Fluke Corporation
Encyclopedia
Fluke Corporation, a subsidiary of the Danaher Corporation
, is a manufacturer of industrial testing equipment including electronic test equipment
. It was started in 1948 by John Fluke
, Sr., a friend and roommate of David Packard
, future co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, when both were employed at General Electric
.
Today, Fluke Corporation is a global corporation with operations worldwide. It designs, develops, manufactures, and sells commercial electronic test and measurement instruments for scientific, service, educational, industrial, and government applications. Fluke Biomedical and Fluke Networks are sister organizations.
and ohmmeter
s, and followed later by ammeter
s.
With Bell Laboratories recently introducing the transistor
in 1947, scientists were able to develop testing and measuring devices that were accurate to within one-millionth of a unit of measurement, or less. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, therefore, demand growth for testing and measuring equipment tracked the surge in the production of solid-state electronics products and equipment. The testing and measuring devices were used to help in the design, manufacture, testing, and servicing of electrical and electronic products.
Fluke continued to profit from healthy markets and its technological expertise going into the 1970s. Market growth slowed beginning in the early 1970s, but Fluke was able to sustain profitability by introducing new products and maintaining its dominance of a few key product categories. By the end of the decade the total market for test and measurement equipment had grown to $6 billion. Fluke's share of that figure was a healthy $150 million annually by the end of the 1970s. And industry sales continued to increase in the 1980s (between 1975 and 1985, industry sales rose at an average of nearly 20 percent annually).
, the discipline of continuous incremental improvements to eliminate waste.
Today Fluke is a billion dollar company and its markets range from industrial and commercial facility operations to precision measurement and calibration (Fluke Calibration), data communications (Fluke Networks), to medical equipment (Fluke Biomedical). Newer contributions by Fluke to test and measurement technology in the last 10 years include thermal imaging (working with Raytek and then ISI) and remote wireless displays.
Fluke developed thermal measurement engineering expertise and successfully developed thermal imagers that were easier to use than the expert models and drove the market price downward from $20,000 to below $5000.
Fluke introduced the industry’s first wireless multimeter with a detachable display in 2009. The base and display module of the Fluke 233 multimeter communicate over a 2.4 GHz ISM-band radio link when the display module is separated from the base. Having a wireless meter is primarily important when the object under test is a distance away from the controls, requiring two people to conduct the test, a lot of running, or a wireless meter.
Additionally, Fluke maintains an environmental safety lab where prototype Fluke products are baked, frozen, shaken, shocked and abused with the equivalent of years of hard use. If a test exposes a flaw or weakness, it’s re-engineered and then re-tested.
Fluke's complete test and measurement line now includes digital multimeters, clamp meters, electrical testers, power quality analyzers, thermal imagers, insulation resistance testers, portable oscilloscopes, earth ground testers, infrared and contact thermometers, air quality meters, and vibration testers.
These tools are used by industrial technicians, process technicians, industrial electricians, electrical contractors, commercial electricians, power quality consultants, energy auditors, thermographers, metrologists, electrical and electronic engineers, design and test engineers, HVAC technicians and contractors, facility maintenance, and building diagnostics professionals.
Fluke's headquarters is located in Everett
, Washington, U.S., but the company has facilities worldwide.
Fluke Networks began as a business unit within Fluke Corporation in 1992. By 2000, Fluke Networks had grown substantially, and differences between Fluke Networks and Fluke Corporation were apparent – different customers, different sales channels and sales processes, and different products designed for different applications. In 2000, Fluke Networks became a separate operational division with a new brand and a separate identity.
Fluke Biomedical
Fluke Biomedical has been around for 30 years, serving biomedical test customers in the manufacturing of biomedical test and simulation products, including electrical safety testers, patient simulators, performance analyzers, and fully integrated and automated performance testing and documentation systems. Fluke Biomedical also provides diagnostic imaging, radiation safety, and oncology quality-assurance solutions for regulatory compliance.
Fluke Calibration
With the acquisition of the Precision Measurement Division of Wavetek Wandell Goltermann in early 2000, Fluke strengthened its position in the electrical calibration marketplace. Subsequent acquisitions of Hart Scientific, DH Instruments, Pressurements and Ruska added expertise and product lines in temperature and pressure/flow calibration. The Fluke Calibration line of calibrators, standards, waveform generators, calibration software products, and support equipment provide exacting standards for companies and government organizations who must meet strict international quality requirements.
Danaher Corporation
The Danaher Corporation , is a large global company headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States. Its products are concentrated in the fields of design, manufacture, and marketing of industrial and consumer products....
, is a manufacturer of industrial testing equipment including electronic test equipment
Electronic test equipment
Electronic test equipment is used to create signals and capture responses from electronic Devices Under Test . In this way, the proper operation of the DUT can be proven or faults in the device can be traced and repaired...
. It was started in 1948 by John Fluke
John Fluke
John Maurice Fluke, Sr. was the founder of Fluke Corporation, a manufacturer of electronic test equipment. Fluke served as an officer in the United States Navy in World War II and worked on shipboard electrical problems for then-Captain Hyman G. Rickover. He received the Legion of Merit for...
, Sr., a friend and roommate of David Packard
David Packard
David Packard was a co-founder of Hewlett-Packard , serving as president , CEO , and Chairman of the Board . He served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1969–1971 during the Nixon administration...
, future co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, when both were employed at General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
.
Today, Fluke Corporation is a global corporation with operations worldwide. It designs, develops, manufactures, and sells commercial electronic test and measurement instruments for scientific, service, educational, industrial, and government applications. Fluke Biomedical and Fluke Networks are sister organizations.
Company History
Fluke was incorporated in Washington state by John Fluke on October 7, 1953 as the John Fluke Manufacturing Company, Inc. It started with electronics testing equipment such as power metersElectricity meter
An electricity meter or energy meter is a device that measures the amount of electric energy consumed by a residence, business, or an electrically powered device....
and ohmmeter
Ohmmeter
An ohmmeter is an electrical instrument that measures electrical resistance, the opposition to an electric current. Micro-ohmmeters make low resistance measurements. Megohmmeters measure large values of resistance...
s, and followed later by ammeter
Ammeter
An ammeter is a measuring instrument used to measure the electric current in a circuit. Electric currents are measured in amperes , hence the name. Instruments used to measure smaller currents, in the milliampere or microampere range, are designated as milliammeters or microammeters...
s.
With Bell Laboratories recently introducing the transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
in 1947, scientists were able to develop testing and measuring devices that were accurate to within one-millionth of a unit of measurement, or less. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, therefore, demand growth for testing and measuring equipment tracked the surge in the production of solid-state electronics products and equipment. The testing and measuring devices were used to help in the design, manufacture, testing, and servicing of electrical and electronic products.
Fluke continued to profit from healthy markets and its technological expertise going into the 1970s. Market growth slowed beginning in the early 1970s, but Fluke was able to sustain profitability by introducing new products and maintaining its dominance of a few key product categories. By the end of the decade the total market for test and measurement equipment had grown to $6 billion. Fluke's share of that figure was a healthy $150 million annually by the end of the 1970s. And industry sales continued to increase in the 1980s (between 1975 and 1985, industry sales rose at an average of nearly 20 percent annually).
Activity Since 2000
Fluke was bought by the Danaher Corporation in 1998 who brought its Danaher Business System approach to Fluke, changing company practices from line to cell manufacturing and embracing kaizenKaizen
, Japanese for "improvement", or "change for the better" refers to philosophy or practices that focus upon continuous improvement of processes in manufacturing, engineering, game development, and business management. It has been applied in healthcare, psychotherapy, life-coaching, government,...
, the discipline of continuous incremental improvements to eliminate waste.
Today Fluke is a billion dollar company and its markets range from industrial and commercial facility operations to precision measurement and calibration (Fluke Calibration), data communications (Fluke Networks), to medical equipment (Fluke Biomedical). Newer contributions by Fluke to test and measurement technology in the last 10 years include thermal imaging (working with Raytek and then ISI) and remote wireless displays.
Fluke developed thermal measurement engineering expertise and successfully developed thermal imagers that were easier to use than the expert models and drove the market price downward from $20,000 to below $5000.
Fluke introduced the industry’s first wireless multimeter with a detachable display in 2009. The base and display module of the Fluke 233 multimeter communicate over a 2.4 GHz ISM-band radio link when the display module is separated from the base. Having a wireless meter is primarily important when the object under test is a distance away from the controls, requiring two people to conduct the test, a lot of running, or a wireless meter.
Capabilities
Fluke's NIST-traceable in-house calibration laboratory provides the standards to which Fluke products and manufacturing equipment are calibrated and maintained. Internationally recognized through accreditation by NIST NVLAP and Germany’s DKD programs, the standards lab is headed by Jeff C. Gust.Additionally, Fluke maintains an environmental safety lab where prototype Fluke products are baked, frozen, shaken, shocked and abused with the equivalent of years of hard use. If a test exposes a flaw or weakness, it’s re-engineered and then re-tested.
Fluke's complete test and measurement line now includes digital multimeters, clamp meters, electrical testers, power quality analyzers, thermal imagers, insulation resistance testers, portable oscilloscopes, earth ground testers, infrared and contact thermometers, air quality meters, and vibration testers.
These tools are used by industrial technicians, process technicians, industrial electricians, electrical contractors, commercial electricians, power quality consultants, energy auditors, thermographers, metrologists, electrical and electronic engineers, design and test engineers, HVAC technicians and contractors, facility maintenance, and building diagnostics professionals.
Fluke's headquarters is located in Everett
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
, Washington, U.S., but the company has facilities worldwide.
Market Segments
Fluke NetworksFluke Networks began as a business unit within Fluke Corporation in 1992. By 2000, Fluke Networks had grown substantially, and differences between Fluke Networks and Fluke Corporation were apparent – different customers, different sales channels and sales processes, and different products designed for different applications. In 2000, Fluke Networks became a separate operational division with a new brand and a separate identity.
Fluke Biomedical
Fluke Biomedical has been around for 30 years, serving biomedical test customers in the manufacturing of biomedical test and simulation products, including electrical safety testers, patient simulators, performance analyzers, and fully integrated and automated performance testing and documentation systems. Fluke Biomedical also provides diagnostic imaging, radiation safety, and oncology quality-assurance solutions for regulatory compliance.
Fluke Calibration
With the acquisition of the Precision Measurement Division of Wavetek Wandell Goltermann in early 2000, Fluke strengthened its position in the electrical calibration marketplace. Subsequent acquisitions of Hart Scientific, DH Instruments, Pressurements and Ruska added expertise and product lines in temperature and pressure/flow calibration. The Fluke Calibration line of calibrators, standards, waveform generators, calibration software products, and support equipment provide exacting standards for companies and government organizations who must meet strict international quality requirements.