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Sensoteq CEO, Idir Boudaoud, is interviewed by Belfast Telegraph’s Margaret Canning. We’ve summarised their conversation. The whole article is available to read online at belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Sensoteq is aiming for €100m turnover within five years at its business making ‘Fitbits for machines’.

‎After 18 years working at Schrader in Antrim, Idir and colleague Alan McCall left to set up on their own in 2016. They had expertise in engineering after working at Schrader in the manufacture of tyre pressure monitoring systems but wanted to develop their own sensor which could be used in other industries.

‎Now Sensoteq’s products are being sold to over 100 customers in 30 countries around the world in sectors like food and beverage, mining, automotive and pharmaceuticals.

‎“Our list of clients is impressive, with some of the largest household names in the world claiming it to be the best product they’ve ever seen. Yet here in Northern Ireland, we’ve kept a low profile.”

‎After working for Schrader in France, Idir was transferred to Northern Ireland at age 22 and immediately impressed with how differently Schrader in Antrim seemed to operate “I started as a student at Schrader, right at the bottom. And even as a student, it was much nicer being here than in France.

‎“I found that there were no boundaries between the bottom and the top.”

‎Idir reminisces about barbecues and nights out with the CEO when he was just a student, then engineer, then senior engineer and eventually leading the new product division. “There was always a feeling that everybody was on the same level.”

‎”That was the most important thing for me to carry forward into Sensoteq”.

‎At Sensoteq, we have our ambitions set high – “€100m turnover in the next five years.”

‎This calls for a huge recruitment drive, with plans to create 17 new jobs this year, and around 30 next year.

‎Idir mentions how a strong personal network has allowed us to attract great talent up to now, but we’re struggling to find software engineers with the demand for their skills growing rapidly.

‎”Our product is designed and manufactured in Northern Ireland. All the research, development and engineering is done here with our team.

‎He’s a strong believer in Northern Ireland’s manufacturing prowess. “There’s know-how here. People know how to make things here and how to make them well.

‎”We had a customer in the US who recently came to see us and visited the manufacturing line. What they really liked about it was that the whole supply chain was very close, all within an hour. And of course, at this point there are great supply chain issues and challenges globally, so having everything close reduces our risk.”

‎Sensoteq has a strong ethos of giving back, which fulfils Idir’s ambition “to see my company grow and give back to the people around me and the place I live”.

‎We are hiring for a wide variety of roles. If you, or anyone you might know is interested in working at Sensoteq, contact recruit@sensoteq.co.uk or our Linked In profile

We’re back with another round of Get-to-Know introducing Sensoteq’s North American Sales Manager, W. We asked W a few questions about his job and life in and outside of Sensoteq.

‎Q: What sort of duties do you have at work?
A: Customer sales, product install, customer service, technical support & direct customer support

‎Q: What’s the most exciting part of your job?
A: It is different every day. From doing presentations with the customer, to plant pilot installs, to reviewing data. It is different every day, and I love it!!!

‎Q: Where did you work before this position?
A: I was the Director for Training and Technical support in Schrader

‎Q: What was your first paying job?
A: I had a paper route, and then I worked for K&B Toys as a sales associate

‎Q: If you could have a career in anything, what would it be?
A: I like the job that I have chosen. I wish I would have taken up vibration analysis a long time ago

‎Q: What’s your most-used productivity hack? Windows-Shift-S
A: Try it, and you will thank me

‎Q: Do you like traveling? What’s the best place you’ve traveled to? Do you have any vacations planned?
A: I love to travel. I believe this is why my marriage has lasted as long as it has (20 years). Distance makes your heart grow fonder. Sandy and I recently visited the Grand Canyon. It was beyond words. We are traveling to Lake George, Colorado, at the end of July for our family vacation. We will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary in Lake George

‎Q: Do you like reading? What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
A: Yes, I love to read. The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking

‎Q: Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
A: I am a Paid- on-Call EMT/B Fire Fighter. I hold the rank of Captain at the Addison Township Fire Department. I have been a Fire Fighter for 23 years. I am also a member of the Michigan Task Force 1 team. I am a Rescue squad officer for the water rescue team and a Rescue specialist for the Rescue side of the house. Our busy season is during the fall during Hurricane Season. Our team has responded to 5 deployments with our latest in Midland, Michigan, for the flood. We assisted with evacuating 10,000 residents from their homes from 3 dams that failed

‎Q: Do you have any pets?
A: Yes, three dogs Sadie, Lulu, Tank, 3 Cats Jack, Oso, Miriam, 1 Corn Snake Osker, 1 Rabbit lexie, 45 Chickens and a new edition, ten heritage turkeys

‎Q: Are you a sports fan?
A: Yes, I am a die-hard supporter of Detroit teams, The Lions (American Football). The Detroit Tigers (Baseball) and The Detroit Red Wings (Hockey)

‎Q: Are you a morning person or a night owl?
A: I am and have been a morning person. I like to get up early, so I have more time working with you folks in Northern Ireland

‎Q: What’s something you find challenging about your work?
A: Being in the car and not being able to respond to emails. I am a phone person

‎Q: What’s one thing you’re really good at?
A: Listening and working with customers

‎Q: What’s a skill you’d like to improve on?
A: Time management and spelling. I use Grammarly, it works great!!!

‎Get in touch with W via Linked In or at wrippetoe@sensoteq.wpengine.com

Reliability Maintenance Solutions has joined forces with Northern Ireland-based company, Sensoteq, to bring to market the latest innovation in wireless reliability technology.

Kappa X is the newest product designed and developed by Sensoteq under the expert guidance of Research Partners, RMS. Pairing cleverly designed sensor technology with big data algorithms, the partnership is revolutionising the predictive maintenance market, by making reliability best practice accessible, affordable and easy to implement in any industrial application.

The sensor features proprietary wireless technology, a replaceable battery design and a market-leading fault detection capacity within a compact 25mm footprint, meaning it can be mounted on virtually any piece of rotating equipment in any industry.

Speaking on behalf of RMS, Technical Director, Stuart Walker, commented; “Over the past twenty years RMS has been committed to implementing plant reliability and condition monitoring improvement programs throughout the CBM industry. We run extensive training programs that include latest industry news and cutting-edge CBM products which in return provide invaluable opportunities to learn what technologies can make a huge impact for our customers. Speaking with our clients it was clear to see that there was a gap in the market for a wireless reliability sensor, which could deliver advanced detailed measurements in a continuous application.”

As experts in designing and manufacturing wireless condition monitoring sensors, Sensoteq makes the perfect match for RMS.  

“RMS is well-known throughout the CBM industry” said Sensoteq CEO, Idir Boudaoud. “I speak with customers all over the world who have been trained at the Reliability Training Institute or benefited from RMS services. We knew that by joining forces we could create an exceptional CBM product and we are delighted that RMS will be distributing Kappa X throughout the United Kingdom. As Research Partners, they have had tremendous input into the design features of our latest technology.”

The latest product release to market, Kappa X, features all the benefits reliability experts expect from a smart sensor. Smart wake technology enables the sensor to enter ultra-low power mode to preserve battery life; auto-ranging allows the sensor to automatically scale up to +/-64G to measure peak energy exerted by the machine; and a wide vibration frequency range of up to 10kHz results in even earlier detection of faults.

The smart technology raises an alarm when vibration or temperature trends increase beyond typical values for a machine type. Machine specific algorithms act to organise complex data into coherent and simplistic outputs on the Sensoteq Analytix platform, which in turn enables machine operators to pinpoint specific mechanical or electrical faults with their equipment. As the machine data is stored securely on the cloud for detailed analysis, it can be accessed from anywhere at any time.

Citing over 20 years of expertise in vibration analysis, RMS has helped to advise on sophisticated analytics tools for advanced diagnostics, all adding up to a wireless reliability system which truly performs.

Quick and easy to install, affordable, and user configurable, Kappa X is the obvious starting point for any operational reliability program.  If you are based in the UK and want to find out more or to arrange a consultation, visit the Kappa X product page or contact info@rms-reliability.com.

Sensoteq were thrilled to be a finalist in the Belfast Business Awards 2021. The Technology Business Award category, sponsored by Belfast City Council, had some amazing finalists and we were honoured to be alongside them.

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The Sensoteq team had an incredible evening at the black tie gala held at the beautiful Crowne Plaza. Congratulations to all the businesses who took part, and thank you Belfast Chamber for the wonderful evening. We’re looking forward to taking part next year already!

Due to popular demand the Sensoteq Chi wireless service tool is now available to purchase on our online store.

Designed for service technicians in the field, Sensoteq Chi uses Bluetooth technology to provide on-demand machinery efficiency check-ups, including structural analysis and vibration analysis.

Vibration Analysis

The first step in any machine health check-up is to check for unusual vibration patterns. Sensoteq Chi enables you to measure time waveforms and frequency spectrums, detailing the acceleration, velocity, and displacement data for one sensor. Use the data collected to diagnose faults within bearings on rotating equipment, such as pumps, motors, compressors and many more applications

Hammer Test

They say when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail; but if you add Chi into the mix, you can also detect the natural frequencies of your machine, structure or sub-structure! By striking a machine with enough force you will generate oscillations that resonate at the natural frequency of your machine. This is critical information to understand – as you want to ensure the running speed of your machine avoids these frequencies or it could induce serious problems

Stroke Detection

Using our unique algorithms, the Chi sensor will calculate all the required information for the end user to understand the operating efficiency of the machine. By comparing the data between all sides of the machine, the user can determine the proportional difference as a percentage – highlighting faults that lead to lower product/material throughput. Chi is perfectly suited for those applications where improved efficiency means higher returns

Cloud Connected

Connect to the internet (or save data for later upload) to store your measurements in our cloud servers. Using the Analytix Platform you can access all this data at the touch of a button. View historical or recent data sorted by machine name or measurement type. By utilising the power of the platform you can view this data in great detail, with advanced features and tools to give you even greater insight into the behaviour of your machines

Sensoteq Chi kits are available for purchase online now – click here

June finally saw the return to in-person trade shows for the Sensoteq Team. Our North American Sales Manager traveled to Fort Worth, Texas to attend the three day event from June 27-29. It was our first time exhibiting at EASA, the Electro-Mechanical Authority’s Annual Convention and Exposition, and most likely, it will not be our last. The show was a great success, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Being one of the 135 vendors/exhibitors in attendance at the Convention, was a fantastic venue to display our new and existing products:

• Sensoteq Kappa wireless vibration sensor

• Sensoteq Chi Bluetooth Wireless vibration system

• Sensoteq Analytix software

• NEW Sensoteq Kappa X wireless vibration sensor

• NEW Sensoteq thermography system

The three day show was a great mix of educational classes, and product displays and demonstrations in the expo hall. Our strategically selected booth received great foot traffic, and we enjoyed great conversation with many prospects that we will be reaching out to within the next few days.

Our sales manager W on the event: “It was a breath of fresh air to get back in front of people at an in-person trade show. The interaction between the exhibitors and the attendees was great. Sensoteq looks forward to the EASA 2022 show in St. Louis, MO. We will be selecting our Booth location shortly.”

Watch the full ‘EASA Recap’ video here

Sensoteq are proud to introduce our Office and Accounts Administrator, Niketa. We asked Niketa a few questions about her job and life in and outside of Sensoteq.

Q. What sort of duties do you have at work?
A. Bit of everything! 😊 Logistics, purchasing, HR duties, finance and accounts reconciliations, reception duties, organising everyday office essentials, handling office contracts

Q. What’s the most exciting part of your job?
A. As my role is so varied, I always have something going on.  I enjoy planning for events within the business

Q. If you could have a career in anything, what would it be?
A. I always wanted to be involved in wedding planning, I love organising and I think it would be so special being involved in such a big day!  Or I would love to run an animal sanctuary – obviously while continuing working for Sensoteq!

Q. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A. A dancer.  I have danced since the age of 3, so I always wanted to be a backing dancer.

Q. What’s your most-used productivity hack?
A. Notes!  I take notes for everything.  Notes and to-do lists.  I also live by my calendar.  Everything has to go into the calendar, I find these things keep me organised and productive

Q. Do you like traveling? What’s the best place you’ve travelled to? Do you have any vacations planned?
A. I love to travel!  My partner and I are a little bit obsessed with Vegas at the moment and have been the last 3 years in a row.  2020 would have been our 4^th year…. But Covid!  We cannot wait to get back once travelling allows it.  I am also obsessed with travel hacks and organisation for travel, I almost treat that as a hobby!

Q. Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
A. I have discovered that I am quite creative.  I enjoy making decorative pieces and upcycling for my house.  I find this calming and enjoyable.

Q. Do you have any pets?
A. I have 2 furbabies – 2 female miniature schnauzers

Q. Are you a sports fan? Who are your favourite teams?
A. Oh yes!  All the sports!  Football team is Chelsea.  I am South African, so my rugby team is of course the Springboks.  I am an ice hockey season ticket holder and my team is the Belfast Giants.

Q. What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekends?
A. Depends on the mood and the weather.  If it’s a grey day, I love to cuddle up on the sofa and watch movies or a boxset.  If it’s a lovely day, I enjoy getting together with family or friends, sit outside with the dogs running around, having a few drinks and listening to music.