Rheology Solutions

What Rheology Solutions does

Rheology Solutions, trading as Rheology Solutions Australia under the legal entity Online Rheometer Pty Ltd, is an Australian specialist B2B distributor and service organization for materials characterization and rheology measurement instruments. The company distributes a portfolio of rheometers, rotational viscometers, process rheometers, temperature control systems, and twin-screw extruders from brands including Thermo Scientific HAAKE, Schleibinger Gerate, and Optical Control Systems, with exclusive Australian distribution rights for Schleibinger construction materials testing systems. Its customers span seven primary verticals: polymer processing, food, building & construction, mining and mineral slurries, pharmaceutical and cosmetic, surface coatings, and chemical industries.

The company's product portfolio combines third-party distributed instruments with a proprietary offering: the On-Line Rheometer (OLR), developed and manufactured under an exclusive license from CSIRO using a patented multi-frequency squeezing flow technique that enables real-time, continuous measurement of viscoelastic flow properties directly within process pipes. Additional technical capabilities include the HAAKE MARS III modular rheometer equipped with a RheoScope module that couples rheological measurements with microscopic visualization, and an applications laboratory offering contract testing services. The Bacchus Marsh facility combines manufacturing (for OLR) with the contract testing laboratory.

The business model operates across four revenue streams: (i) hardware sales of distributed and proprietary instruments, (ii) contract testing services through the applications laboratory, (iii) after-sales service and calibration for installed instruments across Australia, and (iv) licensing/royalty economics associated with OLR production under the CSIRO agreement. Go-to-market is a hybrid of direct factory-trained sales and service personnel across Australia combined with exclusive distribution agreements with overseas principals. The company is privately held, transitioned leadership in 2017 from founder Pat Griffin to Dr. Tim Kealy and Dr. Pradipto Bhattacharyya, and operates exclusively within the Australian market.

Name

Rheology Solutions

Legal name

Rheology Solutions Pty Ltd

Website

https://rheologysolutions.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Rheology Solutions is an Australian specialist distributor and service organization for materials characterization instruments, serving polymer, food, construction, mining, pharmaceutical, and coatings industries with rheometers, viscometers, and the proprietary CSIRO-licensed On-Line Rheometer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Materials Characterization Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Metrology, Calibration & Testing Equipment (Balances, pH/DO, Standards) (HLAGAIAL)

Keywords

• Materials characterization instruments
• Rheometer distribution
• Viscometer testing equipment
• Process rheometry systems
• Construction materials testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bacchus Marsh

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Materials Characterization Instruments Sales: Sale of rheometers, viscometers, process rheometers, temperature control units, twin screw extruders, and related accessories from brands including Thermo Scientific HAAKE, Schleibinger, and others.
2. Contract Testing Services: Application laboratory providing specialized contract testing services for polymer, food, pharmaceutical, coatings, and mining industries using advanced rheological equipment.
3. Service & Calibration: After-sales service, calibration, and technical support for instruments throughout Australia.
4. OLR Manufacturing & Licensing: Development and manufacture of On-Line Rheometer under CSIRO license agreement, with expected royalties of approximately $2 million for CSIRO.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rheology Solutions distributes, services, and manufactures specialized materials characterization instruments used to measure the flow (rheological) and physical properties of industrial materials. It supplies rheometers, viscometers, process rheometers, temperature control units, twin-screw extruders, and pellet/film inspection systems, while also offering contract testing, calibration, and after-sales service to industrial customers in Australia.

Product overview

Rheology Solutions (now trading as Rheology Solutions Australia under Online Rheometer Pty Ltd) is a specialist distributor and service organization dedicated to materials characterisation science. The company offers an extensive portfolio of materials testing instruments, rheometers, viscometers, temperature control equipment, and twin screw extruders primarily representing the Thermo Scientific HAAKE, Schleibinger Gerate, and Optical Control Systems brands. Core products include the HAAKE MARS III modular rheometer, HAAKE PolyLab QC and OS torque rheometer systems, the proprietary On-Line Rheometer (OLR) developed with CSIRO, and the Schleibinger range of construction materials testing instruments including Viskomat NT/XL viscometers, eBT2 concrete rheometer, CDF freeze-thaw testers, and shrinkage measurement systems. The company also distributes Optical Control Systems' quality control equipment for the polymer industry including the Pellet Analyser PA66 and FSP600 film scanning system. Products serve industries including building & construction, polymers, food, pharmaceuticals, mining, chemicals, and surface coatings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• On-Line Rheometer (OLR): Novel process control instrument developed under CSIRO license for measuring flow properties of process liquids in the pipe in real-time.

Products and services

• On-Line Rheometer (OLR) A novel in-line/on-line process control instrument that continuously measures, plots, and reports the flow properties of process liquids in the pipe using a patented multi-frequency squeezing flow technique developed by CSIRO. Manufactured and supplied by Rheology Solutions to industrial processors needing real-time viscoelastic data.
• Thermo Scientific HAAKE MARS III A high-end, modular, controlled stress rheometer designed for flexibility in research and development with interchangeable temperature control units and measurement geometries. Distributed by Rheology Solutions for polymer, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and other applications.
• Thermo Scientific HAAKE PolyLab QC A measuring mixer and extruder system that meets quality control needs through a modular torque rheometer that can connect to interchangeable mixers, single-screw extruders, or conical twin-screw extruders. Distributed by Rheology Solutions to industrial QC laboratories.
• Thermo Scientific HAAKE PolyLab OS A modular torque rheometer platform for process engineering applications featuring an Open System concept allowing various sensors and systems to be connected for optical, viscosity, and spectroscopy measurements. Distributed by Rheology Solutions.
• Schleibinger Viskomat NT A versatile rotational viscometer for determining the workability of fine-grained building materials such as cement paste, mortar, fine concrete, and plaster with a maximum particle size of 2mm. Distributed exclusively in Australia by Rheology Solutions.
• Schleibinger Viskomat XL A rheometer for mortar and fresh concrete filling the gap between the Viskomat NT and concrete rheometer BT2, handling specimens up to 6mm grain size with a mixer-formed probe measuring torque. Distributed exclusively in Australia by Rheology Solutions.
• Schleibinger Concrete Rheometer eBT2 A compact battery-driven rheometer for fresh concrete that determines relative yield stress and viscosity by testing at various loads, designed specifically for building site use. Distributed exclusively in Australia by Rheology Solutions.
• Schleibinger BT2 Concrete Tester A compact viscometer for testing the workability of fresh self-compacting and high-performance concrete. Distributed exclusively in Australia by Rheology Solutions.
• Schleibinger CDF/CIF Freeze-Thaw Tester A system for testing the freeze/thaw resistance of concrete according to EN 12390-9, RILEM and other standards, measuring weathered quantity through freeze-thaw cycles with specimens placed in sodium chloride solution. Distributed exclusively in Australia by Rheology Solutions.
• Schleibinger Shrinkage Cone A laser-based system for non-contact measurement of the early shrinkage of pastes, mortar and concrete up to several weeks duration. Distributed exclusively in Australia by Rheology Solutions.
• Schleibinger Shrinkage/Expansion Unit A 1m long u-shaped stainless steel system for measuring the long-time shrinkage and expansion of mortar and concrete, featuring a removable Neoprene sheet to avoid wall friction. Distributed exclusively in Australia by Rheology Solutions.
• Schleibinger Thin-Layer Shrinkage Laser System A measurement system designed for measuring the shrinkage of thin layers of compounds such as self-levelling flooring compounds or plasters, employing two horizontally aligned laser units. Distributed exclusively in Australia by Rheology Solutions.
• Optical Control Systems Pellet Analyser PA66 An automated quality control system for raw materials based on optical image recording and processing, combining pellet scanning and size/shape distribution analysis for the polymer industry. Distributed in Australia by Rheology Solutions.
• Optical Control Systems FSP600 Film Scanning System A modular wide web inspection system for testing sheet material quality using networked image processors and line cameras that examine sections of the web for defects. Distributed in Australia by Rheology Solutions.
• HAAKE Temperature Control Units Temperature control equipment including bath circulators and chillers for precise thermal management of rheological measurements across various applications. Distributed by Rheology Solutions across the HAAKE, GLACIER, NESLAB, ARCTIC, Polar, SAHARA, and ThermoChill product lines.
• Contract Testing and Applications Laboratory Services Specialized contract testing services using advanced rheological equipment including the HAAKE MARS III with RheoScope and High Temperature modules in the Bacchus Marsh applications laboratory, serving polymer, food, pharmaceutical, coatings, and mining industries.
• Service and Calibration After-sales service, calibration, and technical support for rheology instruments throughout Australia, delivered by factory-trained service personnel.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce wastage and processing costs by enabling real-time in-line/on-line process control instead of time-consuming offline laboratory testing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2007Rheology Solutions signed a license agreement with CSIRO to develop and manufacture the On-Line Rheometer (OLR). CSIRO released an Expression of Interest in early 2007 to seven international companies, and Rheology Solutions was selected as the successful partner. The OLR uses patented multi-frequency squeezing flow technique developed by CSIRO Industrial Physics. Expected royalties of approximately $2 million for CSIRO.
• Schleibinger Gerate GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 April 2005Rheology Solutions appointed as exclusive Australian distributor for the complete Schleibinger Gerate GmbH range of construction materials testing systems. Products include Viskomat NT, Concrete Tester BT2, CDF/CIF Freeze-Thaw Tester, Shrinkage Cone, Shrinkage/Expansion Unit, and Thin-Layer Shrinkage Laser Measurement System.
• Thermo Fisher ScientificcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for Thermo Scientific HAAKE product line including HAAKE MARS III Rheometer, HAAKE PolyLab QC System, HAAKE PolyLab OS System, and related accessories and measuring systems for polymer, food, pharmaceutical and other applications.
• Optical Control Systems GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian distributor for Optical Control Systems (OCS) products including Pellet Analyser PA66, Pellet Scanning System PS25C, Pellet Size and Shape Distribution Analysis System PSSD, and Film Scanning System FSP600 for polymer industry quality control.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Mettler Toledo: Global manufacturer of precision instruments including thermal analysis (DSC, TGA) and density/viscosity measurement. Comparable to Rheology Solutions' process and laboratory rheology instrumentation in pharma, food, and chemical verticals.
• TA Instruments (Waters): Manufacturer of rheometers, thermal analyzers, and microcalorimeters, now part of Waters Corporation. Directly competes with the HAAKE MARS III and analogous rheometry products in polymers, food, and pharma applications.
• Malvern Panalytical: Part of Spectris plc, Malvern Panalytical is a global leader in materials characterization including rheometers, viscometers, and particle sizing. Directly comparable to Rheology Solutions' HAAKE-branded portfolio and offers overlapping rotational rheometer and process instrumentation products.
• Anton Paar: Privately held Austrian manufacturer of high-precision rheometers, viscometers, and density/measurement instruments with global direct sales. Rheology Solutions distributes comparable rotational rheometers (HAAKE MARS III) and competing modular rheometer platforms; Anton Paar is both a peer and a potential competitor in the Australian market.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Materials & Structural Analysis): Global manufacturer of the HAAKE rheometer product line that Rheology Solutions distributes in Australia. As OEM/parent supplier, it is both a critical partner and a structural competitor if Thermo Fisher chooses to bypass distribution in Australia.
• Brookfield Engineering (AMETEK): Long-established manufacturer of viscometers and rheometers under AMETEK. Sells directly and through distributors globally, competing with Rheology Solutions' viscometer and rotational instrument offerings across food, coatings, and chemicals.
• Instron (Illinois Tool Works): Global materials testing instrumentation manufacturer covering mechanical/rheological testing of polymers, metals, and composites. Provides adjacent mechanical characterization that overlaps with Rheology Solutions' polymer and materials testing customers.

Direct peers

• NETZSCH Analyzing & Testing: German manufacturer of rheometers, thermal analysis, and in-line process viscometers. Comparable to Rheology Solutions' portfolio in both laboratory rheometry (competing with HAAKE MARS III) and process rheometry (competing with the OLR).
• Brabender GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of torque rheometers, extruders, and mixer/extruder systems (e.g., MetaStation, Plastograph) that closely mirror Rheology Solutions' HAAKE PolyLab QC and PolyLab OS torque rheometer product lines. Directly comparable in the polymer and food process rheology space.
• Schleibinger Gerate GmbH: German manufacturer of construction materials testing equipment (Viskomat, BT2, freeze-thaw, shrinkage systems). Rheology Solutions is its exclusive Australian distributor; Schleibinger is a direct peer in concrete and mortar rheology testing, with overlapping products in the building materials vertical.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Rheology Solutions