HBK - Hottinger Brüel & Kjaer (Germany) - Press Release: HBK welcomes Piezocryst Advanced Sensorics GmbH to the family

HBK is pleased to officially welcome Piezocryst Advanced Sensorics GmbH (Piezocryst) to the family following the successful completion of the acquisition by Spectris plc (SXS: LSE). This acquisition, with an enterprise value of €133.5 million (£112.2 million), has now been approved through a comprehensive regulatory process in Austria.    

Spectris announced the intention to acquire Piezocryst from AVL List GmbH (AVL) back in September. With the integration into HBK, they will operate as part of the In-Process business unit, under the name ‘Piezocryst by HBK’.  

Located in Graz, Austria, Piezocryst has been a leader in the piezoelectric sensor business since the 1950s, specialising in high-precision pressure sensors, accelerometers and force sensors for demanding applications. Their sensors are known for their precision, quality and durability, helping optimise engines, machines, and processes while preserving global resources. This makes them highly complementary to the HBK portfolio and customer proposition.  Piezocryst will continue to serve AVL, an existing customer of HBK, while integrating into the broader HBK portfolio to serve new sectors.  

Ben Bryson, President of HBK said: 

“I’m extremely excited and proud to welcome the Piezocryst team into HBK family.  Piezocryst has a wealth of engineering prestige and technical knowhow for precision sensing in the Automotive and Energy sectors that is highly complementary to the HBK strategy.  The combined strengths of our teams will propel us forwards with market leading capabilities to delight our customers and Empower the Innovators.”    

Kimberly Miller, Executive Vice President of the In Process Business Unit, added: 

“I am very excited about the addition of the Piezocryst products and talents to the In-Process Business Unit. The addition of their piezoelectric crystals in particular will create opportunities to offer expanded customer solutions for Automotive, Machine Manufacturing and Aerospace & Defence” 

About HBK – Hottinger Brüel & Kjær:

Hottinger Brüel & Kjær (HBK)’s testing and measurement solutions give engineers around the world the accurate, up-to-date data they need to bring higher-quality products to market faster.

HBK bridges the physical and virtual worlds with robust, flexible hardware and precise, powerful analytics software. Giving design, test, and measurement engineers complete confidence in every reading and every data-driven decision – across the entire product development lifecycle.  

Backed by decades of experience and deep expertise, HBK’s sensors and software transform testing and measurement in a huge range of use cases, from building more aerodynamic aircraft to testing the safety of automotive vehicles, and monitoring assets throughout their production cycle. 

HBK empowers the innovators by providing exceptional sensing and insights to help create solutions for a cleaner, healthier and more productive world. 

About Piezocryst:

Piezocryst, based in Graz, Austria, specializes in high-precision pressure sensors, force sensors, and accelerometers for demanding applications. Established in 2004 as a spin-off from AVL List, the company has roots in the piezoelectric sensor business dating back to the 1950s. Known for their precision, quality, and durability, Piezocryst’s sensors optimise engines, machines, and processes while preserving global resources. They maintain their own crystal growth and process it into their high-precision products. Fully owned by AVL, Piezocryst employs 175 people from over 10 nations. They manufacture the smallest and most powerful piezoelectric sensors at their Graz facility, serving industries such as Formula1, gas turbines, and industrial applications.