Etteplan helps Dantec Dynamics to increase the quality of their products

Case Overview 

Dantec Dynamics, part of Nova Instruments, is the world leader in integrated measurement systems for diagnostics and research in fluid mechanics and combustion technology. In 2012, the company put out a tender and found that Etteplan (previously TekPartner*) was the most qualified for the development of a sophisticated, online analysis device for measuring optical signals – the BSA3 – with the aim of finding a strong, qualified partner within field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology.

”Dantec Dynamics is a state-of-the-art company and market leader in our field. We put out a tender because we lacked in-house competencies within complex FPGA programming. The tender was sent to development houses in Denmark and overseas.
We used a requirements specification as a baseline, and Etteplan stood out by a mile because they understood the task best. Based on their expertise and assessment of what was needed, it was quite clear to us that Etteplan was the best choice.
As a partner, Etteplan has shown to have the ability to take the project to another level. Their input has repeatedly made our products better. Etteplan is good at helping us to dip our toes in an environment that they themselves are deeply immersed in. They have expertise within the specific areas we need, and where it is difficult to find skilled personnel. Also, their product development work sits within a very narrow field, and they bring ideas, skills and languages into play that offer an alternative approach. Their knowledge can make products better without any of the complications that intellectual property rights (IPR) can bring. The collaboration with Etteplan has meant that we have made a lot of progress with our product compared to our competitors.

Etteplan has worked on a parallel project of ours in addition to the BSA3. They delivered on a small margin of error, despite the very complex nature of the tasks they were working on. At the same time, they have proven to be accommodating and flexible when we needed assistance, resulting in reduced time to market. At the moment, we’re working on minor bug fixing. It works perfectly, and because we have a common understanding of our product, minor tasks are solved quickly and efficiently via remote sessions.
The BSA3 is our best-selling product to date. The device is sold to research environments and universities worldwide that work with aerodynamics. We have just launched an add-on, Intensity validation, which acts as an additional control layer for testing the quality of the signal. The BSA3 handles 200 MHz, the equivalent to 200 million signals per second, which can’t be matched by any of our competitors. That’s what makes us unique in this field. Our intention is to continue to be the market leader, and our partnership with Etteplan has helped strengthen this position.

We don’t have any specific products in the pipeline at the moment, but when we do, I can see us asking for Etteplan’s input again. It’s a good exercise to put out tenders every now and then, and I’m sure we’ll do it again, but I can’t see that it would change the outcome. Etteplan’s expertise means that they will most likely end up being our chosen supplier again.”

*Etteplan acquired Tekpartner in 2021, read more about the acquisition.