The Ultran Group
The Ultran Group, founded 1977 in State College, Pennsylvania, designs and manufactures non-contact ultrasonic transducers, the U710x benchtop analysis system, and custom production-line inspection systems for non-destructive testing in aerospace, battery manufacturing, advanced ceramics, and composites.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersState College, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Ultran Group does
The Ultran Group, founded in 1977 as Ultran Laboratories and headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania, designs and manufactures ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment, including benchtop analysis systems, non-contact and low-frequency transducers, and production-line inspection systems. The company pioneered non-contact ultrasound (NCU) technology in the late 1990s and later invented the proprietary Gas Matrix Piezoelectric (GMP™) composite material that powers its low-frequency transducer line; both innovations are patented and remain the technical foundation of its product portfolio. Its current flagship is the U710x Ultrasonic Analysis System, a turnkey benchtop C-scan platform supported by Research Studio post-processing software, complemented by a broad transducer catalog (non-contact, conventional, and low-frequency GMP series) and customized multi-channel production quality control systems for continuous webline and large-structure inspection.
Ultran's revenue model is built on quote-based hardware sales of transducers and systems, supplemented by application development services where Ultran works directly with customer engineering teams to qualify NCU for specific inspection problems. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: the company exhibits at major industry conferences (CAMX, Ceramics Expo, The Battery Show North America, ASNT, InterBattery, JEC) and publishes technical papers, with direct enterprise sales in the United States and a three-distributor channel in Japan, China, and South Korea for international coverage.
The company serves four primary vertical markets — aerospace and defense, battery manufacturing, advanced ceramics, and composites/advanced materials — plus secondary exposure to automotive/tires, medical therapy (via 2D phased arrays and a DARPA-funded neuromodulation program), and wood products. Named reference customers across these segments include LG Chemical, Samsung SDI, Saint-Gobain, Owens Corning, Goodyear, Cooper Standard, Tecsis, and Weyerhaeuser. At 1-10 employees with no disclosed external institutional investment and a self-funded operating model (supplemented only by Phase I SBIR awards in 2015 and 2018), The Ultran Group operates as a tightly focused specialty NDT manufacturer with a defensible intellectual property position in non-contact ultrasound.
The Ultran Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Ultran Group
- Legal name
- The Ultran Group
- Website
- https://ultrangroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Ultran Group, founded 1977 in State College, Pennsylvania, designs and manufactures non-contact ultrasonic transducers, the U710x benchtop analysis system, and custom production-line inspection systems for non-destructive testing in aerospace, battery manufacturing, advanced ceramics, and composites.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Ultran Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Testing Equipment
- NAICS
- Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510)
- SIC
- Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845)
- akta.pro primary industry
- NDT/NDE Inspection Equipment (Ultrasonic, eddy current, radiography, thermography) (IMAGAFAI)
Keywords
Where The Ultran Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- State College
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
The Ultran Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ultrasonic Transducers: Sale of world-leading transducers for non-destructive testing including non-contact, conventional, and low frequency GMP series transducers available in various configurations (immersion, delayed contact, direct contact, dry coupled, shear wave).
- Ultrasonic Analysis Systems: Sale of U710x turnkey inspection systems for 2D C-Scan generation, available in several sizes and configurations for benchtop, laboratory, and production line use.
- Production Quality Control Systems: Customized inspection systems for continuous webline and piece-part production as well as large structure inspection. Includes continuous webline inspection with multichannel non-contact ultrasound arrays.
- Application Development Services: Working closely with customers to apply cutting-edge technology for practical purposes. Custom solution development for new customer applications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom systems with multiple sizes and configurations available |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Ultran Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Ultran Group designs, manufactures, and sells ultrasonic transducers (non-contact, conventional, and low-frequency GMP series) and turnkey benchtop analysis systems (notably the U710x) for non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection of materials. The company also develops customized production quality-control systems for continuous webline and piece-part production, and provides application development services for industrial and medical-therapy uses.
Product overview
The Ultran Group offers a portfolio of ultrasonic non-destructive testing products centered on three main categories: (1) Transducers including Non-Contact, Conventional, and Low Frequency GMP series with various configurations (Circular, Square, Point Focused, Line Focused, Immersion, Delayed Contact, Direct Contact, Dry Coupled, Shear Wave); (2) The U710x Ultrasonic Analysis System as the flagship benchtop analysis platform with Research Studio post-processing software; and (3) Production Quality Control Systems for continuous webline and large structure inspection. The company pioneered non-contact ultrasound technology in the late 1990s and developed proprietary gas matrix piezoelectric (GMP) composite material in the 2000s, with recent enhancements including 2D phased arrays for medical therapies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- U710x Ultrasonic Analysis System Turnkey benchtop 2D C-scan ultrasonic analysis system used for R&D and production quality analysis in non-destructive testing. Targeted at industrial QA labs and production-line operators.
- Non-Contact Transducers
Quantifiable outcome
- Prepreg LOI measurement accuracy of approximately 0.5% for level of impregnation measurement
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Ultran Group
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Ultran Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
The Ultran Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- ASTM D30 subcommitteeminorCollaborative effort with ASTM to set an industry standard for impregnation level measurement in prepreg material through the balloting process.
- Aurora Flight SciencesminorPartnered with Aurora Flight Sciences for a technical session at CAMX 2014 led by Ultran's President Anuj Bhardwaj on non-contact ultrasound for composite materials.
- Jung Won CorporationcoreInternational distributor for South Korea handling product inquiries and general questions. Located in Yongin-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, Korea. Contact: Yonglae Ji at +031-8065-6700.
- Ken AutomationcoreInternational distributor for Japan handling product inquiries and general questions. Located in Yokohama, Japan. Contact: Tatsuya Yaoita at +81 45 290 0432.
- Matrix NDTcoreInternational distributor for China handling product inquiries and general questions. Located in Beijing, China. Contact: Jiang Yunxi at +86 (10) 643 91208 801.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Ultran Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Olympus (Evident Corporation): Former Olympus Industrial Solutions, now Evident, is the global market leader in ultrasonic NDT transducers, flaw detectors, and phased-array systems. Directly competes with Ultran in ultrasonic transducers and inspection systems across aerospace, energy, and manufacturing customers.
- Sonatest Ltd. UK-based manufacturer of ultrasonic flaw detectors, transducers, and phased-array instruments for NDT applications. Closely comparable as a specialty ultrasonic NDT equipment vendor with global distribution and similar target customers in aerospace and composites.
- Waygate Technologies (formerly GE Inspection Technologies): Industrial NDT portfolio including ultrasonic, eddy current, and radiography systems; part of Baker Hughes. Direct overlap with Ultran in ultrasonic inspection for aerospace, energy, and manufacturing customers, with broader modality coverage.
- Zetec, Inc. Specialty manufacturer of ultrasonic and eddy-current NDT instruments including phased-array solutions for aerospace, power generation, and manufacturing. Comparable niche specialist competing for similar ultrasonic transducer and inspection-system budgets.
- Mistras Group, Inc. Provider of NDT products, services, and integrity inspection for aerospace, energy, and industrial markets. Overlaps with Ultran in ultrasonic inspection hardware and shares similar end-customer base in composites and energy infrastructure.
Emerging players
- Sonotec GmbH: German manufacturer of ultrasonic transducers and non-contact sensors for industrial NDT, leak detection, and flow measurement. Comparable as a specialty ultrasonic transducer vendor with focus on air-coupled and non-contact solutions like Ultran.
- NDT Systems (Onda Corporation / Acoustic Sensing): Specialty provider of acoustic transducers and ultrasonic measurement instruments for research and industrial NDT. Comparable at the transducer-component level with overlap in air-coupled and custom piezoelectric designs.
- CTS (Custom Tooling & Sensing): Manufacturer of ultrasonic and eddy-current probes plus custom sensor solutions for industrial inspection. Comparable as a specialty transducer and sensing provider serving NDT and process-control customers.
Broad incumbents
- Dürr AG: Large industrial equipment and automation group with battery cell manufacturing and inspection solutions. Relevant adjacent incumbent in the battery-cell quality-inspection market where Ultran sells its U710x-based systems.
- Fluke Corporation: Broad industrial test, measurement, and diagnostic instrumentation company (Fortive subsidiary). Relevant as a wider test-and-measurement incumbent whose acoustic/ultrasonic offerings sit in adjacent product categories to Ultran's.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Ultran Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Ultran Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Ultran Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The Ultran Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Ultran Group 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 The Ultran Group
What does The Ultran Group do?
The Ultran Group designs, manufactures, and sells ultrasonic transducers (non-contact, conventional, and low-frequency GMP series) and turnkey benchtop analysis systems (notably the U710x) for non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection of materials. The company also develops customized production quality-control systems for continuous webline and piece-part production, and provides application development services for industrial and medical-therapy uses.
Is The Ultran Group a public or private company?
The Ultran Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Ultran Group founded?
The Ultran Group was founded in 1977. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Ultran Group based?
The Ultran Group is headquartered in State College, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Ultran Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ultrasonic Transducers are the primary driver. The others are ultrasonic Analysis Systems, production Quality Control Systems and application Development Services.
Who are The Ultran Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Olympus (Evident Corporation), Sonatest Ltd., Waygate Technologies (formerly GE Inspection Technologies), Zetec, Inc. and Mistras Group, Inc.. Emerging players are Sonotec GmbH, NDT Systems (Onda Corporation / Acoustic Sensing) and CTS (Custom Tooling & Sensing). Broad incumbents are Dürr AG and Fluke Corporation.
Does The Ultran Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Ultran Group.
What industry is The Ultran Group in?
The Ultran Group's product category is Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Testing Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAFAI, NDT/NDE Inspection Equipment (Ultrasonic, eddy current, radiography, thermography). Its NAICS code is 334515 and its SIC code is 3825.