Ampcontrol purchased a 75% shareholding in Austech Instruments Pty Limited. The remaining 25% was purchased in 2004.

Ampcontrol’s interest in this, Sydney based, niche market designer and manufacturer of gas detection equipment and systems was for its innovative approach to gas detection and monitoring. Ampcontrol built on this technology and took it to its traditional market – coal mining. The Gasguard range of gas sensors and intrinsically safe programmable controllers were released in 2003 to provide the utmost safety in gas detection in the underground mining environment.