Tanaka Scientific

What Tanaka Scientific does

Tanaka Scientific (田中科学機器製作株式会社) is a privately held Japanese manufacturer of automated testing instruments for the petroleum, petrochemical, lubricant, biofuel, and aviation fuel industries, founded in 1892 and headquartered in Tokyo (Adachi-ku, Ayase). The company designs, produces, and sells approximately 25+ automated testers organized into seven functional categories: flash point (Abel, Tag, Pensky-Martens, Setaflash/Squick, Cleveland open-cup, and MCCCFP methods across the 8-series and 100-series product lines), automatic distillation (atmospheric and reduced-pressure), flow/cloud/precipitation point and cold filter plugging point, aniline/softening/micro carbon residue, vapor pressure (Reid and Triple Expansion via the MINIVAP), sulfur X-ray fluorescence, and specialty instruments (JFTOT thermal stability, ultra-compact gas chromatograph, ultra-trace moisture analyzer, melting point tester). Core technical content includes proprietary methods such as the MCCCFP arc-discharge ignition detection, Grabner 2D-Correction vapor pressure calibration, and a 2010-developed high-precision energy-dispersive XRF sulfur analyzer; the company also originated the automatic flow point test method later standardized by ASTM in 2002.

Revenue mechanics are anchored in direct-to-enterprise hardware sales, supplemented by instrument rental (substitute/loaner units) and repair-and-inspection professional services; pricing is not publicly disclosed and quotations are handled through website inquiry and direct phone contact. Products are compliant with JIS, ISO, ASTM, IP, EN, and GOST standards, and are deployed in petroleum-related facilities across 70 countries in Europe, America, Asia, and the Middle East, with named markets including Japan, the United States, Germany, and the UAE. The company supplements its own branded portfolio with distributed products from partner manufacturers (MINIVAP from Grabner Instruments, gas chromatography and moisture analyzers from Falcon/Falcon Scientific under a 2018 Japan distribution agreement, melting point testers from LabTech, and LIBS aluminum sorting equipment from Austin AI under a 2024 partnership). GTM motion is direct sales supported by participation in the JASIS analytical instruments exhibition, technical seminars and hands-on user training, and a content-marketing website with a LinkedIn blog presence. The company holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 self-declarations (2019), was recognized as one of Japan's METI Global Niche Top 100 Companies in 2020, and is led by the founding family with no external investors or parent company.

Name

Tanaka Scientific

Legal name

田中科学機器製作株式会社

Website

https://tanaka-sci.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tanaka Scientific is a privately held Japanese manufacturer, founded in 1892, that designs and sells automated testing instruments for petroleum, petrochemical, lubricant, biofuel, and aviation fuel quality control, serving industrial customers across 70 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Petroleum Testing Instruments

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches) (IMAGAFAC)

Keywords

• Petroleum testing instruments
• Flash point testers
• Automatic distillation testers
• Vapor pressure testers
• Sulfur analyzers

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

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. Automatic Testing Equipment Sales: Design, manufacture, and sale of automatic petroleum testing instruments including flash point testers, distillation testers, vapor pressure testers, sulfur analyzers, and related equipment for quality control of petroleum products
2. Rental Instruments: Rental of testing instruments as alternative equipment for customers needing temporary or short-term testing solutions
3. Repair and Inspection Services: Professional repair and inspection services for testing equipment, leveraging specialist manufacturer expertise for rapid and attentive after-sales support

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tanaka Scientific designs, manufactures, and sells automatic testing machines for the petroleum and petrochemical industries. Its product portfolio covers flash point testers, automatic distillation testers, vapor pressure testers, sulfur analyzers, flow/cloud/precipitation point testers, aniline point testers, softening point testers, micro carbon residue testers, color testers, JFTOT thermal stability testers, gas chromatographs, and moisture analyzers. The company also rents instruments and provides repair and inspection services to petroleum companies, refineries, fuel manufacturers, and aviation facilities in 70 countries worldwide.

Product overview

Tanaka Scientific is a manufacturer of automated petroleum and petrochemical testing instruments. The product portfolio centers on approximately 25+ distinct automated testers organized around the 7 core testing categories: (1) flash point testers across 6 method types (Abel closed-cup, Tag closed-cup, Pensky-Martens closed-cup, Setaflash equilibrium closed-cup, Cleveland open-cup, MCCCFP) spanning two product generations (8-series and 100-series); (2) automatic distillation testers including atmospheric and vacuum models plus Pro-Pak® packing media; (3) flow/cloud/precipitation point testers and cold filter plugging point testers; (4) aniline, softening, and micro carbon residue testers; (5) vapor pressure testers using Reid and Triple Expansion methods via the MINIVAP; (6) sulfur X-ray fluorescence analyzers, color testers, and cloud point testers for nonionic surfactants; and (7) specialty instruments including JFTOT thermal stability testers, ultra-compact gas chromatographs (Sylph), ultra-trace moisture analyzers (FalconTrace), and melting point testers. Products are complemented by the TFES software for data file export to LIMS. The company distributes its own branded instruments alongside products from partnered brands (MINIVAP by Grabner Instruments, Falcon GC and moisture analyzers, LabTech melting point testers).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ABL-8AFC / ABL-8LFC Abel Closed-Cup Automatic Flash Point Tester (エーベル密閉式自動引火点試験器) Abel closed-cup automatic flash point tester compliant with JIS K 2265-1 and ISO 2719, for measuring the flash point of petroleum products in a sealed vessel. Used by petroleum laboratories and refineries.
• ATG-8WFC / ATG-8AFC / ATG-8LFC Tag Closed-Cup Automatic Flash Point Tester (タグ密閉式自動引火点試験器, 8 Series) Tag closed-cup automatic flash point tester compliant with JIS K 2265-1 and ASTM D56, designed for gasoline and solvent samples with low flash points in the range of approximately -10°C to 93°C.
• ATG-100W Tag Closed-Cup Automatic Flash Point Tester, 100 Series (タグ密閉式自動引火点試験器 100シリーズ) Latest-generation Tag closed-cup automatic flash point tester with external cooling circulation unit for stable measurement of sub-ambient temperature samples; compliant with JIS K 2265-1 and ASTM D56.
• APM-100 Pensky-Martens Closed-Cup Automatic Flash Point Tester (ペンスキーマルテンス密閉式自動引火点試験器) Pensky-Martens closed-cup automatic flash point tester with built-in stirring mechanism for uniform temperature distribution; compliant with JIS K 2265-3, ISO 2719, and ASTM D93. Suitable for diesel, lubricating oil, heavy fuel oil, and biodiesel.
• ACO-8 Cleveland Open-Cup Automatic Flash Point Tester, 8 Series (クリーブランド開放式自動引火点試験器 8シリーズ) Cleveland open-cup automatic flash point tester compliant with JIS K 2265-4, ISO 2592, and ASTM D92 for high flash point samples (approximately 79°C and above). Features automatic flame sweeping via stepping motor.
• ACO-100 Cleveland Open-Cup Automatic Flash Point Tester, 100 Series (クリーブランド開放式自動引火点試験器 100シリーズ)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Austin AIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2024Business partnership with Austin AI for distribution of LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) aluminum sorting equipment. The partnership is announced as 'Austin AI社との業務提携のお知らせ' and the product is marketed as 'LIBS アルミニウム選別装置 by Austin AI' on the company website.
• Falcon (Falcon Fast / Falconscientific)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 November 2018Tanaka Scientific acquired domestic sales agency rights in Japan for Falcon's ultra-fast gas chromatograph products. Products include Sylph (ultra-compact gas chromatograph), FalconTrace (ultra-micro moisture meter), and Falex 400 (thermal stability tester/JFTOT). Partner company website: http://www.falconfast.net/

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Agilent Technologies: Agilent is a global analytical instrument leader with strong positions in gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and sulfur analysis — adjacent to Tanaka's Falcon-distributed GC product line and competing for analytical lab budgets in petrochemical and refinery customers.
• Anton Paar: Anton Paar is a global manufacturer of high-precision laboratory and process measurement instruments spanning density, viscosity, flash point, and rheology — overlapping with Tanaka's offerings but serving a much broader customer base across multiple industries.
• Shimadzu Corporation: Shimadzu is a Japanese global leader in analytical and measuring instruments, including gas chromatographs and sulfur analyzers, with significant overlap in petrochemical and laboratory testing applications but operating at a far larger scale and broader product portfolio.

Direct peers

• ISL (Instruments Scientifiques de Laboratoire): ISL is a French manufacturer specializing in cold-flow property testing (cloud point, pour point, CFPP) and distillation analyzers for petroleum products, directly competing in several of Tanaka's core instrument categories.
• Herzog (a PAC brand): Herzog, now part of PAC, manufactures automated petroleum and bitumen testing equipment including distillation and flash point analyzers, providing direct competitive overlap in refinery and asphalt laboratory equipment.
• Grabner Instruments: Grabner Instruments specializes in vapor pressure and flash point testers (MINIVAP, MINIFLASH) and is the original manufacturer of the MINIVAP that Tanaka Scientific distributes in Japan. Direct overlap in petroleum testing with shared product supply relationship.
• Stanhope-Seta: Stanhope-Seta is a UK-based manufacturer of petroleum and oil testing instruments, with strong overlap in flash point testers (including Setaflash) and aviation fuel testing equipment used by the same global refining and aviation customers.
• PAC (Petroleum Analyzer Company): PAC is a leading global manufacturer of petroleum and refinery testing instruments covering flash point, distillation, sulfur, and viscosity. It is the most direct competitor to Tanaka Scientific in automated petroleum testing equipment worldwide.
• Koehler Instrument Company: Koehler manufactures automated petroleum testing instruments including flash point, viscosity, distillation, and grease testing equipment, with a similar product overlap and customer base in refineries and petroleum labs.

Emerging players

• LabTech: LabTech is an analytical instrument manufacturer whose melting point tester is distributed by Tanaka Scientific in Japan. The relationship indicates a comparable product range in petroleum and chemical lab instrumentation, with LabTech emerging in adjacent product categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedIntanaka-sci.com/linkedin_blog

Compliance2 records

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&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Tanaka Scientific