What Cellbond does

Cellbond, a division of UK-based Encocam Limited, designs, manufactures, and certifies physical equipment used in automotive passive safety testing. Founded in 1988 and headquartered at the iMET campus in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the company supplies deformable aluminium crash test barriers (including Advanced 2000, AE-MDB, MPDB, NHTSA FMVSS214, IIHS, CATARC SC-MDB-V2, and CAERI AC-MDB variants), a full family of anthropomorphic test devices (Q-series child dummies, THOR-50M, THOR-5F, WorldSID-50M, Hybrid III), pedestrian legform impactors (aPLI, Flex-PLI), headforms, calibrated honeycomb materials, finite element simulation models, test rigs and fixtures, sensors, and ATD certification services. Its proprietary differential etching process for aluminium honeycomb, pioneered in 1994, is a core technology that produces progressive crush force profiles during impact events.

Name

Cellbond

Legal name

Encocam Limited

Website

https://cellbond.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crash Test Equipment & Automotive Passive Safety Testing Hardware

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Crash test barriers
• Anthropomorphic test devices
• Passive vehicle safety testing
• Deformable aluminium honeycomb
• Pedestrian legform impactors

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntingdon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Crash Test Barriers: Sale of deformable aluminium crash test barriers for regulatory and consumer testing programmes. Barriers are individually manufactured, certified, and shipped with Certificate of Conformity.
2. ATDs and Crash Test Dummies: Sale of complete crash test dummies including child ATDs (Q-series), frontal impact ATDs (THOR, Hybrid III), side impact ATDs (WorldSID), pedestrian impactors (aPLI, Flex-PLI), headforms, and spare parts.
3. Calibrated Honeycomb: Precision-cut and calibrated aluminium honeycomb materials for passive safety component testing, including neck/lumbar pendulum test materials and Flex-PLI/aPLI dynamic certification materials.
4. Test Equipment and Fixtures: Sale of certification rigs, test fixtures, headform cradles, impact probes, and customised solutions for test laboratories.
5. FE Models: Finite Element models for simulation, available through partners Altair (RADIOSS), ARUP (LS DYNA), ATD Models, Phitec, and Cellbond Impact Solutions.
6. ATD Certification Services: Certification of ATDs at ISO17025 accredited test facilities in UK and Japan, including recertification services for Flex-PLI and aPLI through Kistler ATD in Germany.
7. DAS Integration Services: Integration of data acquisition systems into ATDs including redesign of machined and moulded parts to meet customer DAS requirements.
8. Design and Prototyping Services: Engineering design services from concept to prototype, including 3D printing facilities for fast mould tool and prototype production, ATD assembly improvements, and new product development.
9. ATD Textiles: Development and manufacture of ATD suits and pedestrian impactor skins using advanced materials for various dummy models including aPLI, Flex-PLI, Q-Series, World-SID, THOR.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cellbond designs, develops, and manufactures deformable aluminium honeycomb crash test barriers, anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs/crash test dummies) covering infant, child, adult male, adult female, pedestrian legform and headform impactors, and supporting calibrated honeycomb materials and test equipment. The company supplies certified passive-safety testing hardware and related engineering services — DAS integration, dummy certification, design & prototyping, R&D, and textile skin production — to automotive OEMs, NCAP consumer rating programmes, regulators, test laboratories, and academic researchers worldwide.

Product overview

Cellbond is a leading global supplier of vehicle crash safety test equipment, offering a comprehensive portfolio of passive safety testing products and services. The core product portfolio consists of deformable aluminium crash test barriers (including Advanced 2000, AE-MDB, CATARC SC-MDB-V2, CAERI AC-MDB, Frontal Offset, Full Width Frontal, IIHS Side Impact, MPDB, NHTSA FMVSS214, and NHTSA Frontal Small Overlap barriers) and crash test dummies (ATDs) including child dummies (Q0, Q1, Q1.5, Q3, Q6, Q10A, Q10B), frontal impact dummies (THOR-50M, THOR-5F, THOR-RS, Hybrid III 50M), and side impact dummies (WorldSID-50M). Supporting products include pedestrian impactors (aPLI Legform, Flex-PLI Legform, Pedestrian Headforms), headforms (Free Motion, Ejection Mitigation), calibrated honeycomb materials, FE models for simulation, test equipment (dynamic test rigs, knee impact rigs, neck pendulum rigs, abdomen compression stands, and various fixtures), ATD storage solutions, and sensors. Services include DAS integration, design & prototyping, dummy certification (ISO17025 accredited), research & development, and textile manufacturing for ATD suits. The company operates as a division of Encocam Limited, established in 1988, with global presence through offices in UK, USA, Germany, Japan, and Korea.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Deformable Aluminium Crash Test Barriers A family of deformable aluminium honeycomb crash test barriers used for vehicle frontal, side and oblique impact testing compliant with Euro NCAP, NHTSA, IIHS, C-NCAP, JNCAP and other regulatory standards; bought by automotive OEMs, NCAPs, regulators and proving grounds, with proprietary differential etching producing progressively changing crush forces for repeatable and reproducible crash simulation.
• Crash Test Dummies (ATDs) Anthropomorphic Test Devices that mimic the physical properties, shape and deformation characteristics of the human body with embedded sensors for measuring injury risk during vehicle impact events; includes child dummies (Q0, Q1, Q1.5, Q3, Q6, Q10A, Q10B), frontal impact dummies (THOR-50M, THOR-5F, THOR-RS, Hybrid III 50M) and side impact dummies (WorldSID-50M) for automotive OEMs, NCAPs and regulators.
• Q10B Child Dummy Updated Q10 child dummy with improved shoulder and lap belt routings and front seat interaction; adopted by Euro NCAP in 2018 and used by OEMs and regulators for child occupant testing under Regulation R129.
• THOR-50M Frontal Impact Dummy Advanced frontal impact ATD used in NCAP programmes worldwide since 2020, featuring enhanced neck construction for head lag, flexible rubber thoracic spine, redesigned rib cage with improved biofidelity, and IRTRACC three-dimensional thoracic deflection measurement; targets automotive OEMs and regulators running modern frontal occupant protection protocols.
• THOR-5F 5th Percentile Female Dummy Most advanced 5th percentile adult female frontal-impact ATD with enhanced anthropometry aligned to women's physiological characteristics including APTS twin abdominal pressure sensors, breast anatomy, female pelvic bone and multiple DAS integration options (DTS, DTI); adopted by Euro NCAP for protocols from 2029 and used by OEMs and regulators to improve female occupant safety assessment.
• WorldSID-50M Side Impact Dummy Side impact dummy developed under ISO oversight for harmonised side impact regulations, featuring integrated on-board DAS with most modules in the rigid spine, 2-D/3-D KIRTRACCs and RibEye chest deflection measurement; Euro NCAP TB 029 approved March 2026 and aimed at OEMs, NCAPs and regulators running side impact homologation.
• aPLI Pedestrian Legform Impactor Latest and most advanced third-generation pedestrian legform impactor with upper mass representing torso loading into femur, advanced knee design, instrumented deformable bones, pusher blocks and rounded knee segments for low test variability; enables assessment of femur injuries alongside knee and tibia injuries and is used by NCAPs and regulators for pedestrian protection testing.
• Flex-PLI Legform Impactor Second-generation pedestrian legform impactor with advanced knee design and instrumented deformable bones for assessing tibia and knee injuries; replaced the TRL Pedestrian Legform in most regulations worldwide and is used for pedestrian protection certification.
• Pedestrian Headforms Series of pedestrian head impactors (Child 3.5kg, Adult 4.5kg, Large Adult 4.8kg) developed by EEVC Working Group 17 and available with multiple DAS and onboard data acquisition options for assessing injury risk on bonnets and windshields; used by OEMs, NCAPs and test laboratories in pedestrian head impact testing.
• Free Motion Headform (FMH) Headform based on Hybrid-III design launched by robot arm from inside the vehicle; enables specified head injury criteria calculation using accelerometers for free travel and target component impact, used in interior safety testing by OEMs and test laboratories.
• Ejection Mitigation Headform 18kg ejection mitigation headform compliant with FMVSS Standard 226 for designing safety restraints to reduce occupant ejections in side impact and rollover crashes; supplied to OEMs, NCAPs and test laboratories for restraint development and homologation.
• Calibrated Honeycomb Precision-cut and calibrated Corex aluminium honeycomb from Cellbond's UK factory, every batch tested through quasi-static compression testing for consistent crush strength; supplied as consumable material for crash test barriers and for dummy neck, lumbar pendulum and Flex-PLI/aPLI dynamic certification.
• Finite Element (FE) Models Validated finite element simulation models of Cellbond's crash test barriers and ATDs, distributed through partners including ARUP (LS-DYNA), Altair (RADIOSS), ATD Models, Phitec and Cellbond Impact Solutions; enable customers to perform virtual crash testing alongside physical certification.
• Test Equipment and Fixtures Range of test rigs and fixtures for certification and testing of ATDs and impactors, including dynamic test rigs, knee impact rigs, neck pendulum rigs, abdomen compression stands, hip adduction stands, centre of gravity headform rigs, headform cradles, impact probes and customised fixtures; supplied to test laboratories and OEM crash labs.
• ATD Storage Solutions Storage and transport solutions for ATDs, including the aPLI Hanging Rig with vertical storage, castors, brakes and weighted base to reduce tipping risk; supplied to test laboratories and OEM crash facilities handling expensive dummies.
• Sensors In-house developed sensors including the 38mm Wire Potentiometer (SA572-S90 equivalent) with compact robust design, internal wire stop, 15g mass and analogue signal generation via precision conductive plastic potentiometer; supplied as components for ATD builds and instrumentation.
• DAS Integration Service Engineering service that integrates third-party data acquisition systems (e.g. DTS Slice Nano, Kistler DTI, DTS Slice 6) into Cellbond ATDs, redesigning machined and moulded parts to meet customer-specific DAS requirements; enables OEMs and test labs to deploy custom-instrumented dummies.
• Design & Prototyping Service Engineering service offering design from initial concept or redesign of current products, including ATD assembly improvement and DAS integration, supported by in-house 3D printing for fast mould tools and prototype parts; targets OEMs, test houses, governments and regulatory bodies needing bespoke safety testing solutions.
• Dummy Certification Service ATD certification and recertification services performed at Cellbond's ISO 17025 accredited test facilities in the UK and Japan (with Flex-PLI and aPLI recertification also offered via Kistler ATD in Germany); provided to OEMs, NCAPs and test laboratories to maintain ATD compliance with regulations and standards.
• Research & Development Service R&D service leveraging Cellbond's in-house ATD development expertise and testing facilities, offered to OEMs, regulators, manufacturers and academic researchers; includes collaborative projects such as the OmniFlex Neck with Loughborough University featured at IRCOBI 2025.
• ATD Textiles Service Development and manufacture of ATD suits and pedestrian impactor skins using advanced materials, covering aPLI, Flex-PLI, the Q-Series family, WorldSID 50M, THOR-50M and THOR-5F dummies; supplied to customers needing replacement skins for crash testing and certification.

Quantifiable outcome

• Euro NCAP TB 029 approval granted March 2026 for Cellbond/Kistler WorldSID-50M
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KistlercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026Joint development of WorldSID-50M 50th percentile male crash test dummy. Euro NCAP TB 029 approval granted March 2026. Kistler provides DTI and DTS Slice 6 DAS technologies integrated into the dummy. Partnership enables combined expertise in dummy design and data acquisition systems.
• ARUPcoreTechnology or IntegrationLong-term FE model partnership for LS DYNA finite element models of complete range of crash test barriers. ARUP provides validated simulation models for use in virtual crash testing.
• AltaircoreTechnology or IntegrationRADIOSS FE model partnership for crash test barrier simulation. Provides validated finite element models for virtual testing alongside physical barrier certification.
• Jost's Engineering Company LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales Partner in India for ATD products appointed in 2021. Provides local sales, pricing, logistics, and technical support for Indian customers including ARAI and Maruti Suzuki.
• Beijing Forever Brightness / Welly InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor in China since 2002, providing local sales and support for Chinese market. Room 901, No. 9 Fengtai Science Area, Beijing 100070, PR China.
• A&G Technology Co. LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor in South Korea since 1999, marketing Cellbond ATD products to Korean manufacturers and test facilities.
• Chankasem International Co., LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresentative agent of TISI in Thailand, facilitating purchase of Q-Dummy suite for Thai Industrial Standards Institute.
• DTS (Data Transfer Systems)coreTechnology or IntegrationData acquisition system supplier for ATD integration. Cellbond integrates DTS Slice Nano into ATDs including Hybrid III dummies. DTS provides onboard DAS solutions for pedestrian headforms.
• Loughborough UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on OmniFlex Neck development with Dr Jon Farmer. Cellbond featured the groundbreaking collaboration at IRCOBI 2025.
• JAMA/JARIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorked with Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association and Japan Automobile Research Institute on aPLI (advanced Pedestrian Leg Impactor) development in 2016.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MESSRING Systembau: MESSRING designs and builds crash test facilities, propulsion systems, and dummy calibration equipment. It supplies complementary crash test infrastructure to the same NCAP and OEM customers as Cellbond.
• Humanetics: Humanetics is the largest global specialist in ATDs and crash test equipment, directly competing with Cellbond across frontal, side, and pedestrian impactor categories. The two companies compete head-to-head in NCAP protocol specifications and OEM programmes.
• Servotest Testing Systems: Servotest supplies dynamic test equipment, hydraulic actuators, and crash simulation systems used in automotive passive safety laboratories — overlapping with Cellbond's test equipment and certification rig product lines.
• Kistler Group: Kistler provides crash test dummies, data acquisition systems (DTI, DTS Slice 6), and is a joint development partner with Cellbond on WorldSID-50M. It also recertifies Flex-PLI and aPLI through Kistler ATD in Germany, making it both partner and competitor.
• Safety Test Solutions: Safety Test Solutions (part of the AURELIO group) supplies crash test dummies, test barriers, and calibration equipment to European OEMs and test houses, competing directly with Cellbond in deformable barrier manufacturing.

Broad incumbents

• Instron (Illinois Tool Works): Instron is a large industrial mechanical testing equipment provider used in materials and component testing including some automotive passive safety applications. It is a broader incumbent in test & measurement but not a specialist in crash test barriers or ATDs.
• Tass International (Siemens): Tass International, now part of Siemens, provides crash simulation software, FE models, and integrated safety engineering services. It overlaps with Cellbond's FE model distribution and digital simulation offerings through partners like Altair and ARUP.

Emerging players

• FTSS (France): FTSS supplies pedestrian impactors (Flex-PLI, aPLI) and dummy calibration services, directly overlapping with Cellbond's pedestrian legform portfolio. It is a smaller specialist competing on specific impactor categories.
• Biokinetics and Associates: Biokinetics specializes in biomechanical research, ATD development, and injury biomechanics, with overlap to Cellbond's R&D services and OmniFlex Neck collaboration work with Loughborough University.

Regional players

• MIRA (HORIBA MIRA): HORIBA MIRA operates a major UK vehicle testing and engineering services business and is both a long-time collaborator (honeycomb calibration with Cellbond since 1989) and an indirect competitor in crash test services. It primarily serves UK and European OEMs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cellbond
• Facebookfacebook.com/cellbond
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cellbond

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Cellbond