Flextech Solutions was started in November of 2005 to serve the growing need for a way to test ECUs before they were mated with their final assembly, which in our case is an automobile that has not been built yet.  As each node on an automotive diagnostic network becomes increasingly complex, they become more difficult to operate when they are not in their native environment.  In the earlier days, before vehicle multiplexing and multiple bus systems on a single vehicle, most automotive ECUs could be operated outside of the car simply by providing a power source.  However, now that faster bus speeds are required, and vehicles have more ECUs than ever before, each node is reliant on the next for information, and all nodes are typically reliant on a Master node of some kind.  Satisfying the need to keep these ECUs "awake and happy" with the messages they expect during the development phase, without being connected to a PC, and running the ECU with something other than the vehicle it is being designed for is the business of Flextech Solutions.... and business is Good!  Flextech benches, vehicle bucks, and adaptor harnesses can be found in many major OEM automotive manufacturers and suppliers in the US, Germany, Korea, and China.  Look for a Flextech bench in the engineering department, assembly plant and trade shows as well. 

It all started several years before Flextech was even a thought, as I was an audio engineer with an ECU to test and no way to turn it on.  I built a small little test bench in my spare time and brought it into the office so that I could troubleshoot issues with an automotive audio amplifier.  As I went on through my career over the years, people still always seemed to remember that little test bench I built for my desk (which to my knowledge is still in service).  So, when the time came to outfit an entire department with testers that could be completely self-sufficient, I was given the assignment.  I developed a tester that met the needs of that department, and then another tester that met the needs of another, for plant testing.  And then another, and then other companies started calling...  Flextech was born and we have been busy building custom testers, vehicle bucks, harnesses, and other diagnostic and ECU related parts ever since. 

In July of 2008, Flextech Solutions moved its shop and design offices to Traverse City, MI.  Flextech is now occupying the old Pratt and Gleason Cherry Plant's Scalehouse, where the cherry trucks used to be weighed.  This is located on Old Mission Peninsula nestled in the middle of Grand Traverse Bay.  This building is locally historic - just about every farmer on the 45th parallel sold cherrys and apples to Pratt and Gleason dating back to the early 1940s.  We feel fortunate to be able to restore a building in the area that was significant to most everyone, keeping some of the areas vibrant history alive, and we also love the view!