In the early 1990s an idea emerged at the Laboratory of Aerosol Physics in TUT’s Department of Physics. It concerned particle measurement that combines several methods. The idea was further developed with funding from the Academy of Finland, and a measuring device was built that could be tested in power stations alongside other research. With funding from the Academy of Finland, a company named Dekati was established to commercialise the promising invention. All researchers from the laboratory were welcomed as shareholders.
Dekati’s first product, the Electrical Low Pressure Impactor ELPI, measures micro particles. The innovation is based on combining an impactor, which performs size-based mechanical sorting with electronic measuring that enables speedy operation. The device can measure particles that are less than 10 micrometres in size in a few seconds, which is hundreds of times faster than with previous methods.
"The timing of this technical innovation couldn’t have been better. At the same time, the health effects of micro particles became an issue around the world, and the need for measuring increased enormously. ELPI’s breakthrough took place in an aerosol conference in 1995 in Helsinki", recalls Managing Director Juha Tikkanen.
Over a hundred of the EUR 55,000 devices have been sold, around half of them to Japan. ELPI is used, e.g. by many leading car manufacturers.
ELPI’s innovativeness has also received recognition in other ways. In 1999, the company was granted the national Inno Award, and in 2001 the Finnish Engineering Award from the Finnish Association of Graduate Engineers TEK.
Dekati has expanded rapidly. The annual turnover was approximately EUR 2.6 million in 2007.
"ELPI is still the main product. We are also developing integrated measuring solutions for the automotive industry and outdoor and medical measuring methods. In addition, Dekati has established an affiliated company developing optic amplifying fibres by utilising aerosol technology", Technology Director Mikko Moisio explains.
The connections with the Laboratory of Aerosol Physics are still close, and a lot of cooperation related to product development is underway. Both Tikkanen and Moisio have also recently taken Doctoral degrees at TUT.