Hottinger Brüel & Kjær (HBK) reported Dec. 2 that its parent company, Spectris plc has purchased Piezocryst Advanced Sensorics GmbH for €133.5 million after the deal was approved by Austrian regulators.
Spectris announced its intention to buy Piezocryst from AVL List GmbH (AVL) in September 2024. It will be integrated into HBK, and they’ll operate as part of its In-Process business unit, under the name “Piezocryst by HBK.”
Piezocryst has been a leader in the piezoelectric sensor business since the 1950s, specializing in high-precision pressure sensors, accelerometers and force sensors for demanding applications. Their sensors are known for their precision, quality and durability, helping optimise engines, machines, and processes while preserving global resources. This makes them highly complementary to the HBK portfolio and customer proposition. Piezocryst will continue to serve AVL, an existing customer of HBK, while integrating into the broader HBK portfolio to serve new sectors.
“I’m excited and proud to welcome Piezocryst’s team into HBK’s family,” says Ben Bryson, president of HBK. “Piezocryst has a wealth of engineering prestige and technical know-how for precision sensing in the automotive and energy sectors that’s highly complementary to HBK’s strategy. The combined strengths of our teams will propel us forward with capabilities to delight our customers and empower innovators.”
Kimberly Miller, EVP of the In-Process unit, adds, “I’m very excited about adding Piezocryst’s products and talents to the In-Process business unit. In particular, their piezoelectric crystals will create opportunities to offer expanded customer solutions for automotive, machine manufacturing, and aerospace and defense.”
