PCE Instruments, founded by three graduate engineers in Germany in 1999, manufactures and sells high-quality and innovative products in the fields of measuring instruments, control systems and weighing technology. Customers typically include industrial companies, research and educational institutions, trade and many others.
More information about the company and its products can be found here:
https://www.pce-instruments.com/english/pce-instruments-uk-test-instruments-anbieter_2.htm
Interview with Ludger Droste, Head of Marketing at PCE Instruments.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Ludger Droste: PCE Instruments develops, manufactures and sells portable test equipment, scales and balances and offers services such as calibration and technical support to offer customers all they need from one provider. PCE’s product portfolio includes some advanced products manufactured at our headquarters in Germany:
https://www.pce-instruments.com/f/t/rd/test-equipment.htm
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
L.D: Some new variations have been added to our existing PCE-VT 3xxx series of vibration meters. The new models of this new PCE-VT 3×50 series have an acoustic output and with the included headphones, it is possible to hear vibration as a sound. All vibration meters from PCE Instruments, including the mentioned series, can be found here:
The PCE-TDS 200+ series of ultrasonic flow meters will replace the PCE-TDS 100+ series. It measures the flow velocity of liquids as well as the volume flow, volume temperature, heat output and heat quantity. We also introduced a series of ultrasonic flow meters for fixed installation. This PCE-UFM series measures the flow and volume flow and is ideal for heating or cooling water systems and any sort of industrial application. Our range of ultrasonic flow meters can be found here:
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
L.D: PCE Instruments offers an extensive range of measuring instruments like sound level meters, pressure gauges, data loggers for various parameters but also weighing equipment like industrial hanging scales and control systems like sensors and displays.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
L.D: The market is full of companies that sell test equipment but most of them specialise in a certain area of expertise whereas we, a relatively small company with about 130 employees, offer a huge range of products that solve a multitude of different problems, particularly in an industrial setting. Our mission is to gain more visibility on the market and make our comprehensive range of test equipment and services available to anyone who needs it, with an emphasis on our high-quality products of German origin. We have the bold vision to become the best-known brand for portable test equipment worldwide. Who knows if this is feasible or not but we are constantly growing. At the moment, our holding company is under transition from a German GmbH to a public company people can purchase shares in. It officially became the PCE Holding AG on 27 July 2023 and the next step is already planned.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
L.D: The energy crisis has hit Europe very hard and the winners are those who have the solutions. Efficiency is the requirement of the moment and renewable energies are at the forefront. Our ultrasonic flow meters, in particular those that do not just measure flow but also the heat quantity, play an important part in the context of the energy transition as part of which many countries are striving to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energies in order to reduce CO2 emissions and ensure a sustainable energy supply. In this context, energy generation plants such as solar power plants, wind farms and new heat pumps are gaining importance.
Some other important tasks nowadays are achieving airflow optimization, eliminating cold spots, monitoring radiant heat and accurately measuring and resetting HVAC parameters like temperature, current, voltage, continuity, pressure, vibration, torque or refrigerant leaks. For all these purposes, PCE Instruments has a broad range of HVAC meters listed here: https://www.pce-instruments.com/english/measuring-instruments/test-meters/hvac-meter-hvacr-tester-kat_152040.htm
When it comes to driving, electromobility is what governments want people to opt for, so they make it attractive to buy an electric car instead of one with a combustion engine. To check the function, the protective devices and the insulation of the wall boxes used to charge electric cars, special EVSE testers like our PCE-EVSE 300 are required.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
L.D: Recently, we have added different ultrasonic flow meters to our range of products in order to make a contribution to coping with the energy crisis. Our portable PCE-TDS 200+ series accurately measures the flow of liquids and thus allows efficient control and optimisation of power generation processes. It can also calculate and display the cost per heat quantity unit during the measurement. The meters have a multilingual menu and the firmware can be adapted to customers’ needs.
E.E: What estimations do you have for the rest of 2023?
L.D: We believe the challenges ahead regarding energy transition and increasing energy prices will have a positive effect on our business. The industrial sector as well as private households are under pressure to reduce energy costs any this will not change any time soon. Companies are forced to increase their effectiveness to stay competitive. For all of this, our test equipment will be required. Increasing automation will increase the need for control technology which we offer as well. We are also developing products required for the maintenance and testing of heat pumps. We are using all these recent and future developments in the market as our benefit, adapting our range of products accordingly, and are quite confident that we will emerge from this crisis as winners.
PCE Instruments UK Ltd
Suite 1N-BA, Trafford House
Chester Rd, Manchester M32 0RS
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0) 161 464902 0
Fax: +44 (0) 161 464902 9
E-mail: info@pce-instruments.co.uk
