TQC Sheen

What TQC Sheen does

TQC Sheen is a Netherlands-based brand (Capelle Aan Den Ijssel, founded 1977) that designs and manufactures precision test and measurement instruments for paints, coatings, adhesives, printing inks, and related fluids. It operates as a brand inside the Industrial Physics family of testing companies, which is backed by private equity firm KKR. The core product portfolio includes the Bresle Test Kit for soluble-salt contamination assessment on blast-cleaned surfaces, the AB3600 Beck-Koller Drying Time Recorder (six parallel tracks, sub-1% time accuracy, 1 minute to 200 hours range, ASTM D5895/ISO 9117-4/DIN EN 14022 compliant), the Master Paint Plate Multitester SP3000 cross-cut adhesion tester, DIN 53211 viscosity cups in titanium-anodized aluminum or stainless steel, and the AB3652 Automatic Film Applicator Compact for sample preparation.

The company monetizes through a mix of one-time hardware/instrument sales and recurring service revenue, including UKAS-accredited metrology, calibration, validation, preventative maintenance, and repairs. Its go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce on the Industrial Physics storefront (supporting five languages and three currencies), a global network of channel partners and distributors managed through a dedicated portal, and field-based enterprise sales for complex configurations and large accounts. Customers are horizontally distributed across paints and coatings QC laboratories, paint and adhesive manufacturers, printing ink producers, and cosmetics QC labs, with use cases spanning QC testing, R&D formulation work, and production-floor surface preparation and coating verification. TQC Sheen also engages in inorganic growth, having acquired C&W Specialist Equipment in February 2019, and benefits from parent-level initiatives such as the March 2026 exclusive Pulmac distribution partnership and the February 2026 appointment of Andrew McCauley as CEO of Industrial Physics.

Name

TQC Sheen

Legal name

TQC Sheen

Website

https://tqcsheen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

TQC Sheen is a Netherlands-based Industrial Physics brand that manufactures precision test and measurement instruments for paints, coatings, adhesives, and inks, serving QC laboratories, R&D teams, and manufacturers globally via direct e-commerce and distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paints and Coating Inspection Equipment

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Functional Coatings (Anti-microbial/Anti-slip/Insulating) (IMAIAKAM), Application Equipment & Coating Services (Contract Coating, Surface Prep) (IMAEAGAL)

Keywords

• Paints and coatings testing
• Viscosity measurement equipment
• Drying time recorder
• Adhesion testing instruments
• Surface contamination testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Capelle Aan Den Ijssel

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hardware/Instrument Sales: Sale of physical testing equipment and instruments including Bresle test kits, drying time recorders, viscosity cups, and paint testing equipment. One-time capital purchase model for laboratory and quality control equipment.
2. Service and Support: Equipment servicing, calibration, validation, preventative maintenance, and repairs. UKAS Accredited Metrology services offered for measurement verification and quality assurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TQC Sheen manufactures and sells physical test and measurement instruments used to assess paints, coatings, adhesives, printing inks, and cosmetics. Its product portfolio includes Bresle Test Kits for surface contamination, Beck-Koller Drying Time Recorders, cross-cut adhesion multitesters, DIN 53211 viscosity cups, and automatic film applicators, complemented by UKAS-accredited calibration, validation, and maintenance services.

Product overview

TQC Sheen is a brand specializing in test and measurement equipment for paints, coatings, and surface inspection. The product portfolio includes the Bresle Test Kit for chloride/salt detection, the Drying Time Recorder AB3600 for measuring coating drying curves, the Master Paint Plate Multitester SP3000 for cross-cut adhesion testing, Viscosity Cups for flow measurement according to DIN 53211, and the Automatic Film Applicator Compact for sample preparation. These products serve paints and coatings quality control laboratories, paint manufacturers, printing ink producers, adhesive manufacturers, and cosmetics QC labs. TQC Sheen operates as part of the Industrial Physics family of testing brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Drying time recorder achieves better than 1 percent time accuracy
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PulmacstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 March 2026Industrial Physics announced an exclusive distribution partnership with US-based fiber analysis specialist Pulmac. Effective immediately, Industrial Physics serves as the exclusive distributor for Pulmac instruments across the United States, Canada, and the European Economic Area (EEA). The agreement marks a strategic expansion of capabilities within the pulp and paper industry, complementing the existing Technidyne portfolio.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Defelsko: Defelsko Corporation manufactures coating thickness measurement and inspection instruments widely used in industrial and protective coatings QC. Its product range overlaps with TQC Sheen's surface preparation and coating quality testing offerings for industrial paint applications.
• Kett Instrument Company: Kett Instrument Company manufactures testing and measurement equipment for coatings, moisture, and material properties — including paint film thickness gauges, viscosity testers, and surface inspection tools. It serves the same paint and coatings QC laboratory market as TQC Sheen.
• BYK-Gardner: BYK-Gardner (a brand of ALTANA) is a leading global manufacturer of testing and measurement instruments for paints, coatings, and plastics — including color, gloss, haze, viscosity, and film thickness instruments. It directly competes with TQC Sheen in coating QC laboratories across the same customer base.
• Paul N. Gardner Company: Paul N. Gardner Company (Gardco) is a US-based manufacturer and distributor of physical testing instruments for paints, coatings, adhesives, and related materials — including viscosity cups, drying time recorders, and applicators. It serves essentially the same customer base as TQC Sheen with comparable product lines.
• Elcometer: Elcometer is a UK-based manufacturer of inspection equipment for the coatings industry, offering coating thickness gauges, adhesion testers, surface profile instruments, and viscosity cups. It is one of TQC Sheen's closest direct competitors serving the same paint, coatings, and corrosion-protection QC markets.
• Erichsen: Erichsen GmbH is a German manufacturer of testing instruments for paints, coatings, and surface finishing — including cupping, impact, flexibility, viscosity, and film applicator equipment. It competes head-on with TQC Sheen in lab-grade coating test instruments and standards-compliant QC tools.
• Rhopoint Instruments: Rhopoint Instruments manufactures instruments for appearance and surface quality measurement — including gloss, haze, DOI, and surface finish testers used in paint, coating, and finishing QC. Its target customers and instrument category (coating QC laboratories) overlap with TQC Sheen's market.
• ElektroPhysik: ElektroPhysik produces coating thickness measurement and surface testing instruments used widely in paint, coatings, and corrosion-protection QC. Its product portfolio and target customer base (paint manufacturers and industrial QC labs) overlap significantly with TQC Sheen's offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Test Resources: Test Resources is a broader materials testing equipment manufacturer serving mechanical, fatigue, and structural testing markets. While it operates adjacent to TQC Sheen in industrial QC instrumentation, it overlaps in customers (industrial labs) and in supplying standardized testing equipment to manufacturing QC environments.

Emerging players

• Sheen Instruments: Sheen Instruments is a UK-based manufacturer of laboratory instruments for paint, ink, and coating testing — historically a direct predecessor/peer of TQC Sheen (TQC acquired the Sheen brand in 2009). It remains relevant as a heritage peer in coating QC instrumentation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrx-7K2sYE4ppkqkhAbkO1A
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tqcsheen
• Instagraminstagram.com/industrial_physics
• Xx.com/tqcbv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TQC Sheen