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Fundamentally, Fluke is a professional measurement and troubleshooting company. Unlike consumer electronics manufacturers, Fluke designs instruments specifically for professionals whose work depends on accurately determining the internal status of electrical, electronic, mechanical, industrial, communications or medical systems.

Technicians typically utilise Fluke instruments to verify specific operational parameters, such as:

• Whether a power supply is outputting the correct voltage
• Whether an electrical circuit is drawing excessive current
• Whether a motor is overheating
• Whether insulation integrity is deteriorating
• Whether machinery is exhibiting abnormal vibration
• Whether an industrial process remains within specification
• Whether a calibration standard retains its accuracy
• Whether network cabling meets certification requirements
• Whether an electrical installation is safe for operation

The company’s stated mission centres on helping professionals measure, test, troubleshoot and maintain equipment to ensure businesses and infrastructure remain operational. In essence, Fluke manufactures tools that enable professionals to diagnose faults and verify that equipment is functioning correctly.

Foundation in 1948

Fluke was established in 1948 by John Fluke Sr., an MIT-educated engineer and US Navy veteran of the Second World War. The company originated in a basement workshop in Springfield, Connecticut, where it developed its first major product: a precision volt-amp-watt meter (VAW meter). This instrument was capable of measuring key electrical quantities, including voltage, current and power. 4

Early adoption by major corporations such as General Electric provided the nascent company with a significant foothold in the industrial electrical measurement sector. 5

Incorporation and expansion

In 1953, the business was incorporated in Washington State as the John Fluke Manufacturing Company, Inc. The choice of location was personally significant, as John Fluke had been born in Tacoma, Washington. 6 Over the ensuing decades, the company expanded its portfolio from power meters into a comprehensive range of electrical and electronic measurement instruments.

A pivotal moment in the company’s history was its entry into the digital multimeter (DMM) market. A multimeter integrates multiple electrical measurement functions—such as AC/DC voltage, AC/DC current, resistance, continuity, capacitance, frequency, temperature and diode testing—into a single unit.

Fluke launched its first handheld digital multimeter in 1977, marking a significant milestone in its development. 7 The handheld DMM subsequently became the product category most closely associated with the Fluke brand. Today, the company offers numerous DMM families ranging from electrician-focused models to advanced industrial and engineering meters. 8

Fluke gradually expanded beyond standard electrical meters to encompass a broader portfolio, including:

• Electrical testers
• Clamp meters
• Power-quality analyzers
• Portable oscilloscopes
• Insulation testers
• Thermal imagers
• Temperature instruments
• Calibration equipment
• Network cable certification equipment
• Vibration monitoring
• Laser alignment
• Industrial software
• Asset-management software

This diversification transformed Fluke from a specialist meter manufacturer into a comprehensive industrial measurement and reliability technology company. 9

Much of Fluke’s growth has been driven by acquisitions targeting specialised measurement markets. Notable transactions include the acquisition of the Precision Measurement Division of Wavetek Wandell Goltermann in 2000, followed by Hart Scientific and DH Instruments, which strengthened capabilities in temperature, pressure and flow calibration. 10

Through further acquisitions, Fluke expanded into biomedical testing, network infrastructure testing, process instrumentation, condition monitoring, vibration analysis, laser alignment and industrial software. This strategy created the broad family of businesses and brands that exists today. 11

Fluke is not an independent publicly traded entity; it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fortive Corporation, a publicly listed industrial technology group. 12 Fortive categorises Fluke as a provider of industry-leading test and measurement tools. 13

Corporate hierarchy

Fortive Corporation
↓
Fluke
↓
Various specialised businesses and product families

Fortive’s wider portfolio includes other industrial and technology businesses such as Tektronix, Industrial Scientific, Qualitrol and ServiceChannel. 14

Digital multimeters

The digital multimeter remains the product most strongly identified with Fluke. Key families include the Fluke 87 series, Fluke 77 series, Fluke 179, Fluke 117, Fluke 115, Fluke 28 series, and various wireless models. Professional-grade Fluke meters prioritise measurement accuracy, ruggedness, electrical safety, reliability and troubleshooting functionality for industrial environments. The company states that its industrial multimeters undergo rigorous testing involving drops, shocks and humidity. 15

Clamp meters

Clamp meters allow technicians to measure electrical current without disconnecting conductors. These are essential for electricians, industrial maintenance teams, HVAC technicians and those working on power distribution or commercial electrical systems. Fluke manufactures clamp meters ranging from basic electrical models to advanced units with wireless measurement capabilities. 16

Thermal imaging cameras

Fluke produces thermal imagers that detect infrared radiation and visualise temperature differentials. These devices enable technicians to identify issues such as overheating connections, motor or bearing failures, HVAC defects, building insulation gaps and overloaded components without physical contact.

Electrical testers

The electrical testing portfolio includes voltage detectors, installation testers, insulation testers, earth-ground testers, battery analyzers, portable appliance testers, solar electrical testers and EV charging testers. This range covers everything from simple voltage verification to complex industrial diagnostics.

Power-quality instruments

These instruments investigate problems within electrical power systems, measuring voltage disturbances, harmonics, power factor, transients and energy consumption. They are critical for maintaining factories, commercial buildings, data centres and electrical distribution networks.

Portable oscilloscopes

The ScopeMeter family combines oscilloscope functionality with the portability and durability required for field work, serving technicians who troubleshoot electrical and electronic systems outside laboratory settings.

Measurement instruments are only valuable if their readings are trustworthy. Fluke Calibration provides equipment to establish, verify and maintain measurement accuracy across electrical signals, temperature, pressure, flow, RF, humidity, data acquisition and precision measurement. The division serves both field and laboratory applications.

Fluke Networks specialises in testing and certifying communications and network cabling infrastructure. Its products support professionals installing and maintaining Ethernet networks, data centres, structured cabling, telecommunications infrastructure and fibre-optic networks.

A key software platform, LinkWare Live, offers cloud-connected cable certification and has accumulated over 30 million uploaded test results. This highlights that Fluke’s scope extends well beyond electrical meters into the network infrastructure testing market.

Fluke Biomedical focuses on test and measurement equipment for healthcare and medical device environments. Products include electrical safety testers, patient simulators, performance analyzers, medical imaging test equipment, radiation safety equipment and oncology quality-assurance solutions. Customers include medical device manufacturers, biomedical engineers, physicists and healthcare professionals.

Modern Fluke offerings increasingly address condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. The approach follows a logical sequence: measure equipment, detect abnormal behaviour, identify developing problems and perform maintenance before failure occurs. Technologies include vibration monitoring, laser shaft alignment, power monitoring, connected reliability systems and industrial software, aligning Fluke with broader trends in asset reliability.

Fluke has expanded from physical instruments into software systems for connecting test instruments, recording measurements, cloud-based reporting, cable certification, asset management and data analysis. Platforms like Fluke Connect enable compatible instruments to communicate digitally, transforming individual measurements into actionable maintenance and engineering data.

Fluke equipment supports a diverse range of sectors:

• Electrical: Installation, troubleshooting, preventive maintenance and power distribution.
• Manufacturing: Machine maintenance, motor testing, thermal inspection and predictive maintenance.
• HVAC: Temperature measurement, air quality assessment and system troubleshooting.
• Utilities: Power generation, transmission, distribution and electrical maintenance.
• Electronics: Circuit troubleshooting, R&D, laboratory measurements and equipment maintenance.
• Data Centres: Electrical testing, thermal inspection, power-quality analysis and network cable certification.
• Healthcare: Testing and maintenance of medical equipment via Fluke Biomedical.
• Industrial Maintenance: Identifying equipment issues before they cause unplanned downtime.

Fluke enjoys a strong reputation among professional electricians and technicians, built on four key characteristics:

1. Accuracy: Instruments produce dependable readings essential for professional work.
2. Ruggedness: Designed for harsh field environments rather than delicate laboratory use.
3. Safety: Strong emphasis on electrical safety, appropriate measurement categories and protective design.
4. Reliability: Built to function consistently as a daily working tool.

The company describes its brand attributes as portability, ruggedness, safety, ease of use and stringent quality standards.

Corporate philosophy

The founder’s principle of giving customers “a little bit more than they paid for” continues to influence the company culture. Current brand positioning emphasises the concepts of Safe. Rugged. Reliable. and the slogan Keeping your World Up and Running.® 17 The underlying philosophy focuses less on selling hardware and more on enabling professionals to complete jobs safely and correctly.

Market positioning

Fluke occupies a distinct tier in the test equipment market. While inexpensive multimeters offer basic functionality, professionals choose Fluke for superior build quality, measurement performance, safety certification, long-term reliability, ergonomics and support. Fluke states it holds a number-one or number-two position in every market it competes in, though this reflects corporate characterisation rather than independent ranking.

Fluke is positioned primarily in the professional and industrial categories, justifying a premium over consumer-grade alternatives based on durability, safety and trustworthiness during critical troubleshooting.

The wider Fluke organisation encompasses numerous specialised businesses and brands, including:

• Fluke
• Fluke Calibration
• Fluke Biomedical
• Fluke Networks
• Fluke Process Instruments
• Fluke Condition Monitoring
• Fluke eMaint
• Amprobe
• Comark
• Irisys
• Pomona
• RaySafe
• Solmetric
• Landauer
• Pacific Laser Systems

These entities form part of Fluke’s broader corporate family, although the exact portfolio may evolve over time.

Fluke operates internationally with manufacturing centres in the United States, United Kingdom, Asia and the Netherlands. Sales and service operations span North America, Europe, South America, Asia and Australia, supported by a distributor network in over 100 countries. 18

The company maintains a significant presence in Asia, with dedicated operations and product support for markets including Malaysia and China. 19

Fluke is fundamentally a professional measurement brand rather than a general electronics manufacturer. Its business model revolves around the cycle of measuring, diagnosing, maintaining, verifying and preventing failure. This makes the brand critical in industries where downtime, inaccurate measurements or electrical accidents carry high costs or risks.

The company’s evolution spans from precision electrical meters in 1948 to digital multimeters in the 1970s, global expansion in the late 20th century, and diversification into calibration, biomedical and network testing in the 2000s. Recent developments focus on connected instruments, condition monitoring and industrial software ecosystems. 20

Today, Fluke sits within Fortive’s industrial technology portfolio, covering everything from basic electrician tools to sophisticated calibration laboratories and predictive maintenance systems. 21 Much like a premium professional hand tool brand, the value proposition extends beyond the physical instrument to encompass accuracy, safety, durability, service and trust.

1. Fluke celebrates 75 years of continuous innovation, putting its customers first, and supporting its communities | Fluke
2. View all Fluke Products | Fluke
3. Fluke Corporate Profile | Fluke
4. Our Story | Fluke
5. Fluke Corporate Profile | Fluke
6. The Evolution of Fluke
7. Why Professionals choose Fluke
8. Fluke Digital Multimeters | Fluke
9. Digital Multimeters: Best Electrical Multi Meter Testers | Fluke
10. Fluke Test and Measurement Tools Product Catalogs | Fluke
11. Where To Buy Fluke USA | Fluke
12. Fluke Electrical Test Meters | Full Range of Solutions | Fluke
13. Fluke Companies | Fluke
14. Fluke USA Site Map | Fluke
15. Fluke Malaysia | Test & Measurement Tools & Software
16. 福禄克公司概况 | 福禄克
17. February 28, 2023 – 10-K: Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d) | Fortive Corporation (FTV)
18. Fluke USA Contact Us | Fluke
19. Why Professionals choose Fluke
20. Visit Us | Fluke
21. About us – FACT – Fluke EMEA