Equipment rentals are increasingly
helping companies overcome the
hurdle of finding investment capital
to fund new development and
verification projects.

Mark Ingham of Sensor
Technology explains: “The devil is in
the detail: enterprising companies can
usually see new gaps in their markets
and envision a product to suit. But
these need to be tested and proven,
and that often involves acquiring
sensors and test equipment.”
Sensor Technology has a rental
option in place for its TorqSense range
of torque sensors.Users can rent rather
than purchase, thus circumventing the
bottleneck of raising capital purchase
approval. If they decide they want to
keep their TorqSense for longer than
anticipated, Sensor Technology is
happy to convert the rental to a sale,
with a percentage of the hire fee paid
offset against the purchase price.

Ingham says rentals are popular at
all times: “Many of our customers
have a project where they need to
measure torque, but know that when
the project is concluded they will
have no further need for a TorqSense.

Renting is very attractive.”
This is also true in academia and in
high tech industries. Brunel University
has used Sensor Technology’s rental
service on a project for a motor sports
client. Another user is a West
Country satellite technology
developer that needed to test ball
screws to the point where they could
be confident that they would work
once blasted into orbit.

Ingham adds: “A regular comment
we hear is that customers would like
to rent equipment from other
suppliers too. There is definitely a
fundamental need in the market.”