What DATA ACQUISITION & TESTING SERVICES LIMITED does

Data Acquisition & Testing Services Limited (DATS) is a UK-based independent test house and measurement service provider founded in Derby in 2008 and headquartered in Long Eaton, Nottingham. The company delivers on-site and in-house laboratory testing, calibration, strain gauging, equipment hire and sales, training, and bespoke test rig design across the rail, aerospace, automotive, defence, marine, nuclear and oil & gas sectors. Its technical foundation rests on data acquisition systems using strain gauges, accelerometers, displacement transducers and associated sensors, integrated with industry-standard software including HBK nCode Glyphworks 2024, Catman and VAMPIRE for fatigue, road load data and vehicle dynamics analysis.

DATS's primary differentiator is the ownership of a 125 mph test train (Class 43 HST locomotives, Mark 3 carriages, DVTs) together with a state-of-the-art laboratory equipped with three electrodynamic shakers (up to 89 kN, 2–2000 Hz), a climatic chamber covering -40 to +180 °C, and universal testing machines from ±5 kN to 2000 kN. The team is led by Director Jez (over 36 years of expertise) and supported by BSSM-qualified engineers with Network Rail PTS and Irish Rail PTS certifications, enabling certification testing to EN and GMRT standards.

The business operates five revenue streams: testing and measurement services (project-based, quote-driven), equipment hire (short and long-term DAQ systems, sensors, telemetry), equipment sales (new and ex-hire), worldwide calibration services (10 working day turnaround), and BSSM-accredited training courses (one- and two-day formats from £1,700). Customer concentration sits with enterprise and government clients including Airbus, BAE Systems, CRRC, Alstom, Hitachi Rail, Bombardier, Jaguar Land Rover, London Underground and AtkinsRealis. The company is privately held, bootstrapped with no external funding, and operates from a six-employee base serving the UK, Europe, Asia and the United States.

Name

DATA ACQUISITION & TESTING SERVICES LIMITED

Legal name

Data Acquisition & Testing Services Limited

Website

https://datsltd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DATS is a UK-based independent test house, founded 2008, providing on-site and laboratory test, measurement, calibration, equipment hire, and BSSM-accredited training for rail, aerospace, automotive, defence, marine, nuclear and oil and gas enterprises worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering Testing & Measurement Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance (8112)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Military Aerospace Ground Support Equipment (GSE) & Test Systems (IMABAMAL), Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH) Testing / Compliance Measurements (TLAKANAL), Test, Measurement & Calibration Equipment Manufacturing Services (ATE, DAQ, metrology electronics) (IMAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Test measurement services
• Strain gauging services
• Data acquisition systems
• Vibration testing services
• Calibration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham (Long Eaton)

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Testing and Measurement Services: On-site and in-house laboratory testing services including shock, vibration, impact, noise testing, strain gauging, rail-specific testing, and data analysis
2. Equipment Hire: Short and long term hire of DAQ systems, dataloggers, sensors, instrumentation and associated cabling. Cost-effective solution for project-based testing needs
3. Equipment Sales: Sale of data acquisition systems, strain gauges, sensors, load cells, torque transducers, and associated equipment. Also offers part-hire part-buy and full lease options
4. Calibration Services: Worldwide fully traceable calibration services for accelerometers, pressure sensors, electrical test equipment, DAQ systems, temperature sensors, and displacement sensors with 10 working day turnaround
5. Training Courses: BSSM accredited training courses including strain gauging, data acquisition, signal processing, torque training, and custom courses. 9 courses available plus bespoke options

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DATA ACQUISITION & TESTING SERVICES LIMITED (DATS) is an independent UK test house providing specialist on-site and in-house laboratory testing and measurement services — including shock, vibration, impact, noise, environmental, fatigue and strain gauging — to enterprise clients in rail, aerospace, automotive, defence, marine, nuclear and oil & gas. The company complements testing with BSSM-qualified instrumentation installation, worldwide traceable calibration, data analysis (HBK nCode Glyphworks, Catman, VAMPIRE), and the hire and sale of data acquisition systems, sensors, strain gauges and load cells. DATS also offers BSSM-accredited training courses, project consultancy and custom test rig design and build, operating globally with its own 125mph test train.

Product overview

DATA ACQUISITION & TESTING SERVICES LIMITED (DATS) is a UK-based test and measurement service provider established in 2008, offering a comprehensive portfolio of testing solutions. The company's offering centers on on-site and in-house laboratory testing services for structural, vibration, fatigue, and environmental analysis across multiple industries including rail, aerospace, automotive, defense, and marine. Key service offerings include strain gauging and instrumentation (BSSM-qualified), calibration services, railway-specific testing utilizing their proprietary 125 mph test train, and data analysis using specialized software including HBK nCode Glyphworks, Catman, and VAMPIRE. DATS also provides equipment hire and sale of data acquisition systems (HBK MGC+, QuantumX, Spider 8; Hi-Techniques Echelon) and sensors (accelerometers, load cells, torque sensors, pressure sensors), alongside BSSM-accredited training courses. The portfolio includes consultancy services and custom test rig design/build capabilities, positioning DATS as a turnkey solutions provider for testing, measurement, and analysis needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• On-Site Test and Measurement Services Field-based testing services using advanced dataloggers and sensors to collect structural, dynamic and environmental data at client locations worldwide, supporting aerospace, automotive, defence, marine, nuclear, oil & gas and rail industries.
• In-House Laboratory Testing State-of-the-art laboratory facilities offering structural, vibration, fatigue and environmental testing, including a 40 sq ft test bed, electrodynamic shakers up to 89 kN, universal testing machines to ±5kN–2000kN, and a climatic chamber from -40 to +180°C.
• Calibration Services Worldwide, fully traceable calibration services for static/compressive load (0–2000 kN), mass, electrical parameters, pressure, displacement, frequency, vibration, ground speed, temperature, humidity, noise and torque measurement equipment, with 10 working day turnaround.
• Strain Gauging and Instrumentation Services BSSM-qualified strain gauge installation and instrumentation services including quarter, half and full bridge installations, torque and rotational strain gauging, high-temperature installations and wireless sensor systems, delivered in even the harshest environments.
• Railway-Specific Testing Services Specialist rail testing including pantograph and OLE testing, resistance to derailment (RIDE), vehicle dynamics, brake performance, noise and EMC testing, and infrastructure monitoring using DATS's 125mph test train, with certification tests to EN and GMRT standards.
• Analysis and Data Services Data analysis services using HBK nCode Glyphworks 2024, Catman and VAMPIRE for vehicle performance, road load data interpretation, brake assessment, crack growth analysis, weld fatigue life and structural assessment.
• Equipment Hire Short and long-term hire of data acquisition systems (MGC+, Spider 8, QuantumX, Synergy, Echelon, Constellation), sensors (accelerometers, load cells, torque sensors, pressure sensors, position sensors) and telemetry systems, with full technical support.
• Equipment Sale Sale of data acquisition systems, strain gauges (Micro Measurements, HPM, HBK), load cells (50N to 2000kN), torque transducers, sensors and ex-hire/demo equipment at discounted rates, with part-hire/part-buy and full lease options available.
• Training Courses BSSM-accredited engineering training courses covering data acquisition, signal processing, strain gauging, torque measurement, instrumentation and sensors, and DAQ software (Aspire and Catman), with one-day theory or two-day theory plus practical formats delivered at DATS facility or on-site.
• Project Consultancy Independent test and measurement consultancy including test specification documentation, project planning and management, and engineering support for test logistics, road and rail test tracks.
• Custom Test Rig Design and Build Design and build of bespoke test rigs and stands for life cycle, proof load and fatigue component testing with hydraulic/pneumatic load application, PLC control and configurable test beds.
• 125 mph Test Train Hire DATS-owned 125mph test train comprising Class 43 (HST) diesel locomotives, Mark 3 passenger saloon cars and Driving Van Trailers (DVT) available for hire and used for passenger service, driver training and testing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 working day calibration turnaround
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered partner and core partner.

• MicrosoftpartnerTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft Partner providing cloud and technology infrastructure support for operations and data management
• HBM (Hottinger Bruenn & Kieser)core partnerTechnology or IntegrationPreferred supplier of MGC Plus, Quantum MX, Spider 8, and Expresso DAQ data acquisition systems. HBM/HBK technology used for Catman software training and analysis services
• Hi-Techniquescore partnerTechnology or IntegrationPreferred supplier of Echelon and Vishay System 8000 data acquisition systems. Products available for hire and sale
• HPMpartnerTechnology or IntegrationPartner for strain gauge supply and related instrumentation products
• Strain SensepartnerTechnology or IntegrationPartner for strain measurement products and instrumentation solutions
• Rail ForumpartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry membership organisation for railway sector engagement and collaboration
• Micro MeasurementspartnerTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of strain gauges for sale through DATS instrumentation catalogue

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Intertek: Global Total Quality Assurance provider offering laboratory testing, calibration and certification across multiple industries. Larger incumbent with calibration and product testing overlap to DATS.
• Lloyd's Register Rail Europe: Independent rail assurance, testing and certification body serving Europe and the UK. Overlaps with DATS's rail certification and rolling stock approval services at significantly larger scale.
• TÜV SÜD: Global testing, inspection and certification (TIC) company with strong rail and automotive testing presence in the UK and Europe. Larger incumbent with comparable rail homologation and certification services.
• Ricardo: Global engineering consultancy providing testing and certification services to automotive, rail and aerospace clients alongside broader engineering work. Larger incumbent offering overlapping test, measurement and certification services.

Direct peers

• HORIBA MIRA: UK-based automotive, aerospace and rail engineering test house operating at MIRA Technology Park. Directly comparable vehicle dynamics, RLD, crash, and NVH testing capability with significantly larger scale.
• Element Materials Testing: Global testing laboratory providing mechanical, structural and environmental testing services across transport sectors. Overlaps with DATS's laboratory and structural testing services at significantly broader scale.
• Applus+ IDIADA: Spain-headquartered vehicle and rail design, testing and homologation business. Comparable to DATS's rail certification and automotive RLD offering, with a similar span across multiple transport verticals.
• UTAC (formerly Millbrook): UK vehicle and powertrain proving ground offering automotive testing, homologation and certification. Directly comparable service offering including vehicle durability, EMC and brake testing.

Others

• HBK (Hottinger Brüel & Kjær): Manufacturer of DAQ hardware (MGC+, QuantumX, Spider 8) and Catman software - a DATS technology and supply partner. Reaches similar end customers for structural test and measurement, on the equipment supplier side of the value chain.
• Kistler Group: Swiss manufacturer of piezoelectric sensors, accelerometers and DAQ systems - a tooling/equipment peer to DATS's hire and sale DAQ business, enabling similar measurement applications.

Market position

Strengths6 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/data-acquisition-&-testing-services-limited

Compliance6 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 DATA ACQUISITION & TESTING SERVICES LIMITED