Cygnus Instruments
Cygnus Instruments is a UK-based manufacturer of ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment, including multiple-echo thickness gauges, ultrasonic hatch cover leak detectors, and flooded member detection systems, serving marine surveyors, offshore operators, oil and gas inspection teams, and commercial divers across more than 60 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersDorchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Cygnus Instruments firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cygnus Instruments
- Legal name
- Cygnus Instruments Ltd.
- Website
- https://cygnus-instruments.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cygnus Instruments is a UK-based manufacturer of ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment, including multiple-echo thickness gauges, ultrasonic hatch cover leak detectors, and flooded member detection systems, serving marine surveyors, offshore operators, oil and gas inspection teams, and commercial divers across more than 60 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cygnus Instruments industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Non-Destructive Testing Equipment
- NAICS
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- NDT/NDE Inspection Equipment (Ultrasonic, eddy current, radiography, thermography) (IMAGAFAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Marine Surveys, Testing & NDT (Thickness Gauging, UT/MPI, Pressure Testing, Commissioning) (TLAHAMAK), Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) & Advanced Inspection (Phased Array, TOFD, Guided Wave) (EUAEAKAF), Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) & Inspection Services (IMAIACAI)
Keywords
Where Cygnus Instruments is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dorchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Cygnus Instruments business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge Sales: Sale of portable ultrasonic thickness gauges for corrosion inspection and wall thickness measurement across marine, offshore, oil and gas, and industrial applications. Products range from basic general-purpose gauges to advanced intrinsically safe models with data logging and A-scan/B-scan capabilities.
- Ultrasonic Leak Detection Equipment: Sale of Cygnus Hatch Sure systems for hatch cover and watertight door testing. Includes transmitter, receiver, inspection microphones, and accessories. ABS Type Approved and accepted by P&I clubs.
- Flooded Member Detection Systems: Sale of FMD systems for both diver and ROV deployment used in offshore platform structural integrity inspection.
- Probes and Accessories: Sale of ultrasonic probes (twin crystal, single crystal, high temperature), calibration blocks, probe handlers for ROVs, and CygLink software for data management.
- Calibration and Repair Services: Factory calibration services (every two years recommended), instrument repair, and authorized service centre network providing local maintenance support worldwide.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cygnus Instruments product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cygnus Instruments designs, manufactures, and supplies ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment, organised into three product lines: ultrasonic thickness gauges (surface, intrinsically safe, diver-held, and ROV-mountable), the Cygnus Hatch Sure ultrasonic leak detection system for hatch cover and watertight door testing, and ultrasonic flooded member detection (FMD) systems for offshore platform structural inspection. The company also sells probes, calibration accessories, probe handlers for ROVs, and the CygLink data management software, alongside factory calibration and repair services.
Product overview
Cygnus Instruments manufactures and supplies ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment organized into three main product lines: ultrasonic thickness gauges (including intrinsically safe, surface, and underwater variants for commercial diving and ROV deployment), ultrasonic leak detection systems (the Cygnus Hatch Sure product line for hatch cover and watertight door testing), and flooded member detection (FMD) systems for offshore platform inspection. All products use the proven multiple-echo technique to measure through coatings without surface preparation. The company also offers a comprehensive range of probes, probe handlers for ROV deployment, calibration accessories, and CygLink data management software. Products are designed and manufactured in the UK under ISO 9001 quality management and serve inspection professionals in over 60 countries across marine, offshore, oil & gas, petrochemical, and industrial sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cygnus 1 Ex Intrinsically Safe Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge Intrinsically safe ultrasonic thickness gauge certified to ATEX and IECEx for Zone 0, 1, 2 hazardous areas and coal mines, enabling reliable thickness measurements in explosive gas environments on offshore oil and gas platforms and petrochemical plants without shutdowns, hot work permits, or coating removal.
- Cygnus Surface Thickness Gauges (Cygnus 2+ Hands Free, 4, 4+, 6+ PRO) Range of handheld multiple-echo ultrasonic thickness gauges for measuring metal wall thickness through paint and coatings up to 20mm without surface preparation, with models offering basic operation through to A-scan, B-scan, and data logging.
- Cygnus Underwater Diver-Held Thickness Gauge Wrist-mountable diver-held ultrasonic underwater thickness gauge designed for commercial diving inspections of underwater structures through marine growth and coatings without scraping, with 300m depth rating on the Cygnus DIVE variant.
- Cygnus ROV-Mountable Thickness Gauges (Cygnus ROV UTM, Cygnus ROV Mountable, Cygnus Mini ROV Mountable) ROV-mountable ultrasonic thickness gauges depth-rated to 3,000m for deep-water subsea inspection on work-class, observation, and light inspection-class ROVs, featuring live A-scan, piezo-composite probes, and subsea-specific design.
- Cygnus Hatch Sure for Ships (Hatch Cover Tester) ABS type-approved ultrasonic hatch cover leak detector with 19 ultrasonic emitters at 40 kHz and 6 selectable power levels (up to 130 dB), using the Open Hatch calibration method for objective pass/fail assessment of cargo hatch cover seal integrity on dry cargo vessels.
- Cygnus Hatch Sure Ultrasonic Tightness Tester (Watertight Door Tester) Portable ultrasonic leak detector with 19 ultrasound emitters at 40 kHz and 6 adjustable power levels, designed to locate leaks and verify seal integrity of watertight doors on marine vessels, offshore oil & gas platforms, and transportation vehicles, compliant with BS EN 60945:2002.
- Cygnus Flooded Member Detection (FMD) System Ultrasonic flooded member detection system using a single-element 0.5 MHz piezo composite probe to detect water ingress in offshore platform tubular members without radioactive sources, delivering clear DRY/FLOODED indication in seconds with A-scan verification, available for both ROV and diver deployment.
- Ultrasonic Probes, Probe Handlers, and Calibration Accessories Range of ultrasonic twin crystal and single crystal probes (including Ex-certified and high-temperature variants up to 300°C), ROV probe handlers, steel calibration blocks, pit gauges, and the CygLink Windows data management software for transferring and managing logged records from Cygnus thickness gauges.
- Factory Calibration and Repair Services Factory calibration (recommended every two years), instrument repair, and authorized service centre network providing local maintenance support for Cygnus ultrasonic thickness gauges, leak detectors, and FMD systems worldwide.
Quantifiable outcome
- Faster survey completion compared to water hose testing for hatch cover inspection
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cygnus Instruments
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Cygnus Instruments technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Cygnus Instruments partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major.
- MFE Inspection SolutionsmajorAuthorized distributor with multiple locations across USA (California, Texas) and Canada (Toronto, Edmonton) providing Cygnus products, sales, and service support for North American markets.
- Domeyer GmbH & Co. KGmajorAuthorized distributor in Germany, providing local sales and distribution of Cygnus ultrasonic testing equipment for the German industrial and marine markets.
- Mariso Corporation LtdmajorAuthorized distributor in China with locations in Shanghai Pudong New Area, providing Cygnus products and service support for the Chinese market.
- Eastwest Engineering & Electronics Pvt. LtdmajorAuthorized distributor and service centre in India (Navi Mumbai) providing Cygnus products, sales, and after-sales support including calibration and repair services.
- Altis BluemajorAuthorized distributor in France (Marseilles) providing Cygnus ultrasonic testing equipment and support services for French marine and industrial markets.
- GammaTec NDT Supplies SOC LtdmajorAuthorized distributor and service centre in South Africa (Vereeniging, Gauteng) providing Cygnus products, calibration, and repair services for African markets.
- Russell Fraser Sales Pty LtdmajorAuthorized distributor and service centre in Australia (Heathcote NSW) providing Cygnus products, calibration, and repair services for Australian marine and offshore markets.
- Nexxis Technology Pty LtdmajorAuthorized distributor in Australia (O'Connor, WA) providing Cygnus ultrasonic testing equipment for Western Australian industrial and offshore markets.
- Amron International, Inc.majorAuthorized distributor in USA (Vista, CA) providing Cygnus products for American marine, offshore, and commercial diving markets.
- Force TechnologymajorAuthorized distributor in Denmark (Aalborg) providing Cygnus ultrasonic testing equipment for Danish and Scandinavian marine and offshore markets.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cygnus Instruments competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sonatest: UK-based ultrasonic flaw and thickness detection equipment maker; comparable specialty positioning and overlap with marine, welding and pipeline inspection customers.
- Defelsko: US-based manufacturer of coating thickness and ultrasonic wall thickness gauges; competes for the same inspection professional purchasing decisions as Cygnus.
- Krautkramer (now part of Baker Hughes/Waygate): Heritage ultrasonic thickness gauge brand originally from Germany, now under Waygate; historically one of Cygnus's closest direct competitors in marine and offshore UT.
- Evident (formerly Olympus Industrial): Largest direct competitor in industrial ultrasonic thickness gauges and flaw detectors; offers the 27/45MG series and broad NDT portfolio across marine, oil & gas and aerospace - the same verticals Cygnus targets.
- Elcometer: Manufacturer of coating thickness gauges and inspection equipment; overlaps with Cygnus in corrosion inspection workflows where coating and wall thickness are measured in tandem.
- Tritex NDT: UK-based specialist manufacturer of ultrasonic thickness gauges for marine, oil & gas and diving inspection; near-identical product category and customer base to Cygnus.
- Dakota Ultrasonics: US manufacturer of portable ultrasonic thickness gauges (PVX, CMX, MX series); directly comparable portable gauge product line serving NDT inspectors in similar end markets.
Broad incumbents
- Waygate Technologies (Baker Hughes): Industrial inspection brand within Baker Hughes covering ultrasonic, eddy current and radiographic NDT. Competes with Cygnus in UT thickness gauging for power generation, aerospace and oil & gas as part of a much wider portfolio.
- Parker Hannifin - NDT (formerly UTEX): Supplies ultrasonic NDT instruments and accessories as part of Parker's motion and control portfolio; comparable UT product category sold into industrial and aerospace customers.
- Magnaflux: Long-established NDT equipment manufacturer (magnetic particle, dye penetrant, ultrasonic); broader portfolio but competes with Cygnus for inspection budgets in industrial QA workflows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cygnus Instruments social profiles
Digital presenceCygnus Instruments compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Cygnus Instruments financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cygnus Instruments leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cygnus Instruments funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cygnus Instruments 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 Cygnus Instruments
What does Cygnus Instruments do?
Cygnus Instruments designs, manufactures, and supplies ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment, organised into three product lines: ultrasonic thickness gauges (surface, intrinsically safe, diver-held, and ROV-mountable), the Cygnus Hatch Sure ultrasonic leak detection system for hatch cover and watertight door testing, and ultrasonic flooded member detection (FMD) systems for offshore platform structural inspection. The company also sells probes, calibration accessories, probe handlers for ROVs, and the CygLink data management software, alongside factory calibration and repair services.
Is Cygnus Instruments a public or private company?
Cygnus Instruments is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cygnus Instruments founded?
Cygnus Instruments was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cygnus Instruments based?
Cygnus Instruments is headquartered in Dorchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Cygnus Instruments make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge Sales are the primary driver. The others are ultrasonic Leak Detection Equipment, flooded Member Detection Systems, probes and Accessories and calibration and Repair Services.
Who are Cygnus Instruments's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sonatest, Defelsko, Krautkramer (now part of Baker Hughes/Waygate), Evident (formerly Olympus Industrial), Elcometer, Tritex NDT and Dakota Ultrasonics. Broad incumbents are Waygate Technologies (Baker Hughes), Parker Hannifin - NDT (formerly UTEX) and Magnaflux.
Does Cygnus Instruments have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cygnus Instruments.
What industry is Cygnus Instruments in?
Cygnus Instruments's product category is Non-Destructive Testing Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAFAI, NDT/NDE Inspection Equipment (Ultrasonic, eddy current, radiography, thermography), with a secondary code of TLAHAMAK, Marine Surveys, Testing & NDT (Thickness Gauging, UT/MPI, Pressure Testing, Commissioning). Its NAICS code is 3345 and its SIC code is 3823.