About Us
Manufacturer of fail-safe igniter testers and safety ohmmeters
Testing explosive devices is dangerous work. Squibs, igniters, and flares all have to be checked for resistance and continuity, but the wrong test current can set them off. Amptec Research has built instruments for exactly this problem, and aerospace and defense customers have relied on them ever since.
Our igniter testers and safety ohmmeters are designed for resistance testing in environments where mistakes aren’t an option, including aerospace assembly floors, military test ranges, aircraft hangars, and industrial facilities.
Our History
Amptec Research started in 1997, when our founders noticed a major gap in the aerospace industry: there simply weren’t enough inherently safe testing options available. Since then, we’ve made it our mission to become the world’s leading manufacturer of fail-safe igniter testers, bond testers, and other intrinsically safe instrumentation.
To get there, we built a diverse product line of ohmmeters with safety and integrity of measurement at the forefront of every design. Early on, our engineers worked closely with Hill AFB in Utah to develop the Amptec 620A-4 to meet their igniter circuit tester needs. That partnership marked the beginning of a close bond with the United States Air Force, and it grew into a product line of more than 20 unique igniter testers. Along the way, we implemented rigorous quality standards like ISO 9001:2015 and UL-913, built our own on-site calibration laboratory, developed an international sales network, and launched a repair and calibration department with a dedicated engineer for any product that needs troubleshooting. There are still Amptec instruments in use today that were manufactured in the 1990s, and we’ll continue to service them for years to come.
That commitment has led to real success: Amptec Research instrumentation is now the gold standard for many aerospace and military applications. We’re proud to work closely with the USAF, NASA, United States Navy, Sandia National Laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and countless other defense programs and contractors, supplying intrinsically safe instrumentation in the United States and abroad, often developing custom solutions to their unique challenges. These deep relationships with our armed forces and the space exploration community have also earned us a name in commercial aerospace, where the Amptec 620LK Bond Tester is now the preferred meter for bonding checks and continuity testing for commercial airliners around the world.
We take great pride in what we do, which is why we promise to always design, manufacture, and repair our products from start to finish in the USA, all from our plant in Austin, TX. We make every effort to source our components and production equipment domestically, and an even greater effort to work with local businesses in our region. We also support our local economy with charitable donations whenever we can. If you work with a local cause you think Amptec Research would be a good fit for, we’d love to hear from you.
Our Products
Amptec makes a full line of safety instrumentation for aerospace, defense, military, and industrial use:
- Igniter / squib testers — intrinsically safe ohmmeters for resistance testing of EEDs, squibs, bridge-wire initiators, and flares
- Bonding meters — for bonding and grounding verification
- Intrinsically Safe Multimeters — measure stray voltage, current, and resistance in harsh weather environments
- Voltmeters — environmentally safe voltage measurements
- Ground continuity testers — for checking continuity in safety-critical systems
Our Team
Amptec Research operates from a single facility in Austin, TX, where the majority of our staff works on-site each day. We currently employ 20 full- and part-time individuals across research & development, sales, administration, purchasing, and quality control, along with a skilled group of product technicians. We’re a women-owned business, certified through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, and employ individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Our people are the reason we can do what we do, and we take care of them. All full-time employees receive a range of great benefits, including paid health and dental insurance, paid maternal and paternal leave, a 35-hour flexible work week, a 401(k) with company matching, and a minimum of four weeks of paid time off annually, plus additional bonus and incentive programs. We’re committed to a comfortable work environment that offers equal opportunity to everyone, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or creed.
That commitment shows. Thanks to a healthy, equitable, and collaborative workplace, our turnover stays low, and over time we’ve built a highly skilled group of experts who are genuinely the best at what they do, making us all the more equipped to produce some of the safest, most reliable instrumentation on the market.
We’re always looking for more great people to join us. If you’re interested in a career with Amptec Research, browse our current openings below.
Our Community
We are proud members of COSMIC, TARSEC, and CONFERS — three leading organizations advancing collaboration, standards, and innovation in the space industry. Through these memberships, Amptec Research actively contributes to shaping the future of on-orbit servicing, space sustainability, and resilient space infrastructure. These affiliations enable us to engage with key stakeholders in the world of space exploration, share technical expertise, and support the development of forward-looking space capabilities. Together, we’re building a safer, more connected space domain, engaging with world-renowned aeronautics experts in Texas and beyond.
