Thermal Instrument Company

What Thermal Instrument Company does

Thermal Instrument Company (TIC) is a privately held, family-owned US manufacturer of thermal mass flow meters and flow switches, founded in 1959 in Trevose, Pennsylvania and currently employing 12 full-time people. The company designs and builds insertion-style probes (Models 62-9, 62-9DT, 62-9MP) for installation into existing piping, unobstructed-path in-line meters (Models 600-9, 600-9SAN sanitary, 600-9UHP ultra-high purity) that become part of the pipeline, and complementary electronic transmitters (9500P, 9200B, 926) and flow switches (FS, FS16). Its underlying technology — thermal mass flow measurement with proprietary redundant sensor design, dual gas/liquid calibration stands, and 15 Ra ultra-high-purity surface finishes — targets applications where pressure-drop avoidance, contamination control, and EPA-traceable accuracy are mission-critical.

TIC monetizes primarily through custom-calibrated hardware sales, supplemented by recurring NIST-traceable factory recalibration services and a loaner meter program with ~50-60 units in continuous circulation. Pricing is quote-based and undisclosed; go-to-market relies on an enterprise field-sales model layered over a network of authorized manufacturer representatives covering all US states plus select international markets (Canada, Belgium, China, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Guam). Customer concentration spans at least five primary verticals: oil & gas/petrochemical, semiconductor (Texas Instruments, Samsung, GlobalFoundries, Micron), environmental/landfill gas compliance, food & beverage/pharmaceutical (3-A sanitary), and power/utilities, with an installed base exceeding 20,000 units across 65+ years. Manufacturing is fully US-based with a hyper-local supply chain within 50 miles of the Philadelphia-area headquarters, and the company maintains UL/CSA, 3-A, CE/REACH, and HART certifications. Following the November 2024 passing of long-time President Joe Curran, family member Ray Young assumed the presidency, with three new production and sales hires in 2025 supporting a leadership transition rather than an aggressive expansion phase.

Name

Thermal Instrument Company

Legal name

Thermal Instrument Company

Website

https://thermalinstrument.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Thermal Instrument Company is a family-owned US manufacturer (founded 1959, Trevose PA, 12 employees) of custom-calibrated thermal mass flow meters and flow switches serving semiconductor, petrochemical, environmental compliance, and food/pharma industrial customers through a national rep network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Process Flow Measurement Instrumentation

NAICS

Totalizing Fluid Meter and Counting Device Manufacturing (334514), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

Totalizing Fluid Meters & Counting Devices (3824), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Sensors & Feedback Devices (Pressure, Flow, Position, Encoders, Transducers) (IMAHAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Calibration Services & Standards (Calibration labs, reference standards, traceability services) (IMAGAFAH)

Keywords

• Thermal mass flow meters
• Industrial flow measurement
• Insertion flow probes
• Inline flow meters
• Process flow instrumentation

Headquarters

HQ city

Feasterville Trevose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Thermal Mass Flow Meters: Design, manufacture, and sale of thermal mass flow meters available in insertion probe and unobstructed path in-line models for gas and liquid measurement applications
2. Flow Switches: Manufacturing and sale of flow switches including Models FS and FS16
3. Recalibration Services: NIST-certified recalibration services for thermal mass flow meters with loaner meter program to minimize downtime. Factory recalibration recommended every 18 months for EPA compliance
4. Flow Transmitters: Electronic flow transmitters including Models 9500P, 9200B, and 926 available in integral or remote mounted configurations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Thermal Instrument Company designs and manufactures thermal mass flow meters, flow transmitters, and flow switches for measuring mass flow rate of gases and liquids in industrial processes. The product portfolio includes insertion probe models (62-9, 62-9DT, 62-9MP), unobstructed in-line models (600-9, 600-9SAN sanitary, 600-9UHP ultra-high-purity), electronic flow transmitters (9500P, 9200B, 926), and flow switches (FS, FS16), complemented by NIST-certified factory recalibration and on-site field calibration services.

Product overview

Thermal Instrument Company designs and manufactures high-performance thermal mass flow meters and flow switches for measuring the mass flow rate of liquids and gases. The product portfolio consists of insertion-style probes (Models 62-9, 62-9DT, 62-9MP) for installation into existing piping and unobstructed in-line models (Models 600-9, 600-9SAN sanitary, 600-9UHP ultra-high purity) that become part of the pipeline. These flow meters are paired with electronic transmitters (Models 9500P, 9200B, 926) that provide output signals and display capabilities. The company also offers flow switches (Models FS and FS16) for alarm and monitoring applications. Supporting services include factory recalibration, a loaner meter program, and on-site field calibration. The company emphasizes Made-in-USA manufacturing with local suppliers within a 50-mile radius of their Trevose, PA headquarters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Model # 62-9 Insertion Probe Flow Meter Insertion-style thermal mass flow meter designed for installation into pipes and ducts, featuring single-piece welded construction with sensors on the bottom 3-inch section near the tip; used for industrial gas flow measurement.
• Model # 62-9DT Insertion Probe Flow Meter Dual-temperature insertion probe thermal mass flow meter capable of measuring both gas and liquid applications with built-in temperature compensation; designed for industrial processes requiring combined media measurement.
• Model # 62-9MP Multi-Point Insertion Probe Multi-point insertion probe designed for large pipe gas measurement applications using multiple sensing points across the pipe diameter; used where single-point measurement is insufficient.
• Model # 600-9 In-line Flow Meter Unobstructed path in-line thermal mass flow meter that becomes an extension of existing pipeline, eliminating pressure loss concerns; used for industrial gas or liquid measurement.
• Model # 600-9SAN Sanitary Unit 3-A approved sanitary in-line thermal mass flow meter designed for food and beverage processing with tri-clamp or tube end connections and 15 Ra or better surface finish; meets 3-A Standard 28-06.
• Model # 600-9UHP Ultra High Purity Ultra-high purity in-line thermal mass flow meter engineered for semiconductor fabrication with 15 Ra surface finish or better and unobstructed flow path for critical gas delivery.
• Model # 9500P Electronic Flow Transmitter Feature-rich electronic transmitter with standard 2-line display, 4-20mA flow output, optional temperature output, Micro-USB software connection, HART communication, available in integral or remote mount configurations up to 2000 feet away.
• Model # 9200B Flow Transmitter Electronic flow transmitter designed for thermal mass flow meter integration with flow and temperature monitoring capabilities.
• Model # 926 Signal Processor Signal processor for thermal mass flow meter applications providing flow measurement signal conditioning and output.
• Model FS Flow Switch Thermal mass flow switch with field-adjustable 5 Amp SPDT relay alarm, available in integral or remote mount configurations for both gas and liquid applications.
• Model FS16 Flow Switch Advanced flow switch with two field-adjustable 10 Amp SPDT relays or one DPDT relay, LED flow rate indicator, optional 4-20mA temperature output, and NEMA4X rated housing.
• Loaner Meter Program Temporary meter loan service providing NIST-certified calibrated replacement meters during recalibration of customer units, with approximately 60 loaner meters in continuous circulation to minimize customer downtime.
• Factory Recalibration Service NIST-certified factory recalibration service recommended every 18 months for EPA GHG compliance, with typical turnaround of up to two weeks and a NIST-traceable calibration certificate.
• On-Site Field Calibration Service Traveling field technician service for on-site recalibrations, ideal for sites with multiple units or several locations in close proximity; offered by Senior Calibration Technician Kevin Johnson.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100:1 turndown accuracy ratio
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Central Pacific Controls (CPC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 3 July 2021Central Pacific Controls, headquartered in Honolulu, HI, added the Thermal Instrument Mass Flow Meter line. CPC services Hawaii, Guam, and the US Pacific territories from their Hawaii office.
• Innovative Process Controls (IPC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 July 2021Innovative Process Controls, headquartered in El Segundo, CA, expanded sales coverage to serve the entire state of California. Previously covered only southern California and Las Vegas region of Nevada.
• Lesman Instrument (A Kele Company)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 May 2021Lesman Instrument, headquartered in Bensenville, IL, expanded coverage to include Pacific Northwest (Washington and Oregon) in addition to their existing territories of Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Missouri. Lesman has been a sales partner since the late 1990s.
• Trivaco Southeast (TSE)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 June 2020Trivaco Southeast, with main office in Canton, GA, became the primary sales partner for Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. Trivaco had been a partner in Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Western Pennsylvania for over 20 years.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sierra Instruments: Displays the same direct thermal mass flow product family and serves overlapping industrial gas-flow applications, including those in semiconductor, petrochemical and emissions monitoring. It is the closest US-based competitor to Thermal Instrument's niche of insertion and in-line thermal mass flow metering.
• Bronkhorst: Manufactures thermal mass flow meters and controllers for gases and liquids used in semiconductor, pharma and laboratory processes. Direct product overlap with Thermal Instrument's insertion and in-line meters, particularly in UHP gas delivery and analytical/process applications.
• Fox Thermal Instruments: Specialist in thermal mass flow meters for gas measurement including flare, biogas and stack emissions - directly overlapping with Thermal Instrument's landfill gas, RNG, flare/vent gas and EPA compliance applications.
• Brooks Instrument: Offers thermal mass flow controllers and meters used in semiconductor, petrochemical and analytical applications, competing in the same UHP gas delivery and process flow measurement sockets as Thermal Instrument's 600-9UHP and 62-9 product families.
• Fluid Components International (FCI): Manufacturer of thermal dispersion mass flow meters and switches for industrial gases and liquids, with overlapping presence in wastewater, landfill gas, petrochemical and process plant segments where Thermal Instrument competes.
• Kurz Instruments: Specializes in thermal mass flow meters for in-stack emissions, flare gas, biogas and CEMS applications - competing in the landfill/RNG/EPA compliance segment that is one of Thermal Instrument's core verticals.

Broad incumbents

• Endress+Hauser: Global instrumentation leader whose thermal mass flow and Coriolis flow portfolios overlap with Thermal Instrument's lines, but compete as part of a much broader process instrumentation suite across all major industries. Operates with substantially larger R&D and field-service resources.
• Emerson Automation Solutions (Rosemount / Micro Motion): Major flow measurement incumbent via Rosemount (industrial process) and Micro Motion (Coriolis), competing for the same petrochemical, refinery, food/beverage and pharmaceutical flows as Thermal Instrument with global service coverage that Thermal cannot match.
• Yokogawa Electric Corporation: Industrial process instrumentation supplier offering thermal mass flow meters alongside broader control and measurement product lines, addressing the same petrochemical, power and food/beverage end markets.
• MKS Instruments: Through its Semiconductor and Vacuum Solutions segments, MKS supplies mass flow controllers and meters for UHP gas delivery in semiconductor fabs, directly overlapping with Thermal Instrument's 600-9UHP ultra-high purity line for chip manufacturers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Thermal Instrument Company