VIBRATION INSTRUMENTATION
Sensing in miniature
A focus on technology is fuelling the next phase of growth for DJB Instruments in the market for accelerometers. Jonathan Newell visited the Suffolk manufacturer
CAPACITY FOR GLOBAL MARKETS According to Neill Ovenden, the managing director and seasoned engineer who has been running DJB since 2012, the company’s expansion has already begun with an established presence in both France and China. “The Chinese market is the base of some
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fascinating research and development in many of our key markets and the new office will provide us with the perfect launch pad to integrate DJB’s unique products into these applications. We have already had an amazing response to our first exhibition in Shanghai in 2018 and we look forward to further events in Wuhan and Shanghai in 2019,” says Ovenden. He went on to say that the next stage is to open
two more offices in Asia and the USA, two key markets the company is focusing on now, with more to come in the future. A key element in such expansion plans is the
ability to meet increased demand through further capacity. Some of this can be achieved by subcontracting non-core elements of the process but Ovenden is keen to keep the company’s capabilities within the walls of the Mildenhall site in Suffolk. “Our machine shop can machine our products
much better than anyone else because we’ve got such a wealth of experience and product knowledge within our team,” he says. He went on to explain that future growth is
dependent on mixing the existing product set and core experience with new recruits generating new ideas and new products, providing the next generation of workers that can take the company further. Already, DJB Instruments is investing in
22 /// Testing & Test Houses /// March 2019
❱❱ Application diversity is increased with the availability of miniature piezoelectric accelerometers encased in a titanium block, top; Water cooling enables the accelerometer to be used at temperatures that would otherwise destroy the sensor, centre; and monoaxial miniature accelerometers are now available with threaded ends for ease of mounting, above
fter four decades of success in manufacturing accelerometers, UK company DJB Instruments is now poised for the next phase of growth based on investment and innovation.
technology with innovative internal electronics processes without the need for board manufacture as well as laser welding, which is faster than the earlier EB welding process that was used, and a plating process that has recently undergone a complete overhaul.
KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER The new plating process is a direct result of the company’s involvement in Innovation KTPs (knowledge transfer partnerships) funded by Innovate UK and managed by academic institutions. DJB Instruments has a close relationship with
Loughborough University, one of the main engineering universities in the UK with an enviable reputation for applied research and industry partnerships. Research associates hired by Loughborough have
been working closely on DJB projects, including a two-year development of wireless accelerometers and another that has already been running for 14 months on the development of ultra-high temperature piezoelectric ceramic materials. The resulting product is at the prototype stage
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