Discom GmbH

What Discom GmbH does

Discom GmbH, headquartered in Göttingen, Germany, is a specialized provider of acoustic and vibration (NVH — Noise, Vibration, Harshness) quality analysis systems used for end-of-line production testing of automotive drivetrain components including transmissions, electric motors, combustion engines, axles, actuators, tapered roller bearings, and turbochargers. The company was founded in 1992 and traces its technology roots to 1985 acoustic testing systems. Since 2019, Discom has operated as a business unit within the HBK (Hottinger, Brüel & Kjær) group, itself owned by Spectris plc. Discom serves all major global automotive OEMs and their Tier-1/Tier-2 suppliers, with secondary reach into household appliance manufacturers, claiming more than 2,000 testing systems installed worldwide and over 100,000 transmissions tested daily with its systems.

The core technology stack consists of proprietary structure-borne sound and acceleration sensors, TAS frontend data-acquisition hardware (TAS28 for 2–8 channels, TAS48 for 2–16 channels, TASnano for mobile use, all with up to 200 kHz sample rate and 24-bit A/D conversion), RAD resolver decoders and CSA current-signal analysis modules, and the integrated ROTAS software suite centered on the TasAlyser real-time analysis application. Supporting tools include WebPal for production trend analysis, TasWavEditor for offline waveform inspection, Marvis for reporting, and a Big Data Interface / data export API that connects measurement data to customer AI and ML pipelines in Python, Matlab, and .NET. The product line is complemented by an industrial PC rack system designed for test bench environments.

Discom generates revenue through a combination of hardware sales (sensors, frontends, PC racks), one-time software licenses (ROTAS suite including AI integration modules), and a layered services portfolio covering NVH expert consulting, customer-specific application engineering, training (delivered via the HBK Academy), error analysis with rental-to-purchase options, and on-demand remote support. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting automotive OEMs and suppliers globally, supported by regional offices in the USA (Canton, MI near Detroit, in cooperation with Brüel & Kjær North America) and China (Shanghai, in cooperation with PanaTech), plus distributor partners in Mexico (Midebien) and India (UBIQUE). Pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed, consistent with project-based, engineered solutions.

Name

Discom GmbH

Legal name

Hottinger Brüel & Kjær GmbH

Website

https://discom.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Discom GmbH, based in Göttingen, Germany, provides acoustic and vibration (NVH) quality analysis systems for end-of-line production testing of automotive drivetrain components. It serves global automotive OEMs and Tier-1/2 suppliers with proprietary sensors, TAS frontends, and the ROTAS software suite.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Acoustic and NVH Measurement Equipment

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH) Testing / Compliance Measurements (TLAKANAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Acoustic quality testing
• End-of-line testing
• NVH measurement systems
• Powertrain production testing
• Vibration analysis hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Göttingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Acoustic Measurement Systems (Hardware): Sale of complete measurement systems including sensors (structure-borne sound sensors, magnetic accelerometers, torsional acceleration sensors), TAS frontends (TAS28, TAS48, TASnano), PC racks, and hardware extensions (RAD resolver decoder, CSA current signal analysis).
2. Software Licenses and Updates (ROTAS Software Suite): Sale of the Discom software suite including TasAlyser, WebPal, TasWavEditor, and the Big Data Interface for AI integration. Turnkey software configured for customer-specific EoL testing.
3. Engineering, Consulting, and Application Development: Customer-specific project engineering, consulting, and application creation services. NVH expert consulting, error analysis, and individual measurement solution development.
4. Remote Support and Maintenance Services: NVH expert remote support, remote maintenance, and emergency service for customers with Discom systems. Provided on-demand without requiring a contract.
5. Training Services: NVH expert training for customer quality assurance specialists covering sensors, TAS frontend usage, TasAlyser analysis software, parameterization, and evaluation. Available as on-site and individual training courses.
6. Test System Rental (Error Analysis): Rental of Discom acoustic measurement systems for manufacturing companies to perform measurements and analysis for their own evaluation purposes. Rental price is applied toward purchase if the customer buys the system.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Discom GmbH provides integrated end-of-line acoustic and vibration (NVH) quality assurance systems for automotive powertrain production testing. Its portfolio combines proprietary sensors (structure-borne sound, magnetic accelerometers, torsional acceleration sensors), TAS data-acquisition frontends (TAS28, TAS48, TASnano), hardware extensions (RAD resolver decoder, CSA current signal analysis), and the ROTAS software suite (TasAlyser, WebPal, TasWavEditor, Big Data Interface) to detect assembly errors and acoustic deviations in transmissions, electric motors, combustion engines, axles, actuators, and turbochargers in real time. Turnkey solutions are complemented by NVH consulting, error analysis, training, and remote support services.

Product overview

Discom GmbH offers a comprehensive acoustic quality assurance system for end-of-line testing in automotive manufacturing. The product portfolio centers on the Discom Software Suite (ROTAS), which integrates TAS frontends (TAS28, TAS48, TASnano) for data acquisition from specialized sensors (structure-borne sound, accelerometers, torsional sensors) with the TasAlyser real-time analysis software, WebPal production analysis, TasWavEditor offline analysis, and Big Data Interface for AI integration. The system supports hardware extensions including RAD resolver decoders and CSA current sensors, and is complemented by NVH consulting, training, error analysis, and remote support services. A complete solution includes Discom's industrial PC rack system with crash recovery and RAID storage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability7 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HBK – Hottinger, Brüel & KjærcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiscom is part of the HBK group, formed from the 2019 merger of HBM and Brüel & Kjær. HBK is the largest company in the world for sound and vibration, with eight calibration centers, offices and agents in 55 countries, 350 R&D engineers worldwide, and 3,500 employees (1,100 in China). HBK provides the broader technology platform and distribution network for Discom's acoustic measurement solutions.
• Shanghai PanaTech Consulting and Engineering Co., Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDiscom's local partner in China operating an office in Shanghai (Room H, 22nd floor, SunTong InfoPort Plaza, No.55 Huaihai Rd west, Xuhui district). Provides local sales, support, and engineering services for Discom products in the Chinese market.
• Bruel & Kjaer North America Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDiscom operates an office in Canton, Michigan (near Detroit) in cooperation with Bruel & Kjaer North America Inc. Provides sales, support, and engineering services for Discom products in the North American automotive market.
• Midebien Instrumentos S.A. de C.V.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal distributor partner for Discom products in Mexico. Located in Tlalnepantla de Baz, Mexico. Provides sales and support coverage for the Mexican market.
• UBIQUE INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS PVT LTDminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal distributor partner for Discom products in India. Located in Pirangut, Pune, India. Provides sales and support coverage for the Indian market.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HORIBA: HORIBA supplies test and measurement equipment for engine, drivetrain and emissions applications globally. Its automotive test portfolio intersects with Discom's EoL and powertrain NVH testing offering.
• AVL List GmbH: AVL is a global mobility technology company providing powertrain, e-drive, and vehicle testing solutions. AVL's acoustic and NVH testing tools and services compete with Discom's automotive EoL value proposition at the test system level.
• FEV Group: FEV provides powertrain and vehicle development services including NVH measurement and analysis for ICE, hybrid and electric drivetrains. It competes with Discom in automotive acoustic and vibration engineering services.
• National Instruments (NI / Emerson): NI provides modular data acquisition, PXI systems, and test software widely used in automotive test stands. It competes with Discom's TAS frontends as a general-purpose DAQ platform for powertrain and EoL test cells.
• Brüel & Kjær (HBK): Brüel & Kjær is Discom's sister brand within HBK and the broader global leader in sound and vibration instrumentation. It addresses overlapping NVH and acoustic analysis use cases across R&D, lab, and production environments at much greater scale.

Emerging players

• gfai tech: gfai tech specializes in acoustic camera and beamforming measurement systems for industrial noise analysis. It overlaps Discom's acoustic measurement portfolio in production quality and NVH use cases.
• DEWETRON: DEWETRON manufactures high-precision data acquisition systems for automotive and energy testing applications. It overlaps Discom's frontend business, particularly for automotive test bench and NVH data capture.
• IMC Messsysteme: IMC produces modular data acquisition systems used in automotive, e-mobility and NVH test applications. It competes with Discom's TAS frontends in the same EoL and powertrain test cell workflows.

Direct peers

• Kistler Group: Kistler manufactures piezoelectric sensors, charge amplifiers and data acquisition systems widely used in engine, transmission and powertrain NVH testing. Its dynamic measurement portfolio directly overlaps Discom's sensor and frontend business in automotive production testing.
• HEAD acoustics: HEAD acoustics is a direct competitor in NVH and acoustic quality testing, offering hardware (artificial heads, HMS frontends) and software for voice/audio quality and end-of-line testing. It is one of the closest like-for-like rivals to Discom in automotive EoL acoustic measurement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/discom-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Discom GmbH