Company Announcements

Fischer announced that at the beginning of this year it opened two new application labs in Berlin and Düsseldorf, Germany.

XRF Scientific acquired the remaining 50% of Scancia (see IBO 3/31/14) in March for AUD 0.4 million ($0.3 million). Based in Canada, Scancia manufactures x-ray fluxes.

In May, Belec Spektrometrie Opto-Elektronik named Perfect Technologies for Scientific Services as its exclusive distributor for Egypt.

In May, GE Analytical Instruments announced that its facility in Tatabanya, which manufactures the Sievers TOC Analyzers and consumables, began production of certified reference materials to provide its European customers with quicker product access.

In July, Hitachi High-Technologies announced the formation of Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science, following the acquisition of Oxford Instruments’ Industrial Analysis business (see IBO 4/30/17). The acquisition added five new subsidiaries in the UK (formerly known as Materials Analysis Ltd.), Germany, Finland, China and the US (formerly known as Baker Avenue Services).

Product Introductions

In April, TSI launched the ChemLite Plus Laser Metals Analyzer, a handheld LIBS-based analyzer. It features new hardware for identification of base metals in one second, and improved limits of detection, the “lowest of any handheld LIBS on the market,” according to the company.

Bruker released in April a new calibration package for its handheld EOS 5000 LIBS system, which now has the option to include iron, nickel, copper and cobalt alloy calibrations.

In May, Bruker introduced the S8 TIGER Series 2, a next generation WD-XRF spectrometer. New to the system is HighSense technology, which offers a better linear dynamic range, reduced measurement times and new x-ray optics. The system features XRF² for spot mapping, offering a 300 µm spot size, which the company calls the highest spatial resolution available in WD-XRF.

In April, Teledyne Tekmar introduced the TN Module for its Lotix TOC Combustion Analyzer. TOC and TN samples can be analyzed at the same time, while using a chemiluminescence detector in connection with a nondispersive IR detector.

Oxford Instruments launched in May the X-MET8000 Expert Geo geochemistry handheld XRF analyzer. Designed for environmental soil and mining screening, the system can measure 40 elements, with additional elements available upon request. It offers results in seconds with real-time data sharing using the OiConnect cloud service.

In May, Xenocs released the BioXolver SAXS system for structural biology. It features automatic sample handling and cell cleaning and drying. The system requires only 5 µL sample volume.

In June, Rigaku launched the sixth generation Rigaku MiniFlex XRD system for determination of phase identification and quantification, percent crystallinity, crystallite size and strain, lattice parameter refinement, Rietveld refinement and molecular structure. New features include an eight-position automatic sample changer.

AtomAnalyzer released in June the AtomTrace software for LIBS analysis, featuring an interface for advanced chemometrics. Instead of importing and exporting programs, a drag-and-drop feature enables users to create a processing sequence. Additional modules allow for Python and R scripting.

In July, PerkinElmer introduced the Avio 500 ICP-OES for high-throughput multi-elemental inorganic analysis for a wide variety of sample matrices. It has the lowest argon consumption of any ICP-OES, according to the company. It features simultaneous data acquisition and extended linear range.

Sales/Orders of Note

In May, Eurocontrol Technics announced the receipt of a $250,000 order by its Xenemetrix subsidiary for six ED-XRF Petromark analyzers from authentification firm SICPA. The order is part of a three-year contract renewal rewarded through a tender process.

In June, Burevestnik announced the installation of a DRON-8 XRD spectrometer at the Iran University of Science and Technology School for Metallurgy and Materials Engineering.