Tinius Olsen
Tinius Olsen is a 140-year-old, family-owned manufacturer of materials-testing machines — universal testing machines, extensometers, impact, melt-flow, hardness, and torsion testers, plus automated robotic testing cells and Horizon data software — sold globally to automotive, aerospace, medical-device, and education customers through direct enterprise sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1880
- HeadquartersHorsham, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Tinius Olsen does
Tinius Olsen is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer of materials-testing equipment, founded in 1880 by the inventor of the universal testing machine (US Patent No. 228,214) and still operated by founder descendants more than 140 years later. The company designs and builds a broad portfolio of static tension and compression testing instruments — Universal Testing Machines (UTMs) in ST, SL, L, and MHT series from benchtop to 3,000 kN capacity — alongside extensometers, pendulum impact testers, melt-flow indexers, hardness testers, torsion testers, high-temperature furnaces and chambers, and a growing line of automated robotic testing cells. Its software layer, Horizon (launched 2021), acts as the data backbone for multi-machine networks, and its 2022-launched VectorExtensometer applies adaptive AI to optical/computer-vision strain measurement, replacing multiple contacting and non-contacting sensors with a single instrument at 0.5 μm resolution.
The company monetizes through direct enterprise field sales of capital equipment, quote-based pricing on hardware, recurring Horizon software licensing, and aftermarket calibration, service, and accessory (grips, fixtures, chambers) revenue. It sells globally through owned regional offices in the United States, the United Kingdom (legal headquarters, Tinius Olsen Limited), the United Arab Emirates, India, and China (with a dedicated tiniusolsen.cn web property), targeting verticals including automotive, aerospace, medical devices (with CFR21 compliance support), and education/research. Marketing reach combines a content-rich website (white papers, case studies, blogs), participation in major industry exhibitions (Vietnam Plas, CAMX, EuroBlech, FABTECH, Automotive Testing Expo, Polymer Expo), and direct sales engineering.
The business is structurally simple: long-cycle industrial capital equipment, an installed base that generates multi-decade aftermarket pull, standards-driven demand (ASTM, ISO, CFR21), and no external equity capital. The principal strategic differentiators are brand heritage (the original UTM patent), breadth of the lab-stack ecosystem anchored by Horizon software, and the AI-enabled VectorExtensometer, which is the company's most visible technology move of the past five years.
Tinius Olsen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tinius Olsen
- Legal name
- Tinius Olsen Limited
- Website
- https://tiniusolsen.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1880
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Tinius Olsen is a 140-year-old, family-owned manufacturer of materials-testing machines — universal testing machines, extensometers, impact, melt-flow, hardness, and torsion testers, plus automated robotic testing cells and Horizon data software — sold globally to automotive, aerospace, medical-device, and education customers through direct enterprise sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tinius Olsen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Materials Testing Equipment
- NAICS
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches) (IMAGAFAC)
Keywords
Where Tinius Olsen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Horsham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Tinius Olsen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Materials Testing Equipment Sales: Sale of universal testing machines, extensometers, impact systems, melt flow indexers, hardness testers, torsion testers, furnaces, and chambers for materials testing across plastics, metals, composites and other materials.
- Software Licensing: Horizon software package for data collection, analysis, and secure distribution across testing networks.
- Service and Support: Calibration services, technical support, and maintenance services for testing equipment.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Tinius Olsen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tinius Olsen designs, manufactures, and services physical materials testing machines and systems — including universal testing machines, extensometers, pendulum impact testers, melt flow indexers, hardness testers, torsion testers, furnaces, and quick-change molds — together with the Horizon software platform for networked data acquisition, analysis, and reporting, and configurable automated robotic testing cells for 24/7 operation.
Product overview
Tinius Olsen is a global manufacturer of materials testing machines offering a comprehensive portfolio of testing equipment and software. The core product line includes Universal Testing Machines (UTMs) in ST, SL, L, and MHT series for tension, compression, flexure, and shear testing; Pendulum Impact Testers; Melt Flow Indexers; Torsion Testers; and Indentation Hardness Systems (Evotech Series). Supporting products include the VectorExtensometer AI-powered extensometer, Horizon data analysis software, AIM Quick Change Molds for injection molded specimens, and Automated Systems for robotic 24/7 testing. An extensive accessories portfolio includes grips (wedge, pneumatic, bollard), extensometers, temperature chambers, furnaces, and specialized test fixtures. The product ecosystem is tied together by Horizon software for data collection and analysis, enabling testing across plastics, metals, composites, and other materials to ASTM, ISO, and international standards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Universal Testing Machines (UTMs) Electromechanical materials testing machines performing tension, compression, flexure, and shear strength tests on plastics, metals, composites and other materials. ST Series (1kN–300kN), SL Series (300kN–3000kN), L Series (5kN–50kN), and MHT series variants available.
- VectorExtensometer AI-powered computer-vision extensometer that replaces multiple contacting and non-contacting sensors with a single instrument for non-contacting strain measurement. Delivers 0.5 µm resolution and ISO 9513 Class 0.5 / ASTM E83 Class B1 capability.
- Horizon Software Software for the secure collection, analysis, and distribution of testing data across networked machines and PCs, with real-time visualization for R&D and quality control.
- Automated Systems Scalable robotic testing cells that automate tensile, compression, flexural, impact, melt flow, and hardness testing, capable of running 1000+ specimens in a 24-hour period without operator involvement.
- Pendulum Impact Testers Machines for impact testing of materials to ASTM and ISO standards.
- Melt Flow Indexers Instruments for measuring melt flow rate of thermoplastic polymers.
- Indentation Hardness Systems — Evotech Series Hardness testers for indentation-based material hardness measurements across plastics and metals.
- Torsion Testers Benchtop and floor-based torsion testing machines with capacities from 1,000 to 30,000 Nm, capable of loading and weighing in both directions of rotation.
- AIM Quick Change Mold Multi-functional injection mold with interchangeable inserts for producing plastic test specimens compliant with ASTM and ISO standards, including CAMPUS database requirements.
- High-Temperature Furnace Three-zone high-temperature furnace for tensile testing from ambient to 1200°C/2200°F, with water-cooled mounting adaptors.
- Automatic Extensometers (AE900, AEX200, AEX500) Automatic extensometer systems for non-contacting strain measurement on universal testing machines, complementing the VectorExtensometer product line.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 1000+ specimens tested in 24-hour period with automated systems
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Tinius Olsen
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Tinius Olsen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Tinius Olsen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Tinius Olsen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Instron: Instron (a subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works) is the closest direct competitor, manufacturing universal testing machines, extensometers, impact testers, and software for materials testing across plastics, metals, composites, and more—largely overlapping with Tinius Olsen's product portfolio and customers.
- Zwick/Roell: Zwick/Roell is a private German manufacturer of universal testing machines, hardness testers, impact testers, and melt flow indexers with a comparable product range and similar focus on plastics, metals, and composites testing. It is one of the global brands most directly competitive with Tinius Olsen across both laboratory and production environments.
- MTS Systems: MTS Systems (now part of Amphenol) supplies mechanical testing systems, servohydraulic and electromechanical test frames, and software similar to Tinius Olsen's UTMs and extensometer offerings, serving comparable aerospace, automotive, and materials research customers.
- ADMET: ADMET (Applied Test Systems manufacturer) is a US-based direct competitor producing universal testing machines, force testers, extensometers, and software targeting plastics, metals, and elastomers—closely overlapping with Tinius Olsen's mid-market product portfolio.
- Hegewald & Peschke: Hegewald & Peschke is a German manufacturer of universal testing machines and materials testing systems for plastics, metals, construction materials, and composites, with a comparable product mix and similar focus on industrial and laboratory customers.
- Qualitest: Qualitest (also known as World of Test) manufactures universal testing machines, hardness testers, impact testers, and other materials testing equipment across Canada, the US, and Europe, directly competing with Tinius Olsen in industrial and lab QA applications.
- Torontech: Torontech is a Canadian manufacturer and supplier of universal testing machines, melt flow indexers, impact testers, and hardness testers with a product range that closely mirrors Tinius Olsen's industrial materials testing portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Shimadzu: Shimadzu is a large Japanese analytical and testing instrument manufacturer whose Autograph universal testing machines and related materials testing systems compete with Tinius Olsen, albeit as part of a much broader scientific instrument portfolio across chromatography, spectroscopy, and medical imaging.
Emerging players
- Imada: Imada is a Japanese manufacturer of force measurement instruments, digital force gauges, and specialized mechanical testing devices that competes in adjacent segments of the materials and force testing market served by Tinius Olsen.
- Jinan Testing Equipment IE Corporation: Jinan Testing Equipment IE Corporation is a Chinese manufacturer of universal testing machines, impact testers, and related materials testing equipment that competes with Tinius Olsen primarily in the Asia-Pacific region and on cost-sensitive industrial tenders.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tinius Olsen social profiles
Digital presenceTinius Olsen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tinius Olsen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Tinius Olsen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tinius Olsen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tinius Olsen
What does Tinius Olsen do?
Tinius Olsen designs, manufactures, and services physical materials testing machines and systems — including universal testing machines, extensometers, pendulum impact testers, melt flow indexers, hardness testers, torsion testers, furnaces, and quick-change molds — together with the Horizon software platform for networked data acquisition, analysis, and reporting, and configurable automated robotic testing cells for 24/7 operation.
Is Tinius Olsen a public or private company?
Tinius Olsen is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Tinius Olsen founded?
Tinius Olsen was founded in 1880. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Tinius Olsen based?
Tinius Olsen is headquartered in Horsham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tinius Olsen make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Materials Testing Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are software Licensing and service and Support.
Who are Tinius Olsen's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Instron, Zwick/Roell, MTS Systems, ADMET, Hegewald & Peschke, Qualitest and Torontech. Shimadzu is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Imada and Jinan Testing Equipment IE Corporation.
Does Tinius Olsen have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tinius Olsen.
What industry is Tinius Olsen in?
Tinius Olsen's product category is Materials Testing Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAFAC, Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches). Its NAICS code is 33451 and its SIC code is 3826.