GB Inspection Systems

What GB Inspection Systems does

GB Inspection Systems Ltd is a privately held UK manufacturer of ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) probes, transducers, and related accessories, founded in 1984 and headquartered at Burntwood Business Park, Cannock. The company's core product line comprises specialised ultrasonic probes — including shear wave, angle compression, 0° compression, railway, TOFD (Time of Flight Diffraction), high temperature, creep and surface wave, and phased array (PAUT) variants — together with the proprietary TULA™ ultra-low-angle TOFD series and a recently launched integral-PALM handheld ultrasonic testing device. The business operates as a single-brand, high-mix/low-volume engineered component manufacturer with a 165-SKU catalogue, conforming to international standards including ISO 9001:2015, BS EN ISO 22232, BS2704 and BS EN ISO 7963.

The company monetises primarily through hardware sales of probes and accessories (BNC, Lemo, Microdot, Subvis connector variants, cables, wear shoes, re-shoe kits), complemented by professional services including calibration certifications (ICO-CAL, ICO-CALW, ICO-CON-PDF, ICO-CALTEST) and bespoke custom probe manufacturing. Distribution is conducted globally via a direct e-commerce website with registered-account purchasing and quote-based sales — supported by a stated worldwide distribution network and a reseller partnership with Jireh Products for CIRC-IT weld scanners. Go-to-market combines digital commerce, organic social media (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram), email quote requests with sub-hour response times, and physical presence at industry exhibitions such as BINDT MT 2024.

GB Inspection Systems serves four primary customer segments: NDT service companies (its principal segment), the railway industry (track and axle inspection), manufacturing and fabrication (welds, castings, pressure vessels), and — to a lesser extent — aerospace and defence customers requiring PAUT and TOFD probes. The buying motion is predominantly business-to-business and quote-driven, with public pricing visible only to registered customers; product price points range from approximately £30 for accessories to over £5,000 for complex systems such as Jireh CIRC-IT dual-probe kits. The firm is privately held with no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or external funding rounds.

Name

GB Inspection Systems

Legal name

GB Inspection Systems Ltd

Website

https://gbinspection.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GB Inspection Systems Ltd is a privately held UK manufacturer of ultrasonic non-destructive testing probes, transducers and accessories, serving NDT service companies, the railway industry, manufacturing/fabrication firms and aerospace/defence buyers worldwide from its Cannock headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Equipment

NAICS

Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)

akta.pro primary industry

NDT/NDE Inspection Equipment (Ultrasonic, eddy current, radiography, thermography) (IMAGAFAI)

Keywords

• Ultrasonic NDT probes
• Non-destructive testing equipment
• TOFD phased array transducers
• Railway inspection probes
• Calibration services NDT

Headquarters

HQ city

Cannock

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Ultrasonic Probes: Sale of ultrasonic testing probes including shear wave, compression, TOFD, PAUT, railway, and custom probes. Products are sold with various configurations (angle, frequency, connector type) and include calibration certificates.
2. Accessories and Cables: Sale of probe cables, wear shoes, wear rings, re-shoe kits, calibration blocks, and transducer accessories. Products include BNC, Lemo, Microdot, and Subvis connector variants.
3. NDT Equipment: Sale of NDT equipment and accessories including PT, MPI and surface crack detection equipment, and Jireh CIRC-IT systems.
4. Calibration and Certification Services: Calibration services and certification including Individual Certificates of Calibration (ICO-CAL), Certificates with waveform (ICO-CALW), and Certificates of Conformity (ICO-CON-PDF) in accordance with BS EN ISO 22232 standards.
5. Service, Repair and Evaluation: Comprehensive service and support including calibration, repair, evaluation, and design & development services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GB Inspection Systems designs and manufactures ultrasonic probes, transducers and accessories for non-destructive testing (NDT), including shear wave, compression, TOFD, PAUT, railway, high temperature and custom probes, along with calibration blocks, cables, wear shoes, Jireh CIRC-IT scanners and PT/MPI surface crack detection equipment. The company also delivers calibration, certification, repair and design/development services, and recently launched the integral-PALM handheld ultrasonic testing device.

Product overview

GB Inspection Systems is a manufacturer of ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment, primarily serving the industrial inspection sector. The company operates as a single-brand manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of ultrasonic probes and testing equipment rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product line centers on specialized ultrasonic transducers and probes including Shear Wave, Angle Compression, 0° Compression, Railway, TOFD, High Temperature, and Creep/Surface Wave probes. Supporting the probe portfolio are complementary product categories including Calibration Blocks for verification, Cables and Connectors, Transducer Accessories (wear rings, re-shoe kits), Jireh CIRC-IT weld scanner accessories, and PT/MPI surface crack detection equipment. The company also recently launched the integral-PALM handheld inspection device. Services include calibration, repair, and custom probe manufacturing. Products are sold directly through an e-commerce platform with 165 SKUs across the catalog.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TULA™: TULA™ TOFD Ultra Low Angle probes for time-of-flight diffraction ultrasonic testing
• integral-PALM

Products and services

• Shear Wave Probes Ultrasonic shear wave probes for angle beam testing, used for weld inspection and defect detection, available in twin and single configurations with various angles, frequencies, and connector types.
• Angle Compression Probes Angle beam compression probes for ultrasonic testing, available in single and twin configurations with various crystal sizes and contact faces.
• 0 Degree Compression Probes Straight beam compression probes for perpendicular ultrasonic testing, including delay line and standard configurations.
• Railway Probes Specialized probes for railway inspection including track and axle testing probes (SSNR, LSSNR, MHAT series), supplied with calibration certificates and labels.
• TULA TOFD Probes Proprietary TULA (TOFD Ultra Low Angle) series probes with various focus depths and angles including A, B, C, C+ 12.5, C+ 25, D, E, and F variants for specialized time-of-flight diffraction applications.
• High Temperature Probes Ultrasonic probes designed for high-temperature testing applications up to 200°C continuous or 300°C intermittent use.
• Creep Wave and Surface Wave Probes Specialized probes for creep wave and surface wave testing applications including single and twin configurations.
• Custom Made Probes Bespoke ultrasonic probe manufacturing service for custom specifications and non-standard requirements.
• Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) Transducers Phased array probes and wedges for advanced ultrasonic testing with electronic beam steering capabilities.
• integral-PALM Handheld Ultrasonic Testing Device Portable handheld ultrasonic testing device designed for inspection applications, enabling testing in the palm of the hand.
• Calibration Blocks Reference calibration blocks conforming to international standards including BS2704 and BS EN ISO 7963 for probe calibration verification.
• Cables, Accessories, Cases and Certification Comprehensive range of probe cables, transducer accessories (BNC, Lemo, Microdot, Subvis connectors), wear shoes, wear rings, re-shoe kits, cases, and calibration certification services.
• NDT Equipment and Accessories Non-destructive testing equipment including PT (penetrant testing), MPI (magnetic particle inspection) and surface crack detection products.
• Jireh CIRC-IT Weld Scanners and Adaptors Third-party weld scanners and accessories distributed by GB Inspection Systems, including CIRC-IT single and dual probe kits, manual pumps, and adaptors for pipe inspection.
• Calibration, Certification, Repair and Design Services Comprehensive calibration, certification, repair, evaluation, and design & development services for ultrasonic probes and NDT equipment, including Individual Certificates of Calibration (ICO-CAL), Certificates with waveform (ICO-CALW) and Certificates of Conformity (ICO-CON-PDF) issued in accordance with BS EN ISO 22232 standards.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Jireh ProductscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGB Inspection Systems distributes Jireh Products including CIRC-IT weld scanners, CIRC-IT adaptors, manual pumps, and ODI kits. Jireh products appear as integral parts of the product catalogue, suggesting a distribution/reseller relationship.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Zetec: Specialized manufacturer of ultrasonic and eddy current NDT equipment, including phased array probes and TOFD scanners. Comparable in product focus to GBIS with similar transducer-led offerings.
• Cygnus Instruments: UK-based manufacturer of ultrasonic thickness gauges and NDT equipment for corrosion and inspection applications. Similar-size UK firm competing in adjacent ultrasonic inspection segments.
• Sonotron NDT: Israel-based manufacturer of ultrasonic transducers and NDT probes with comparable product categories including shear wave, compression, and TOFD probes serving industrial inspection customers globally.
• Sonatest: UK-based manufacturer of ultrasonic flaw detectors, transducers, and phased array probes with overlapping product categories and comparable target customers in industrial NDT. Direct competitor to GBIS in ultrasonic transducers and TOFD/PAUT accessories.

Broad incumbents

• Waygate Technologies (Baker Hughes): Major industrial inspection solutions provider covering ultrasonic, radiographic, and visual NDT. Broader portfolio than GBIS but competes directly in ultrasonic probes and TOFD/PAUT accessories, including via the legacy Krautkramer brand.
• Eddyfi Technologies: Advanced NDT technology company offering ultrasonic, phased array, and eddy current inspection solutions. Competes in advanced ultrasonic and TOFD markets that overlap with GBIS's premium probe offerings.
• Mistras Group: Large NDT services and equipment provider offering ultrasonic testing solutions, asset integrity services, and proprietary inspection products. Much larger scale but overlapping ultrasonic probe and inspection hardware markets.
• Evident (formerly Olympus Industrial): Global leader in NDT and inspection equipment offering comprehensive ultrasonic, phased array, and eddy current portfolios. Larger incumbent that competes across the same customer base but with broader instrument, software, and service bundling.

Emerging players

• NDT Systems (ACS Group): Manufacturer of ultrasonic NDT transducers and probes serving industrial inspection markets. Competes in similar low-cost probe categories and offers comparable shear wave and TOFD product lines.
• PHASED ARRAY (Sames/TecScan): French manufacturer of phased array ultrasonic testing systems and probes. Specialized overlap with GBIS's PAUT transducer business, particularly in advanced weld inspection applications.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gbinspection
• Facebookfacebook.com/GBInspectionSystems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gb-inspection-systems-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/gbinspection/?hl=en

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 GB Inspection Systems