Monthly award for calibration laboratory

A Hitek product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jun 6, 2006

Hitek Calibration is a family owned independent laboratory providing calibration and repair of electrical, temperature, humidity, RF/microwave, airflow and dimensional measuring instruments.

Hitek Calibration is a family owned independent laboratory providing calibration and repair of electrical, temperature, humidity, RF/microwave, airflow and dimensional measuring instruments for a wide range of businesses.

The team of five engineers provides clients with a total of over 75 years' calibration experience from their laboratory in Horsham, West Sussex, which houses over GBP 1 million worth of test equipment and standards.

The company provides a choice of services, including on-site, mobile and return-to-permanent laboratory for UKAS calibration.

The company's on-going commitment to delivering accurate, reliable and prompt calibration and repair, coupled with a desire to provide value, innovation, and service that is second-to-none, has led it to be the deserving recipients of the Fresh Media Company of the Month.

Hitek built its reputation on understanding the needs of individual companies, whatever their business is, and responding to them effectively and professionally.

For over a decade the company has provided personal attention and dedication at the very core of their business.

It is a tradition that is embodied in its highly trained and loyal staff.

Its one-to-one approach does much more than give the personal touch.

Hitek staff work with customers to truly understand and meet all their calibration and technical needs in an integrated way.

Hitek focuses on the issues a customer faces and assists them with the priorities from a technical and quality stance.

In this way it aims to understand customers' business needs from day one.

This is not a unique claim among professional calibration laboratories, perhaps; but the company strives to be much more than this.

Never a company willing to rest on its not-inconsiderable laurels, Hitek has moved into subcontracted equipment sales and leasing (German firm Zera, the recognised world-leader in electrical testing equipment, has seen a strong growth in their UK presence since appointing Hitek as sole UK agent - already winning orders valued at over GBP 100,000).

Hitek has built a brand new wind tunnel at its lab in Horsham prompted by a growing demand for accurate calibration of anemometers, which are increasingly being used in sectors such as air conditioning for buildings as well as more established markets like the automotive and aerospace industries.

"We were receiving regular enquiries from people looking for anemometer calibration services and we soon realised it was a service that isn't widely available", explains Hitek principal Martin Kulin.

"The facilities that did exist couldn't keep pace with demand, so we commissioned the design and construction of a brand new rig".

The custom-designed wind tunnel can deliver airflows of up to 20m/s, which is sufficient for calibration for most anemometers.

"After searching the market for suitable equipment, we decided building our own would provide the best solution and this has delivered a tool that exactly meets the needs of our clients", added Kulin.

In addition, Hitek now offers clients the opportunity to download their latest calibration results and certificate in PDF format from the company website at no extra cost.

According to Kulin: "The online service represents true innovation".

"Modern business expects to be able to access resources using the Internet".

"By making calibration certificates and calibration results available to our customers, we're tapping into the zeitgeist".

"Clients no longer need to wait for a hard copy of their results by post - they simply log on to our website for immediate access to the full test data as well as a calibration certificate".

"All Hitek engineers are equipped with wireless broadband laptops and this new service is so fast that during on-site tests, clients can access the results before the engineer has even left the building".

Hitek is convinced that users will find the system far quicker and easier than other options and has set up a demonstration on its website.

Hitek is a firm that expertly treads the line of delivering reliability of the utmost degree with by a constant thirst for evolution and innovation.

Perhaps Martin Kulin sums up Hitek's ethos best when he claims: "We've long recognised innovation is one way of keeping customers loyal and happy with the value they receive, rather than looking at the prices they pay".

"But innovation requires investment and that means operating a business model that is profitable enough to provide funds for R and D".