What LTE Scientific does

LTE Scientific is a UK-based manufacturer established in 1947, specializing in steam sterilization, thermal processing, and decontamination equipment for laboratory, medical, pharmaceutical, and research end-markets. Its core product portfolio spans the Touchclave family of autoclaves and porous load sterilizers (capacities from 40L benchtop to 10,000L industrial), the newly launched Labclave-L Series (150-450L, sustainability-focused), KEN-branded medical washer disinfectors, Scope-Store endoscope drying and storage cabinets, vertical steam generators, modular cleanrooms, and a thermal processing line including laboratory ovens, incubators, drying cabinets, and environmental chambers. Technical differentiation centers on proprietary 8-20 program touchscreen control systems with up to 5,000-cycle internal data archiving, pre/post vacuum and steam jacket systems, 316L stainless steel seamless pressure vessels, air ballast for fluid loads, and pneumatically powered safety doors. Manufacturing is conducted in Oldham, Greater Manchester using locally sourced materials.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market: direct field sales in the UK to NHS trusts, private hospitals, and large research laboratories, complemented by an international distributor network covering Ireland (Mason Technology), Hong Kong (Deltason Medical), Malaysia (DKSH), India, the Middle East, and Africa. Public sector revenue is channeled through multiple NHS Supply Chain frameworks, most recently the 2025 Laboratory Diagnostics, Point of Care Testing and Pathology Managed Services framework alongside the established Decontamination Capital Equipment framework. Pricing is quote-based across hardware, with recurring revenue from a 14-15 engineer nationwide service team providing UKAS-accredited calibration, HTM2010 validation, and maintenance across both LTE and third-party equipment, plus a training centre launched in 2016.

LTE Scientific was acquired by SDI Group plc, a London Stock Exchange-listed buy-and-build group, on July 29, 2022, ending 30 years of private ownership by the Perry family. The company holds BSI ISO 9001:2015 certification (FM23948), UKAS accredited calibration laboratory status (No. 0617), and CE marking, serving customers across Healthcare/NHS, Pharmaceutical & Biotech, Life Sciences & Research, Education, Veterinary, Food and Drink, and Defence and Utilities verticals.

Name

LTE Scientific

Legal name

LTE Scientific Ltd

Website

https://www.lte-scientific.co.uk/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

UK-based manufacturer founded in 1947 of autoclaves, steam sterilizers, washer disinfectors, endoscope storage cabinets, and thermal processing equipment for healthcare, pharmaceutical, laboratory, and research customers across the UK and international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory & Medical Sterilization Equipment

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112)

SIC

Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Sterilization Equipment & Systems (Autoclaves, Low-Temp, ETO, H2O2, UV) (HLAHANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens) (HLAGAIAC), Reprocessing & Endoscope Infection Prevention (AERs, Drying/Storage, Leak Testing, Brushes) (HLAHANAJ)

Keywords

• Laboratory autoclaves
• Steam sterilizers
• Medical decontamination equipment
• Washer disinfectors
• Thermal processing equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Preston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Equipment Sales: Sale of laboratory autoclaves, steam sterilizers, ovens, incubators, drying cabinets, environmental chambers, and related equipment. Products sold directly in UK and through international distributor network. Range from compact 40-litre benchtop models to large 10,000-litre capacity systems.
2. Medical Equipment Sales: Medical steam sterilizers, large-capacity systems, medical washer disinfectors, endoscope drying and storage cabinets, and solution/blanket warming cabinets for healthcare facilities.
3. Service, Maintenance & Calibration: Nation-wide service team providing maintenance, servicing, repairs, UKAS calibration and validation services on all equipment. Also services non-LTE products. Offers annual maintenance contracts and ad-hoc service visits.
4. Training Services: Training services for equipment operation and maintenance, delivered at LTE's training centre launched in April 2016.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LTE Scientific designs, manufactures, and services laboratory and medical sterilization and decontamination equipment — including autoclaves, steam sterilizers, washer disinfectors, endoscope drying and storage cabinets, environmental chambers, cleanrooms, and laboratory ovens/incubators. The company supplies these products directly to the NHS and private healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotech, research, education, veterinary, food and beverage, and defense sectors in the UK, with international reach via a trained distributor network. It complements hardware sales with a nationwide UKAS-accredited service, calibration, validation, and training offering covering both LTE and third-party equipment.

Product overview

LTE Scientific is a UK-based manufacturer and supplier of laboratory and medical equipment with a unified portfolio of sterilization, decontamination, temperature control, and hygiene safety products. Core offerings include the Labclave-L and Touchclave series autoclaves/steam sterilizers (including PL Porous Load, R Cylindrical, and V Series variants), KEN IQ/BWD washer disinfectors, Scope-Store endoscope drying and storage cabinets, vertical steam generators, modular cleanrooms and clean tents, environmental chambers/rooms, and laboratory ovens, incubators, and drying cabinets. The company also provides comprehensive service and maintenance, calibration/validation, repairs, upgrades, and training as add-on services. Products serve healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, research, food/beverage, veterinary, education, and defense sectors, with NHS Supply Chain framework agreements for UK public sector procurement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Touchclave: Range of autoclaves and steam sterilizers including Touchclave-Lab, Touchclave-PL, Touchclave-R, and Touchclave-V series
• Labclave
• Scope-Store
• KEN
• Remeda

Products and services

• Labclave-L Series Laboratory Autoclave Next-generation laboratory autoclave combining high performance, sustainability, and enhanced usability, with pneumatically powered automatic doors, 20-program touchscreen controller, air ballast system, and capacities from 150 to 450 litres at 105-140°C.
• Touchclave-PL Series Porous Load Steam Sterilizers Mid-sized rectangular chamber autoclave for porous loads with vertical sliding door, available in 150 to 450 litre capacities with 8-program touchscreen control, pre/post vacuum system, steam jacket, and air detector.
• Touchclave-R/PL Cylindrical Porous Load Sterilizers High-specification cylindrical chamber porous load sterilizers for veterinary and small healthcare settings, available in 120 and 160 litre capacities with integral steam generator, pre/post vacuum system, and 8-program touchscreen control.
• Touchclave-R Cylindrical Chamber Autoclaves Flexible and reliable cylindrical chamber autoclaves for laboratory sterilization, ranging from 40L benchtop to 160L floor-standing models with front and top loading, in-chamber heating, built-in air ballast, and fan cooling.
• Touchclave-Lab Square-Chambered Autoclaves Square-chambered laboratory autoclaves with optional powered door, designed for flexible laboratory and research applications.
• Touchclave-V Series Cylindrical Chamber Autoclaves Economical cylindrical chamber laboratory autoclaves offering a cost-effective solution for processing various load types, with a compact design and small footprint.
• KEN IQ4 Medical Washer Disinfectors Large-capacity medical washer disinfectors with 549x539x615mm chamber, supporting over 10 racks with 2-6 shelves and up to 8 DIN baskets, offering low energy, water, and chemical consumption.
• KEN BWD733 Bedpan Washer Compact bedpan washer with moderate loading capacity and small footprint, suitable for the care sector and small clinics, with interchangeable racks for various objects.
• Scope-Store Endoscope Drying & Storage Cabinets Endoscope storage cabinets with HEPA-filtered air circulation for drying and storage of reprocessed endoscopes for up to 14 days, available in 5, 8, and 10-scope capacities in single entry and pass-through formats with touchscreen control and cycle monitoring.
• LTE Vertical Steam Generator Vertical steam generators with small footprint for enclosed spaces, available in 50-100 kg/hr capacities with carbon steel or stainless steel boilers, water tank with auto-fill, and stackable 2-high configuration.
• Modular Cleanrooms Bespoke built modular cleanrooms with free-standing aluminium frames and interchangeable panels, custom sized with options for entry points, transfer hatches, and changing areas, fitted with HEPA air filtration.
• Clean Tent Cost-effective portable cleanroom for temporary facilities, clean storage, or on-site work, available in 3 standard sizes with 2 sections including enclosed entry/gowning area and main chamber, fitted with HEPA air filtration.
• Environmental Chambers and Rooms Walk-in and reach-in environmental chambers for stability studies, shelf life testing, BOD, and large-scale incubation in pharmaceutical and research applications.
• Laboratory Ovens, Incubators and Drying Cabinets Wide range of laboratory thermal equipment including laboratory ovens, warmed and cooled incubators, CO2 incubators, drying cabinets, and Eco-Drying Cabinets for sustainable glassware drying.
• Solution and Blanket Warming Cabinets Warming cabinets for NHS theatres and private hospitals, including solution warming cabinets for warming fluids and blanket warming cabinets for maintaining patient normothermia during surgery.
• Service, Maintenance, Calibration and Validation Nation-wide service team providing maintenance, servicing, repairs, and upgrades on all autoclave brands including UKAS calibration, validation, testing to HTM2010, and installation support for autoclaves, washer disinfectors, endoscope storage, thermal processing, laboratory, and medical equipment.
• Training Services Training services for equipment operation and maintenance delivered through LTE's training centre, supporting proper use of sterilization, decontamination, and laboratory equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced water usage from 35L to 25L per wash cycle (29% reduction)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered primary, secondary and core.

• Mason TechnologyprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2019Mason Technology was appointed as LTE's distributor in Ireland for the autoclave range and environmental chambers as of September 2019. The partnership extends LTE's market reach in the Republic of Ireland.
• DKSHsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2016DKSH is LTE's Malaysian distributor, supporting exhibition presence at Endoscopy 2016 at University of Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
• KEN HygienecoreTechnology or IntegrationLTE Scientific is the exclusive UK supplier of KEN Hygiene range of sustainable washer disinfectors for life science and medical sectors. KEN products include BWD733 bedpan washers, IQ4 washer disinfectors, and associated loading equipment. The partnership provides versatile cleaning and disinfection solutions for healthcare facilities.
• Deltason MedicalprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeltason Medical serves as LTE's Hong Kong distributor and secured one of the largest single tenders in South East Asia for LTE Scope-Store endoscope drying cabinets. Over 40 installations in Hong Kong hospitals with a recent £300K+ order for 22 cabinets.
• NHS Supply ChaincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNHS Supply Chain provides framework agreements enabling NHS facilities to procure LTE equipment through established government procurement channels. LTE has been awarded placement on multiple frameworks including Decontamination Capital Equipment and Laboratory Diagnostics.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tuttnauer: Global manufacturer of autoclaves, steam sterilizers, and washer disinfectors for laboratory, medical, and dental markets. Direct competitor across Touchclave and KEN product categories with broader international reach.
• Priorclave: UK-based manufacturer of laboratory autoclaves and steam sterilizers with overlapping product range (benchtop to large-capacity cylindrical and rectangular chambers). Direct competitor to LTE in UK research, NHS, and education accounts with comparable consultative sales model.
• BMT Medical Technology: Czech manufacturer of steam sterilizers, washer disinfectors, and laboratory thermal equipment under the BMT and Sterimed brands. Direct competitor in laboratory and medical sterilization with comparable product breadth.
• MMM Group: German-based manufacturer of sterilization, disinfection, and laboratory equipment including steam sterilizers and washer disinfectors. Direct competitor in medical CSSD and laboratory sterilization with strong European footprint similar to LTE's.
• Astell Scientific: UK manufacturer of laboratory autoclaves, steam sterilizers, and thermal equipment serving biomedical, pharmaceutical, and research markets. Direct competitor to LTE across NHS, university, and industrial lab customers with similar product categorization.

Broad incumbents

• Steris: US-headquartered global provider of sterilization, infection prevention, and laboratory services with extensive product portfolio across CSSD and life sciences. Large incumbent competitor in healthcare and pharmaceutical sterilization.
• Steelco (Miele Professional): Italian manufacturer of washer disinfectors, steam sterilizers, and CSSD automation now part of Miele Group. Competes with LTE's medical equipment and KEN Hygiene washer disinfector ranges in European healthcare markets.
• Belimed: Swiss-German manufacturer of washer disinfectors, steam sterilizers, and CSSD solutions for hospitals and laboratories. Overlaps with LTE's medical washer disinfector and large-capacity sterilizer offerings as an established international incumbent.
• Getinge: Swedish global leader in sterilization, infection control, and surgical workflows with comprehensive CSSD and operating room portfolios. Competes with LTE in NHS decontamination tenders as a larger, broader-scope incumbent.

Emerging players

• Yamato Scientific: Japanese manufacturer of laboratory equipment including autoclaves, ovens, incubators, and drying equipment. Comparable in ovens, incubators, and laboratory autoclaves with growing international presence in Asia-Pacific.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lte-scientific
• Xx.com/LTESCILTD

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about LTE Scientific