PCE Instruments (PCE) got its start in the Hochsauerland district of Germany in 1999. Three graduate engineers — Hilmar Vielhaber, Jürgen Nöcker and Falk Espenhahn — joined forces in the small town of Meschede-Freienohl to found PCE Deutschland GmbH. At first, the three young entrepreneurs worked as process control engineering consultants in the pulp and paper industry. However, the demand for specialized measuring instruments soon became clear, as the three engineers were asked not only to optimize processes but also to procure the required equipment. Therefore, based on customer need, the business model changed in 2000 to include the supply of measuring, laboratory, control and weighing technology.
PCE Deutschland GmbH soon won its place as a major player in the test, measurement and inspection equipment market, providing customers with its own PCE-branded measuring instruments as well as handheld, portable and bench- or desktop analyzers, testers, meters, gauges, detectors, data loggers, sensors, scopes and scales from reputable manufacturers. As the company’s success grew, additional offices opened in Spain and Italy. Shortly thereafter, PCE’s territory expanded to Poland, Turkey, France, China, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States and Chile.
In 2015, PCE added product development to its repertoire. The DIN EN ISO 9001-certified PCE Product and Development Company GmbH produces customized measuring devices tailored to meet the unique needs of a diverse customer base. By capitalizing on the expert knowledge and extensive experience of PCE’s industry-leading engineers and technicians to create custom-built measuring instruments, customers obtain tools designed specifically for the application at hand.
Today, PCE continues to deliver a mix of consultation and procurement services, ensuring the company remains a trusted partner for measuring, laboratory, control and weighing solutions. PCE’s current product portfolio features 500+ instruments with applications in engineering, research and development, process control and quality assurance. PCE serves customers from both industry and academia in a wide variety of fields such as acoustical engineering, aerospace, agriculture, archaeology, architecture, automotive, aviation, bioengineering, building inspection, chemistry, civil engineering, computer science, construction, data acquisition, education, electrical engineering, energy, environmental science, food processing, forensics, forestry, geology, government, horticulture, HVAC, hydrology, industrial hygiene, law enforcement, library science, logistics, machining, maintenance, manufacturing, materials science, mechanical engineering, metal working, meteorology, military, mining, nondestructive testing, occupational health and safety, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, property management, pulp and paper, physics, robotics, structural engineering, supply chain, transportation, tribology, veterinary science, water treatment, welding, woodworking and more. No matter how simple or how complex the measurement need, PCE strives to find the best possible solution.