Megger
ActiveOverview
Megger Group Limited manufactures electronic test equipment and measuring instruments for electrical power applications, known for insulation testers and products including cable fault locating, ground testing, low resistance measuring, power quality analysis, and transformer diagnostics. It serves utilities, manufacturing, renewable energy, heavy industry, and transportation with portable and van-mounted devices for testing from household wiring to substations. The company operates 6 manufacturing sites and sales offices in 25 locations with over 100 distributors worldwide.123
History
Megger traces its origins to 1895 when Sydney Evershed invented the first insulation test set, with the Megger trademark registered in 1903 and the first multimeter (AVO) introduced in 1923. Key milestones include the first commercial cable fault locator in 1950, protective relay test set in 1951, and microprocessor-based breaker analyzer in 1984. In 1991, the Megger Group merged with Biddle and Multi-Amp; later acquisitions include SebaKMT in 2012 for cable fault location and Power Diagnostix for partial discharge solutions.126
Product Lines
| Product Line | Positioning | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| Insulation Testers (5-15 kV with noise suppression) | High-voltage insulation testing for power assets | $1,500 - $10,000 |
| Cable Fault Locators | Diagnostics for power cable faults | $5,000 - $25,000 |
| Ground Resistance Testers | Earth/ground testing equipment | $300 - $2,500 |
| Transformer Diagnostics (DGA, partial discharge) | Predictive testing for transformers | $10,000 - $50,000 |
| Multimeters and Clamp Meters | Portable electrical measurement tools | $150 - $1,800 |
| Protective Relay Test Sets | Testing for relay protection systems | $15,000 - $40,000 |
Manufacturing
Megger manufactures at six sites: Dover (UK headquarters), Dallas (TX, USA), Valley Forge (PA, USA), Baunach and Radeburg (Germany), and Danderyd (Sweden). Production covers 28 product groups and 276 products in-house.1
Notable Products
- MIT1025 - 5-15 kV insulation tester with advanced noise suppression technology.
- AVO Meter - First multimeter with amps, volts, and ohms from 1923.
- SebaKMT Cable Fault Locators - Equipment for power cable fault location and testing.
- Low Voltage Insulation Power Factor Set - First commercial set from 1965, weighing under 6.5 kg.
- Microprocessor Breaker Analyzer - World's first in 1984.
Reputation
Megger is regarded by professionals as a leader in electrical test equipment, particularly insulation testing, due to its 130-year history and innovations like early fault locators and predictive diagnostics. Enthusiasts and industry users value its precision and reliability across portable to utility-scale tools. Some note the conservative industry limits rapid adoption of newer smart monitoring expansions.134