About Featured Expert: HBK
HBK are global industry experts in test and measurement, data acquisition, sound and vibration analysis, durability engineering, structural testing and engineering software. The company provides technologies spanning the full measurement lifecycle, from sensors and transducers through data acquisition, signal conditioning, analysis, simulation and test-data management. This allows engineers to evaluate how products and structures behave under load, vibration, acoustic excitation, thermal influence and other real operating conditions.
At the sensing level, HBK offers strain gauges, load cells, force and torque transducers, pressure sensors, accelerometers, microphones, hydrophones and other devices used to convert physical behavior into measurable electrical signals. These technologies support applications ranging from component development and structural testing to rotating machinery, vehicle systems, industrial production and long-term asset monitoring. The measurement chain continues through HBK’s mechanical, structural, electrical, sound and vibration data-acquisition systems. QuantumX supports flexible, synchronized measurement across laboratory, test-cell, mobile and field environments, while Genesis HighSpeed provides modular, high-speed acquisition for applications involving rapid events and large data volumes. HBK’s wider sound and vibration systems combine acquisition hardware with microphones, accelerometers, analyzers and software for noise, vibration and harshness testing, acoustic characterization and machine analysis.
Software is an equally important part of the company’s engineering model. catman supports data acquisition, visualization and analysis for mechanical and structural testing, while Perception is designed for high-speed measurement and large data volumes. BK Connect provides an integrated environment for sound and vibration analysis, and nCode GlyphWorks supports durability, fatigue and digital signal processing across large engineering datasets. That combination allows measurements to move beyond simple recording. Test data can be processed, compared with simulation results, evaluated for fatigue life, managed across projects and used to refine designs before production. HBK’s integrated test-and-measurement approach therefore connects physical testing with software-based analysis and simulation, helping engineering teams understand not only whether a component or system has failed, but how and why it behaves under defined operating conditions.
Durability and structural applications form a major part of this work. Strain, force, torque, acceleration and load measurements can be acquired during bench, proving-ground or field testing, then analyzed to evaluate stress, fatigue, vibration response and service-life expectations. In sound and vibration applications, HBK technologies support acoustic testing, modal analysis, environmental noise, machinery diagnostics and vehicle NVH development.
Typical applications for HBK products include automotive and electric-vehicle development, aerospace testing, energy systems, wind power, industrial machinery, civil structures, rail, marine, electronics, medical devices, consumer products and academic research.
HBK was formed through the combination of Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik and Brüel & Kjær, bringing together long-established expertise in mechanical measurement and sound and vibration engineering. The business operates as part of Spectris and supports customers through a global network of engineering, sales, calibration and service resources. To learn more about HBK and its test and measurement technologies, please click here.
(Editor’s Note: All trademarks mentioned in this article, including company names, product names, and logos, are the property of their respective owners. Use of these trademarks is for informational purposes only and does not imply any endorsement.)
Molly Bakewell Chamberlin is the Founder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Components Source Network, a 100% woman- and disability-owned B2B publishing and expert marketplace platform serving the global high-tech manufacturing and engineering community. She is the architect, author and developer of the Network’s 11 specialized e-news sites and 11 peer-vetted expert e-marketplaces, including Sensors + Testing Monthly. With more than 25 years of experience in strategic technical marketing, public relations and business development, she is also the Founder and President of Embassy Global, LLC, which has supported more than 200 high-tech industry brands worldwide since 2008. Molly also serves pro bono as Second Vice Chair of the Government Team for the WBENC Forum and is a long-standing advocate for small business, supplier diversity, sustainability and women in STEM. Connect with Molly on LinkedIn.
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