeable and friendly sales team at Dathan are dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and expert guidance. With a deep understanding of our products and a genuine passion for helping customers find the best solutions.
Robert Moorhouse
Linsey Reynolds
Steve Shallow
Clare Smith
Production
