What MTS Systems - Test & Simulation business does

MTS Systems Test & Simulation, headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, designs and delivers integrated testing and simulation systems that combine electromechanical and hydraulic actuation with precision measurement, proprietary controllers, and specialized software. The product portfolio is organized along nine industry verticals — Automotive, Materials, Aerospace, Defense, Biomedical, Civil Engineering, Rock Geomechanics, Energy, and Rail — and spans core test systems (full-vehicle and component test rigs, seismic simulators, wind turbine blade and drivetrain stands, orthopedic implant testers, rail bogie systems), modular test system components (FlexTest controllers, FlexDAC data acquisition, SilentFlo hydraulic power units, SWIFT Evo wheel force transducers), and a proprietary software layer (TestSuite, RPC Connect, AeroPro, STEX Pro, MultiPurpose TestWare). Technical credentials include 1.32 million pound force capacity, 1500°C high-temperature capability, 320 km/h flat-belt roadway testing, 56 MNm overturning moment capacity, and a cross-coupling compensation technology that delivers a documented 20% increase in testing speeds for complex structural tests.

The company monetizes through a direct enterprise B2B sales motion with quote-based, multi-year contracts. Revenue is split across one-time hardware sales (testing machines, actuators, controllers, load cells, extensometers, fixtures, modular components, and spare parts), recurring software subscriptions (TestSuite, RPC Connect, AeroPro, STEX Pro, Elastomer Testing, plus monitoring and support plans), and professional services (consulting, calibration and metrology, maintenance, repairs and remanufacture, relocation, and training). The customer base spans global OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, public research institutions (University of Michigan, University of Toronto), and specialized operators such as NTRC (motorsports), ITT (biomedical/scoliosis), Ore Catapult (offshore wind), and high-speed rail operators.

MTS was originally a standalone public company (NASDAQ: MTSC, founded 1966) before being acquired by Illinois Tool Works in 2020; it now operates as a wholly-owned business unit within ITW's Test & Measurement segment, retaining R&D Test Systems and E2M Technologies as wholly-owned subsidiary brands. Sales and service coverage extends across North America (USA, Canada), Europe (Germany, UK, France), and Asia Pacific (Japan, China), with no public revenue or headcount disclosed.

Name

MTS Systems - Test & Simulation business

Legal name

MTS Systems

Website

https://test.mts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Short description

MTS Systems Test & Simulation designs and delivers integrated testing and simulation systems — combining hydraulic and electromechanical actuation, proprietary controllers, and specialized software — for engineers and researchers across automotive, aerospace, biomedical, civil engineering, energy, rail, materials, rock geomechanics, and defense industries worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Testing and Simulation Systems

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Weighing & Force Measurement (Load cells, scales, torque, strain measurement) (IMAGAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Process Skids & Modular Process Systems (Packaged Units) (IMAHAEAH)

Keywords

• Testing and simulation systems
• Materials testing equipment
• Structural test systems
• Test controllers software
• Hydraulic actuation systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Eden Prairie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Testing Systems Hardware: Sale of testing machines, actuators, controllers, load cells, extensometers, fixtures, and modular components for materials, structural, and component testing across multiple industries
2. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Software platforms including TestSuite, RPC Connect, AeroPro, STEX Pro, and Elastomer Testing Software for test control and data analysis
3. Professional Services: Consulting and engineering services, calibration and metrology services, routine maintenance, repairs and remanufacture, relocation services, and training courses
4. Parts and Spare Components: Replacement parts for testing equipment maintenance and repairs
5. Service Plans and Support: Software support plans, technical support plans, extended warranty offerings, and equipment monitoring services

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MTS Systems designs, manufactures and services high-end testing and simulation systems that combine electromechanical and hydraulic actuation with proprietary controllers, data acquisition and software platforms. Its products replicate real-world structural, dynamic and environmental loads on materials, components and full assemblies for industries including automotive, aerospace, defense, biomedical, civil engineering, rock geomechanics, energy and rail, with force capacities up to 1.32 million pounds, temperatures to 1500 degree Celsius, and roadway speeds to 320 km/h.

Product overview

MTS Systems provides a comprehensive portfolio of testing and simulation solutions organized across industry-specific verticals (Automotive, Materials, Aerospace, Biomedical, Civil Engineering, Energy, Rock Geomechanics, and Rail) plus a shared Test System Components and Software & Monitoring division. The architecture follows a platform-plus-modules model where core test systems (such as Full Vehicle Test Systems, Seismic Simulators, Wind Turbine Blade Test Systems) serve as primary offerings, supported by specialized subsystems, modular components, and proprietary software (TestSuite, RPC Connect, AeroPro, STEX Pro). The Test System Components division provides foundational building blocks including FlexTest Controllers, FlexDAC Data Acquisition, SilentFlo Hydraulic Power Units, and SWIFT Evo Wheel Force Transducers that serve multiple industry verticals. MTS positions itself as providing end-to-end testing solutions from hardware to software, with services including calibration, consulting, maintenance, repairs, and relocation supporting the product portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TestSuite™ Software: Materials testing software platform
• STEX Pro Software
• RPC® Connect Software
• AeroPro™ Software
• FlexDAC Data Acquisition
• FlexTest® Controllers
• SilentFlo™ Hydraulic Power Units
• SWIFT® Evo Wheel Force Transducers

Products and services

• Static Materials Test Systems High-precision testing systems for measuring material properties under static loading conditions including tension, compression, flexure, and shear, sold to materials labs across aerospace, automotive, biomedical and academic buyers.
• Dynamic Materials Test Systems Testing systems that apply dynamic and cyclic loading to evaluate material fatigue, fracture, torsion, high-rate and dynamic mechanical analysis behavior, sold to materials labs in aerospace, automotive, defense and academia.
• FlexTest Controllers Family of test controllers providing precise command, closed-loop control and data acquisition for materials, structural and component testing systems; sold as standalone units across all MTS verticals.
• FlexDAC Data Acquisition Systems High-speed data acquisition systems for capturing and processing sensor and transducer data in materials, structural and aerospace testing applications.
• SWIFT Evo Wheel Force Transducers Wheel force transducers for measuring forces and moments at the tire-road interface during vehicle testing, sold to automotive and motorsports test labs.
• SilentFlo Hydraulic Power Units Noise-reduced hydraulic power supply units providing hydraulic pressure and flow for test system actuators across MTS test platforms.
• TestSuite Software Materials testing software platform for test control, data acquisition, and analysis across static, dynamic and high-temperature materials test workflows.
• RPC Connect Software Road-load simulation software for replicating real-world driving conditions in laboratory testing environments, primarily for automotive durability and NVH applications.
• AeroPro Software Aerospace testing software platform for structural test control, data acquisition and analysis on airframes, rotors and space structures.
• STEX Pro Software Civil engineering structural testing software for seismic, shake-table and multi-hazard engineering applications.
• MultiPurpose TestWare (MPT) Software Versatile testing software platform supporting multiple test types and configurations for materials and component testing.
• Full Vehicle Test Systems Complete testing systems for evaluating full vehicle behavior including durability, handling, NVH and performance under simulated road conditions, sold to automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.
• Tire Test Systems Specialized systems for testing tire performance, durability and characteristics under various loads and speeds.
• Damper Test Systems Testing systems for evaluating vehicle dampers, shock absorbers and suspension components for performance and durability.
• Elastomer Test Systems Systems for testing elastomeric components including rubber bushings, mounts and seals for automotive and other applications.
• Interactive Test Lab Integrated laboratory environment combining multiple testing capabilities for comprehensive vehicle component evaluation.
• Seismic Simulators & Shake Tables Large-scale earthquake simulation systems for testing structures, bridges and building components under seismic loading.
• Wind Turbine Blade Fatigue Test Systems Systems for cyclic fatigue testing of wind turbine blades to verify structural integrity and service life.
• Wind Turbine Blade Static Test Systems Systems for applying static loads to wind turbine blades to evaluate structural strength and deflection.
• Wind Turbine Bearing & Drivetrain Test Systems Testing systems for evaluating wind turbine bearings, gearboxes and drivetrain components with up to 56 MNm overturning moment capacity.
• Orthopedic Test Systems Biomedical testing systems for evaluating orthopedic implants, joint replacements and spinal devices for implant manufacturers and research hospitals.
• Rock Mechanics Test Systems Testing systems for evaluating rock strength, deformation and behavior under various stress conditions for mining, oil & gas, geothermal and geotechnical applications.
• Rail Car Bogies Test Systems Testing systems including 4-28 channel bogie frame test systems and bogie vibration characterization systems for railway vehicle evaluation.
• Pantograph Wear & Performance System Railway testing systems for evaluating pantograph-catenary interaction, including wear and performance characteristics up to 550 km/h simulated high-speed rail operation.
• Series 261 Structural Pressure Test Controller Specialized controller for aerospace structural pressure testing applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% increase in testing speeds using cross-coupling compensation technology
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ITW (Illinois Tool Works)coreOthersMTS Systems is a business unit of ITW (Illinois Tool Works), a Fortune 200 diversified industrial manufacturer. As part of ITW, MTS benefits from the parent's global scale, financial resources, and operational expertise while maintaining its focus on testing and simulation solutions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Instron: Instron is a leading manufacturer of materials and structural testing systems, overlapping directly with MTS in static/dynamic materials testing, fatigue, and component testing. Both are now owned by ITW, making them the closest corporate and product comparables for the materials testing portion of MTS.
• ZwickRoell: ZwickRoell is a German-headquartered manufacturer of materials testing machines and systems for tension, compression, fatigue, and impact testing. It competes head-to-head with MTS in academic, automotive, and metals testing markets with comparable force-capacity products and test software.
• Shimadzu Scientific Instruments: Shimadzu provides materials testing systems, dynamic and fatigue testing equipment, and high-temperature testing platforms overlapping with MTS's materials and aerospace testing portfolio. Both serve metals, composites, and polymer testing customers across global academic and industrial markets.
• Tinius Olsen: Tinius Olsen is a US-based manufacturer of materials testing machines including universal testing machines, impact, hardness, and plastometers. It is a long-standing direct competitor to MTS in metals, plastics, and elastomer testing with comparable force-capacity offerings.
• Moog Inc. Moog's Industrial Group designs electric and hydraulic test systems, motion simulators, and structural test rigs used in aerospace, automotive, and defense. It is a direct peer in flight simulation, shake table, and servo-hydraulic test systems where MTS competes on integration and control software.
• Kistler Group: Kistler is a Swiss-headquartered manufacturer of piezoelectric sensors, force, pressure, and acceleration measurement systems, including wheel force transducers used in automotive vehicle dynamics testing. It overlaps directly with MTS's SWIFT Evo wheel force measurement and broader force/load measurement portfolio.
• Hottinger Brüel & Kjær (HBK): HBK specializes in sound, vibration, and mechanical measurement instrumentation including load cells, torque transducers, and data acquisition systems. It competes with MTS in dynamic and structural testing sensors, particularly for aerospace, automotive NVH, and powertrain applications.

Broad incumbents

• Ametek Inc. Ametek is a diversified industrial instrumentation and electronic instruments conglomerate whose Test & Calibration segment supplies materials testing equipment, force gauges, and process instruments. It is a broader incumbent with adjacent products rather than a head-to-head full-rig competitor to MTS.
• Honeywell International: Honeywell's Aerospace and Sensing & Productivity Solutions units include test, measurement, and structural sensing products. While not a direct test rig competitor, it is a broad incumbent sensing and aerospace test instrumentation supplier with comparable enterprise customers in aerospace and defense.
• National Instruments (NI, now part of Emerson): NI provides modular data acquisition, PXI-based test platforms, and software used in test & measurement workflows across aerospace, automotive, and structural testing. It is a broad incumbent in test electronics and DAQ, overlapping with MTS's FlexDAC and FlexTest controller layer rather than its full-system business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/mtssystems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mtssystemscorporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 MTS Systems - Test & Simulation business