What Ducom does

Ducom Instruments (USA) Inc., founded in 1978 and headquartered in Bohemia, New York, designs and manufactures scientific test instruments for tribology, petroleum, and mechanical testing. The portfolio spans universal testers (UNITEST), multi-capability tribometers (POD 4.0), vacuum and twin-disk tribometers, abrasion and erosion testers, the BioTribometer, four-ball testers (FBT-3 desktop and TR-30 Series), high-frequency reciprocating rigs (HFRR), KRL and diesel-injector shear stability testers, low-temperature torque testers, and an extensive family of flash point, freezing point, cloud/pour point, roll stability, Noack volatility, and BOCLE lubricity instruments. Products are designed for compliance with ASTM, DIN, ISO, IP, JPI, and CEC standards used by lubricant, fuel, bearing, aerospace, and biomaterials laboratories.

Underlying the instrument line is the MOOHA digital lab assistant — an AI/AR-enabled software platform launched in 2020 that automates data logging, provides audit trails, performs statistical analysis, manages connected devices, and hosts proprietary AI-based wear scar prediction (computer vision) and device health analytics. Instrument and software development is supported by an engineering center in Bengaluru, India, with automation and AI work concentrated in the in-house Paltro division.

The company makes money primarily through one-time capital equipment sales via direct enterprise sales and a trained global distributor network, supplemented by recurring software (MOOHA subscriptions), consumables and spare parts, instrument service plans, and contract testing, consulting, and training services delivered through Ducom Labs facilities in the USA, Netherlands, India, and Malaysia. Customer segments include lubricants, bearings (including EV applications), petroleum, industrial manufacturing, academia, biomaterials/medical devices, and aerospace; named customers include NIS Corporation (USA), Repsol, Fersa Bearings, and University West (Sweden).

Name

Ducom

Legal name

Ducom Instruments (USA) Inc.

Website

https://ducom.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ducom Instruments designs and manufactures scientific testing instruments and software for tribology, petroleum, and mechanical testing, serving lubricant, bearing, petroleum, aerospace, biomaterials, academic, and industrial laboratories across more than four global offices via direct sales and a trained distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Tribology and Petroleum Testing Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Analytical Instruments & Chromatography Systems (HLAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metrology, Calibration & Testing Equipment (Balances, pH/DO, Standards) (HLAGAIAL), Maintenance, Service Contracts & Equipment Repair (Field Service, Parts) (HLAGAIAN), Lubrication, Oil Analysis & Tribology Services (EUAEAKAI)

Keywords

• Tribology testing instruments
• Lubricant testing equipment
• Four ball testers
• Petroleum flash point testers
• Materials wear testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bohemia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scientific Test Instruments: Sale of tribology testing instruments including Universal Testers, Tribometers, Erosion Testers, Four Ball Testers, HFRR, Flash Point Testers, and specialized testing equipment. Products sold as capital equipment with various configurations and attachments.
2. Software Products (MOOHA): AI-enabled digital lab assistant software that can be used together with or in place of LIMS. Available on Google Play Store. Provides device management, reporting, statistics and support functionalities.
3. Contract Testing Services: Ducom Labs offers contract testing, scientific consulting and training services. Services include mechanical testing, tribological testing, petroleum and lubricants testing, contract research, and training workshops. Testing facilities available at multiple global locations.
4. Instrument Service Plans: After-sales support including instrument service plans for maintenance, calibration, and spare parts ordering. Available through MOOHA platform for seamless servicing.
5. Consumables and Spares: Sale of test consumables including specimens (balls, disks), reference fluids, and spare parts for instruments.

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ducom designs and manufactures scientific testing instruments for tribology (friction, wear, lubrication), mechanical, and petroleum testing, organized into general tribology, lubricant tribology, and petroleum tester product lines. The hardware portfolio is unified by the MOOHA AI- and AR-enabled digital lab assistant platform, which automates data processing, provides digital lab book functionality, and connects instruments to LIMS systems. The company also operates Ducom Labs, offering contract testing, scientific consulting, and training services through global facilities in the USA, Netherlands, India, and Malaysia.

Product overview

Ducom Instruments is a scientific instruments company offering a comprehensive portfolio of tribology, mechanical, and petroleum testing instruments. The product range includes universal testing platforms (UNITEST), multi-capability tribometers (POD 4.0), four-ball testers (FBT-3 and TR-30 Series), high frequency reciprocating rigs (HFRR), erosion testers, abrasion testers, fatigue testers, and flash point/petroleum testers. The portfolio is unified under the MOOHA AI-powered digital lab assistant platform that provides data management, analytics, and instrument connectivity across all testing equipment. Add-on modules include KRL Shear Stability Tester, BioTribometer, and various temperature/loading attachments. The company also offers contract testing and consulting services through Ducom Labs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MOOHA: AI and AR enabled digital laboratory assistant that automates data processing, provides digital lab book functionality, device management, and statistical analysis for laboratories and classrooms.
• Paltro

Products and services

• UNITEST - Universal Testing Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Test variability reduced through AI-powered automatic wear scar prediction
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PaltrocoreTechnology or IntegrationPaltro is Ducom's automation and AI division that developed BOCLE 2.0, a fully automated Ball-on-Cylinder Lubricity Evaluator. This represents internal product development capability for advanced automation and AI integration into Ducom instruments.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Anton Paar: Austrian precision measurement and lab instrument company with strong positions in rheometry, viscometry, and tribology. Competes with Ducom in tribology testers and is expanding into digital lab software, making it a meaningful peer across both hardware and software.
• MTS Systems: Provider of mechanical testing and simulation systems for materials and structures. Comparable to Ducom's universal testing platform (UNITEST) and rotating beam fatigue tester (RBFT), though MTS focuses more on higher-force structural testing.
• Bruker Corporation: Major scientific instruments conglomerate offering tribology, mechanical testing, and materials characterization systems. Direct overlap with Ducom in mechanical/tribology testing while operating at much larger scale across many adjacent lab instrument categories.
• Instron (ITW): Leading manufacturer of mechanical testing instruments for materials and components, owned by Illinois Tool Works. Overlaps with Ducom's universal testing and fatigue testing instruments, especially in academic and industrial QA labs.
• AMETEK: Diversified industrial manufacturer with significant test and calibration instrumentation businesses, including petroleum testing instruments (PAC). Directly comparable to Ducom's petroleum tester portfolio and broader industrial measurement offerings.
• Netzsch Group: German manufacturer of thermal analysis, materials testing, and tribology instruments. Directly comparable to Ducom's high-temperature tribology and erosion testing products used in aerospace and advanced materials applications.

Regional players

• Intertek: Global testing, inspection, and certification services company. Comparable to Ducom Labs' contract testing services arm, though Intertek operates at vastly larger scale across many industries and geographies.

Direct peers

• Tinius Olsen: Specialist manufacturer of materials testing equipment including tensile, compression, impact, and fatigue testers. Closely comparable niche competitor to Ducom in mechanical testing instruments for QA laboratories.
• Rtec Instruments: US-based manufacturer of tribometers and surface mechanical testing instruments. Closest direct competitor to Ducom in tribology testers with comparable focus on multi-capability platforms and standardized test methods.
• Tribotechnic: Specialized tribology testing instrument maker offering pin/ball-on-disk, reciprocating, and block-on-ring testers. Closely comparable niche competitor to Ducom's tribometer product line, particularly POD 4.0.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Ducom